CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 135 



ranged and decided between the Consistory and the Gover- 

 nor in Council to what particular station the newly arrived 

 should be appointed, as the exigency of the case demanded. 

 And on his leaving Colombo for his station, the Minister 

 was furnished by the Colombo Consistory with another 

 letter to the Consistory of that place or station. — Sometimes 

 Ministers were supplied out of the number in Java, which 

 happened either when there was an urgent demand in Cey- 

 lon and one could be spared from the former Colony, or 

 when change of climate, or an unpleasant occurrence made a 

 transfer desirable, which latter sometimes took place on the 

 individual application of the Minister. For the same reasons 

 some went occasionally from Ceylon to Java. The European 

 Ministers were located at head quarters, Colombo, Galle, 

 and Jaffna, occasionally there was one at Matura, another 

 at Trincomalie and another at Negombo. They were not 

 permanently fixed, but could accept a call from the Consis- 

 tory of any of the above named head quarters, subject to 

 the approval of Government. 



The removal was not in all probability, a promotion in a 

 pecuniary sense, for they appear to have been equally sa- 

 larized by Government. In some cases they were supplied 

 with a free dwelling, and they appear to have had some per- 

 quisites. They received in common with all public servants 

 a certain allowance of provisions from Government stores, 

 as butter, wine, cheese, bacon and rice. When the Churches 

 were well supplied with Ministers, there were as follows : 

 Colombo 4, besides the Rector of the Seminary who preach- 

 ed once a fortnight. In 1722 there were 5, but the fifth 

 was appointed in order to apply himself exclusively to the 

 Singhalese, as there was a deficiency in that department in 

 comparison with the increased demand. J afFna had 4 Mi- 

 nisters, Gaile also 4, and Negombo one The Ministers of 

 Colombo visited and administered the Lord's Supper quar- 

 terly to the Dutch congregations at Negombo and Calpen- 

 tyn, and then went over to Tutucoreen, where there was no 

 fixed Minister. On their return from these places they re- 

 ported to the Consistory the state of the churches there. 

 The Ministers of Galle visited Matura quarterly for the 

 same purpose, and they at Jaffna, visited Trincomalie, Bat- 

 ticaloa, Manar and Caits. Their work of preaching did not 

 however confine itself to the Dutch Inhabitants, for besides 

 the inspection of schools and the annual visitation in turn 

 of all the native stations in the district, they applied them- 



