38 MODERN HISTORY. [rART VI. 



A.D. of the concliL^ioii of a truce for twelve years between tlie 

 Low Countries and Spain \ one of the articles of which 

 recognised the right of Holland to share in the commerce 

 with Lidia. But as this armistice did not extend to the 

 hostilities still active in the East between the Dutch and 

 the Portuguese, the States-General, prompt to avail them- 

 selves of the interval to re-estabhsh then* influence in 

 Ceylon, despatched Marcellus de Boschouwer with over- 

 tures to Kandy. He was also the bearer of a letter from 

 Prince Maurice of Nassau addressed to the emperor, 

 tendering the friendship of the United Provinces, and 

 offering, in the event of a renewal of Portuguese ag- 

 gression by land or sea, to assist his majesty with ships, 

 forces, and munitions of war.^ The result was a treaty, 

 by which the Singhalese sovereign, in return for the 

 promised mihtary aid, gave permission to tlie Dutch 

 to erect a fort at Cottiar, on the southern side of the 

 bay of Trincomahe, and secm^ed to them a monopoly of 

 the trade in cinnamon, gems, and pearls. So eager was 

 he to matm^e the aUiance, that he prevailed upon Bos- 

 chouwer to remain behind at Kandy, in the double 

 capacity of representative of Holland and ad\'iser of the 

 emperor, who created him Prince of ]\Iigone^ and Ana- 

 raj apoora, Knight of the Sun, and President of his ]\Iih- 

 tary Council, and High Admii'al of the Fleet.* 



Immediately on the erection of the new fort at 

 Cottiar by the Dutch in 1612, it was sm^prised and 

 destroyed by a Portuguese force, which was secretly 

 marched across the island ; and Senerat, in turn, made 

 preparations for a simultaneous attack on the forts of 

 Galle and Colombo ; with the resolution to give no 

 quarter to any subject of Portugal, save women and 



^ Davtes, History of noUand, vol. 

 iii. p. 436. 



^ Bald^us, cli. ix. p. G14. 



* Mig-one was llie Mangel Corle, 

 iiortli ol' the Deddroo ova. 



* Yalentyn, ch. ix.'p. 112; Bal- 

 DJEUs, ch. xi. p. 017. 



