"No," he replied.
"Are you a Mahomedan?"
"No."
"Are you a Roman Catholic?"
"No."
"What is your religion?"
"Government religion."
Such was his answer. This man had no religion at all,--he only wished to
obtain the favor of the governor. But will he obtain the favor of the
Governor of the world, the King of kings?
We have said nothing yet about the appearance of the Cingalese. Both men
and women wear a piece of cloth wound round their waists, called a
comboy; but they do not, like the Hindoos, twist it over their shoulders;
they wear a jacket instead. Neither do the men wear turbans, as in India,
but they fasten their hair with a comb, while the women fasten theirs
with long pins. The Cingalese ladies and gentlemen imitate the English
dress, especially when they come to a party at the English Governor's
house. Then they wear shoes and stockings instead of sandals; the
gentlemen contrive to place a hat over their long hair, by first taking
out the combs; yet they still wind a comboy over their English clothes.
The Hindoos do not thus imitate the English, for they are too proud of
their own customs. Hindoo ladies never go into company; but Cingalese
ladies may be seen at parties, arrayed in colored satin jackets, and
adorned with golden hair-pins, and diamond necklaces.
You have heard of the foolish ideas the Hindoos entertain about castes.
It is the Brahmin priests who teach _them_ these opinions. The Buddhist
priests say nothing about castes; yet the Cingalese have castes of their
_own_; but not the _same_ castes as the Hindoos. There are twenty-one
castes in all; the highest caste consists of the husbandmen, and the
lowest of the mat-weavers.
Below the lowest caste, are the OUTCASTS! The poor outcasts live in
villages by themselves, hated by all. When they meet any one, who are not
outcasts, they go as near to the hedge as they can, with their hands on
the top of their heads, to show their respect. These poor creatures are
accustomed to be treated as if they were dogs. What pride there is in
man's heart! How is it one poor worm can lift himself up so high above
his fellow-worm, though both are made of the same dust, and shall lie
down in the same dust together!