The lower orders of the people go almost naked, and wear nothing on the head: but the great men are superbly dressed, and covered with loads of white muslin ornamented with gold. The quantity of clothes wrapped round their middle swells their waist to an extraordinary size, which is considered as an emblem of their dignity. Their upper garment is of the form of a wide sleeved gown, and girded about the loins. A ruff surrounds the neck: a square cap is worn on the head; and, whenever they appear abroad, they are accompanied by umbrella-bearers, and a multitude of other attendants. The Adigaars are always preceded by two men, cracking immense whips, as emblems of their judicial power. The dresses, both of the men and women, resemble, in many particulars, those of the Malabars, which are hereafter to be described; and it is evident that the form of no part of their attire is borrowed from that of Europeans. Indian costume has been copied in England; but the fashion of India never changes. The dress of the inhabitants there is the same at this day as it was as far back as history reaches.

The Candians, as has been mentioned, are confined to the centre of the island; and no part of their territory is less than six miles distant from the sea shore. Although a people apparently less amiable than their neighbours the Cingalese, they are, in general, innocent and harmless: but the court is full of intrigue; and the perfidy attached to its ministers reflects odium on the character of the nation.

The king of Candy is the sole proprietor of all the territories occupied by his own subjects, who live in a state of the most abject dependence: and the fear of punishment is the only principle which secures their allegiance. They are all poor, possessing only the mere necessaries of life. Their huts are mean, and destitute of furniture. They have, however, arrived at a considerable degree of perfection in agriculture: but have made only a small progress in the art of numeration. Whatever wealth the nation possesses is concentrated in the crown, and a small number of courtiers.

The government is pure despotism, and the king is invested with the power of condemning his subjects to death without trial. The neglect of any royal edict as soon as detected is immediately punished by the execution of the offender; and such acts of tyranny are far from being un

common.

The monarchy, however, is elective: but by the laws of the country, the sovereign must be chosen from a race of Malabars, who are not the original natives of the island. The electors consist of a small number of noblemen, who are the only courtiers, as well as the governors of provinces. The king is looked up to as an idol, before whom the courtiers prostrate themselves on the ground; and while performing to him acts of the most abject adulation, rule his subjects with arbitrary sway under the mask of the royal authority. These courtiers, or public ministers, are acute, distrust

ful, and prone to duplicity. In the transaction of business, they are, in the highest degree, dilatory, delighting in procrastination, and bigoted to tedious customs and punctilious forms. In the depth of political finesse, they are even a match for Gallic subtilty.

From the circumstance of the monarchy being elective, and the line of choice not being distinctly marked, the -country is agitated by constant factions, conspiracies, and rebellions: and the court is inflamed by jealousies, rivalship, and discord.

For some centuries past, little intercourse has subsisted between the Candians and Europeans. Even in time of peace a Candian rarely approaches any of the British settlements. The little trade which the Candians carry on with other nations, is either transacted within their own territories or on the frontiers. This reserve proceeds from the policy of the government, which, having often suffered from the aggressions of other powers, now wishes its subjects to remain peacefully employed at home. The only persons privileged to go abroad are the priests of Buddha, who wander, unchallenged, at all times, over all parts of the island; and, during war, serve both parties as spies.

The Candians are independent of foreign commerce, and import little besides cotton cloths of the finer sorts. Their own country produces every thing that is necessary for their subsistence; and salt is found so near to their frontiers, that