

696 



CEYLON. 



Ceylon. 







governors to attempt die restoration of tranquillity, 

 rather by conciliatory measures, than by their ineffec- 

 tual struggles. For this purpose they sent ambassa- 

 dors to the court of Candy with a variety of valu- 

 able presents, and with instructions to gratify the 

 king by all those tokens of respect which have so 

 powerful an effect on uncultivated minds. The let- 

 ters to him were wrapped up in silks, embroidered 

 with fold and silver, and the ambassador carried them 

 all the way on his head, the highest token of respect 

 known in that country : in these letters they also 

 dignified the king with many of those high titles, 

 which are usually conferred on eastern monarchs. 

 These conciliatory measures never failed to produce a 

 considerable effect. But few of the Dutch gover- 

 nors were either sufficiently enlightened or disinter- 

 ested to persevere in them. The renewed oppres- 

 sions of the Dutch was the constant signal for the 

 renewal of hostilities between them and the natives } 

 and in consequence of a long course of warfare, 

 the Ceylonese became both brave and dexterous. 

 The Dutch were frequently repulsed even in close 

 combat ; several of their forts were taken ; and when- 

 ever they attempted to penetrate into the interior of 

 the country, they commonly lost large parties of 

 their men in attempting to force the woods and de- 

 files, or by the ambushes which their active and 

 vigilant enemy set to surround them. At length, 

 indeed, they triumphed over all these obstacles. The 

 King of Candy saw those woods burst through, which 

 he looked upon as an impenetrable barrier, and he 

 beheld the Dutch soldiers in those vallies which he 

 supposed could never have been approached by a foe. 

 He was twice driven from Candy, the capital of his 

 dominions, and forced to seek for refuge in the moun- 

 tains of Degleggy, the highest and most inaccessible 

 in the kingdom. Here, however, he found himself 

 secure from the pursuit of his enemies, and content- 

 ed himself with surprising and cutting off the con- 

 voys of provisions and stores sent up from the coast, 

 till they should of their own accord abandon his do- 

 minions. This, after all their victories, they were 

 constantly obliged to do. The last great war be- 

 tween them was about the middle of the 18th cen- 

 tury, and though the Dutch suffered many disasters 

 during the contest, they at length, by depriving the 

 Candians of salt at pleasure, compelled them to com- 

 ply with all their demands. In 1766, the king agreed 

 to a treaty, by which, among other articles, all those 

 parts of the coast which had not formerly belonged 

 to the Dutch were to be delivered to them ; and they 

 were also to enjoy a monopoly of all the valuable 

 productions of the island, with a great variety of 

 other advantages. On the other hand, the Dutch 

 agreed to supply the Candians, free of expence, with 

 salt sufficient for their consumption. But the articles 

 of this treaty were quickly infringed, and scarcely 

 one of the stipulations was actually fulfilled. Fre- 

 quent rencounters continued to take place between 

 the Dutch and the natives ; but at last both parties 

 became weary of their ineffectual struggles ; and hos- 

 tilities, as well as every kind of intercourse, were bro- 

 ken off as if by mutual consent. 



Such was the situation of Ceylon when an attempt 

 was made by the British, in 1782, to obtain posses- 

 sion of the European part of the island. The at- 



tack proved unsuccessful at that time, but was again Ceylon, 

 renewed on the junction of the Dutch with the French **~Y-~ / 

 in the last war. In 1795, a body of English Of the Eng- 

 troops landed in Ceylon, and in consequence of the Hsh. 

 cowardice and want of subordination among the 

 Dutch forces, they found it an easy conquest : in- 

 deed, they scarcely met with the semblance of oppo- 

 sition. Since it fell into our possession, we have also 

 been engaged in war with the Candians. In 1798, 

 the king died ; and Pelime Talawee, the chief adigar, 

 or prime minister, raised to the throne a young Mala- 

 bar, of inferior extraction, and of no talents, who 

 was only a puppet to dazzle the eyes of the peo- 

 ple, while he himself ruled with absolute sway. In 

 1799, the governor, Mr North, had repeated inter- 

 views with the adigar, who, in the last of them, re- 

 quested our assistance in taking away the life of the 

 king, and placing himself on the throne ; and pro- 

 mised, on this condition, to make the British masters 

 of the country. The proposal was rejected with in- 

 dignation ; and, in 1800, the governor sent an em- 

 bassy to the Court of Candy, with the view of form- 

 ing a treaty of alliance and commerce between the 

 two nations ; but the plan proved abortive, as nei- 

 ther party would accede to the proposals of the 

 other. 



After this the Candians appeared to be making 

 preparations for war in all quarters, and as the go- 

 vernment, notwithstanding its promises, delayed to 

 make reparation for some small outrages committed 

 on our subjects, the British determined to send troops 

 into their territories, in order to enforce these claims, . * 

 and to exact security against the repetition of any 

 similar act. Having communicated this intention to 

 the Candian government, and made new proposals of 

 accommodation, without any effect, our forces en- 

 tered the dominions of the enemy early in 1803, and 

 meeting with little opposition, soon arrived in the 

 capital. This they found had been evacuated on the . 

 preceding day by all the inhabitants, and set on fire 

 in several places. Upon their arrival in Candy, the 

 adigar made proposals of peace, and it was agreed 

 that the king should be delivered over to the care of 

 the British government, while Pelime Talawee should 

 be invested with the supreme authority, under the 

 title of Ootoon Komarayen, the Great Prince. In 

 consequence of this agreement, the city of Candy 

 was evacuated by part of the British forces ; but, 

 after an unparalleled scene of duplicity and treachery 

 on the part of the adigar, the natives attacked the 

 town ; and our troops, under the command of Ma- 

 jor Davy, being overpowered by numbers, agreed 

 to capitulate, on condition that they should all be al- 

 lowed to march with their arms to our settlements 

 on the coast. They were accordingly permitted to 

 take their departure ; but they were afterwards for- 

 ced back to the capital ; those of the Malays who 

 refused to enter into the Candian service, were im- 

 mediately put to death ; all the British soldiers ^* 

 were likewise cruelly massacred, excepting three or 

 four, who either made their escape, or were spared 

 by the Candians. The report of these events filled 

 our settlements on the coast with alarm and conster- 

 nation ; and soon after the Candians made various 

 descents on our territories, and even meant to attack 

 the capital, but they were happily driven back by our 

 3 



