awnandel or Malabar g coasts ; and^thisdsi-in, fact the received^
opinion' among moilt people'.!: Some circumstances however seem
to indicate.:that they have( eOme: from .a' greater distance;rhheir
complexion; i features, % language ( and manners are so similar s to
those: o f the Maldivians,. that I should for my own part be apt
to conclude that both were, of the sarflie stock. The Maidive
islands are only two or three days’- sail froimCeylbn; and^from
the dissimilarity' of.':the habits found among them to those U®£
the Indians on:ihe.^continent, i t mi^fe^beiargit6d ithafcStte na-*
tivesiofithese islands have not directlyioriginated® from those
Hindostan.
Thd ii’eylehese are of a niiddling stature, about, fiveotfeet
eight, and. fairer in complexion than the Moors ahd'.Maiabars
u^^heJcontineht. They are however a t the; same ijtimel heYther
so well made nor so strong. I know no race they, (resemble so
much in appearance as the Maldivians. The Candians .are, both
feirers,' bietter made, and less effeminate than the Cinglese in out:
service..
The women are not so tall in proportion as then men r they
are much fairer, and approach to a- yellow or mulatto eolbur.
They continually anoint their bodies with cocoa-nut.ail.; I and
in particular always keep their hair moist i with, it. Both^sexes
are Remarkably clean and neat both in their persons-and houses.
In dressing their victuals they are scrupulously- nice; -■ They are
cautious not even to touch the vessel out? of which r they drink
with their lips; but (what wonld.seem a very* aukwhrd method
to an European) they hold the: vessel at- some;:^distance over
their' beads, and literally pour the drink :down their throats.
J t is perhaps from the fear of not doing it with sufficient dexterity
t h a t . they never use their left band inrpreparihg.' their
feod;M>rlltfi eating-’ it;1 >’iWhile, atfijhedls^ theyWeld&feiftconverse*
with lea’d jio th e r i' they f&vdnd&eem » to ‘dobkii uflih $he Whole^-busi-'
ness of eating as !sbMetKihg r&tlier required by'-ffl^es'siiJy^fhaii:
feryu cbMstent i S n M p p p i whdey drinkmgilith^ljneveriiliirn
1 their fe e s ; towards eachpe|her:;“
r ; In »theirodiet > .amda^aee1
constitute; th e ' chief fpirt-idf’-4hrei'r,t foddfx In 'sortie ypUdfegSJlwKeied
' S®rabtritfds,';. ' ' p o ^ h h ^ i o f a i f t s f e ’Wmfeads,1'^!!^
searc&^iany <wher& is*?fleshj'dnj^nhr£cin use:::;jjj
- :Th§n@iyipriese areueMitteods* and jJdlftedin 'fSeil'’ d'emeahOurj
. even .fto‘ia degree f e ■' i l n ' several
qaialitiefsthey are greatly ^Speiiitr «to^ffi.’SSierfilhdiank wfe# hayl#
fedlen >within the- sjthei^ ‘of^iriy dbs'ervationba k'-llave already
exempted them front the- censure-_;0f Ist&lingtlahdwlyingjJi^hit^
seem tofJberf almost' inherent in' thd-mature^ of^Sri Indian. - -They
are,rmiM,r a’hd b y ’ntb means captious ’OiSCpassionate in* thfei^tn-
tercOursef- twithieaich« >btheif; th%ugh>%beii anger ‘is
rftaiedd ibife pn&porlSonably': fiirious and’- la sti^ ii! ^Theii ;'ha|ied! is
indeed‘ mortal,, and th ey ; will frequently dbstrOyi'^epsriyigS to
o b tain ‘-ihenidfestfu'etion .’of ^ the detested’ /tobjeditvl # n e ‘instance
willj ::ife'tektent|‘ to?^hfeh;v;thisi^®iifeM^i: 'Ca^bd'I
I f >■&'& Oeylonese cannbfc obtain: money due tf^phiiffl^ ‘b y another *
he^goes*'%9r®hts -debtbrf and t threatens to kill himself if he is
n o ttih stan tly ^ aid . Thiiri: threat^ iiiwhich' I i#5^^6®ii^^tp&f 36$
execution; rgdsces the debtor, if at bcfiln:hlSi‘powfW;?;fet .immediate
compliance with the deinand ; a s by theit'law ifthnyimM
tk u s® ^ eclp » ?(rf^« ^o th ri-f man’s his‘-«WnP& .
*‘;.Ah eye for an eye;fs&nd a to0thrlfop'iaifobthi1’ is ^ p lftre rb ifil"
e&sions a very conimon: ihodo of revenge among t-hetu; ■ ahd *a
i 4 '