CuAP. III.] CONQUEST OP ]L\XDY. 80 



lieved. Slie and her sister-in-law were led to the little a-»- 



■y 1814 



tank in the immediate neighbourhood of Kandy, called 

 Bogambara, and di"owned." ^ 



This awful occurrence in all its hideous particulars, 

 I have had verified by individuals still h\ing, who were 

 spectators of a scene that, after the lapse of forty years, 

 is still spoken of with a shudder. 



But the limit of human endurance had been passed : 

 revolt became rife throughout the kingdom : promiscuous 

 executions followed, and the terrified nation anxiously 

 watched for the approach of a British force to rescue 

 them from the monster on the throne. At length, the 

 insensate savage ventured to challenge tlie descent of 

 the vengeance that awaited him. A party of native 

 merchants, British subjects, who had gone up to Kandy 

 to trade, were seized and mutilated by the tyrant ; they 

 were deprived of their ears, their noses, and hands, and 

 those who survived were driven towards Colombo, ^\i^h 

 the severed members tied to their necks. ^ 



An avenging army was instantly on its march. War 

 was declared in January 1815^, and within a few weeks a.t>. 

 the Kandyan capital was once more in possession of ^^^^• 

 the Enghsh^, and the despot a captive at Colombo, 

 whence he was eventually transferred to the Indian 



' Davy, cli. x. p. 321. 1 had already been violated by the ir- 



^ It cannot extenuate so wanton | ruptious and depredations of Kan- 

 an atrocity to mention that in the [ dyan forces across the border. ''War," 

 Mahmmnso, the exploit is rel.ated [ it announced, " was not directed 

 mth complacency of Mogallana, wlio, | ag'ainst the people but their tyrant, 

 on the deposition of his pamcidal who had become an object of abhor- 

 brother, Kaasyapa, A.D. 495, ''cut off rence to mankind," and protection 

 the ears and noses of the late king's ' was offered to every Kandyan sub- 

 ministers before driving them into ject who was prepared to welcome 

 exile." — Mahawanso, ch. xxxix. j their deliverers. 



3 The declaration of war sets out i ^ 14th February, 1815. '^ From 

 that it was undertaken in compliance this day we date the extinction of 

 with " the prayers of more than one Singhalese independence — an inde- 

 half the Kandyan kingdom," and with i pendence wliich had continued with- 

 the sympathies of the rest, for tlie | out material interruption for 2,357 



vindication of Britisli subjects out- 

 raged by the king, and the secmity 

 of his majesty's possessions, which 



vears." — ICnighton, ch. x^di. p. 

 325. 



