GENERAL 
deserted by the inhabitants, and 
stript of all valuable property.— 
The King had taken to flight with 
a small number of adherents; and 
after much inguiry, was known 
to be in the Dessavany of Dom- 
bera, whence he had no means of 
escaping. On the 18th he was 
surrounded by his own people, 
and taken prisoner with two of his 
wives, his Malabar attendants 
alone making a slight resistance. 
He was bound, reviled, and plun- 
dered; and every circumstance of 
his fall denoted the general de- 
testation inspired by a cruel des- 
potism. The conquest was en- 
tirely bloodless on the part of the 
victors, who enjoyed an extraor- 
dinary degree of health in the 
midst of their fatigues. 
On March 2nd a solemn confer- 
ence was held in the audience- 
hall of the palace of Candy, be- 
tween the Governor and Com- 
mander-in-chief on the part of 
the King of Great Britain, and 
the Adigars and principal Candian 
chiefs on the part of the natives, 
in which a treaty previously fram- 
ed for establishing his Majesty’s 
government in the Candian pro- 
vinces was read and unanimously 
assented to. It was followed by a 
proclamation declaring the result 
of the convention, in seven arti- 
eles. Inthe first, the cruelties and 
oppressions of the Malabar ruler 
are recited, consisting in an arbi- 
trary and unjust infliction of tor- 
tures and death, and a general 
disregard of all civil rights. The 
second declares that by the habi- 
tual violation of the most sacred 
duties of a Sovereign, the said 
ruler, the Rajah Sri Wikreme Ra- 
jah Sinha, has forfeited all claims 
to his title and power, and is de- 
HISTORY. 
posed from the office of King.— 
His family and relatives, ascend- 
ing and descending, are also for 
ever excluded from, the throne, 
and all claim of the Malabar race 
to the sovereignty of the Candian 
provinces is abolished. The re- 
maining articles prohibit all the 
relations of the deposed King from 
entering these provinces without 
express permission from the Bri- 
tish government—declare the do- 
minion of them to be vested in the 
Sovereign of the British empire 
—establish the religion of Boodhe 
—abolish all bodily torture and 
mutilation—and forbid the exe- 
cution of any sentence of death 
except by warrant from the Bri- 
tish governor. 
Some disputes with the Chinese 
empire were the source of diffi- 
culty and disquiet to our traders 
in that part of Asia during the 
last and the present years. ‘Their 
origin is thus stated; Early in 
May, 1814, a boat belonging to 
his Majesty’s ship Doris proceed- 
ed up the Tigris to Whampoa, 
and boardedan Americanschooner 
lying in the river. The Viceroy 
of Canton considered this act as 
au insult offered to the govern- 
ment, and demanded satisfaction 
from the committee of English 
Supercargoes. The committee, 
in various discussions with the 
Hong merchants and the chief 
magistrates of Macao, represented 
that they could not be answerable 
for the conduct of king’s ships 
over which they had no control. 
The chinese government appeared 
at first to admit the reasonable- 
ness of this allegation, but it af- 
terwards addressed the committee, 
in a memorial stating various con:- 
plaints, and insisting on the im- 
[135 
