Women of all nations; a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence . admirable as schoolteachers, quick and sympa-thetic as well as industrious,and others devote themselves tomusic or painting with greatmeasure of success. The Dutchlanguage has ceased to bespoken among the Burghers formore than a generation, althoughthe Dutch were the immediatepredecessors of the British. Portuguese, on the other hand, in adebased form, still survives among the lowestclass of mechanics of mixed race ; while thefamily names of the purest-blooded Sinha-lese in the Low Country are man
Women of all nations; a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence . admirable as schoolteachers, quick and sympa-thetic as well as industrious,and others devote themselves tomusic or painting with greatmeasure of success. The Dutchlanguage has ceased to bespoken among the Burghers formore than a generation, althoughthe Dutch were the immediatepredecessors of the British. Portuguese, on the other hand, in adebased form, still survives among the lowestclass of mechanics of mixed race ; while thefamily names of the purest-blooded Sinha-lese in the Low Country are many of themfamiliar Portuguese cognomens, such asPereira, Dias, Fonseka, and De Silva. Sodeeply did the Portuguese impress theirlanguage on Ceylon, as well as. in largemeasure, their religion and customs—atleast in the case of the lower castes. The Sinhalese, or Lion race, are aninteresting people ; proud, capable, andartistic, but with a full measureof Oriental indolence, accentuatedby the passiveness accompanying, thoughnot inculcated by, Buddhism. The Sinhalese are now practically monoga-. SINHALESE FRUIT-SELLER OF - Co., Colotnbo. COLOMBO. Sinhalese. mous, so that the status of women is good—in fact, best among Oriental nations, ex-cepting the Burmese. Polyandry Customs6 USed t0 Prevail> mostlYin the formof one wife between two brothers. It is still practised to a small extent in the Kandyan districts, though gradually dying out under Government discountenance. Family affection is strong among the Sin-halese, favoured by the dignified position ofwomen under the marriage laws. Marriage is of two kinds :—(1) Diga, (2)Bina. In a diga marriage the husband takes thewife to five with him. In a bina marriagethe husband goes to live in the wifeshouse, and is dependent on her or her re-lations. His case is not without its anxieties,however, as the wife may turn him out ofdoors at her good will and pleasure. 630 WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS Weddings. A bina marriage, where the woman i
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