CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY*, 51 



die Consistory of that place to write these letters of recommen- 

 dation. When a minister returned to his native land, he had 

 to produce his letters from the Church of his last station to 

 the classis to which he belonged, the failure of which produced 

 inconvenience, as it prevented him from receiving a fresh call, 

 in Holland and gave rise sometimes to a lengthy correspondence 

 between the classes and the Colombo Churches. Ihese letters 

 were to contain especially a testimony as to the labours, zeal 

 and piety of the minister. In a letter of the classis of Amster- 

 dam dated 1668, information is given that three clergymen were 

 on their recommendation about to be sent out by the Company 

 to Ceylon, among whom was Mr. Simon Cat, who had been 

 chaplain on board a fleet, and who, as appeared subsequently^ 

 proved, during his residence in Ceylon, an energetic labourer ; 

 his knowledge of the Singhalese language was in advance of 

 his co-temporaries. At the establishing of the Singhalese semi- 

 nary at Colombo he was appointed its Rector by the Batavian 

 Government, but as he was then too far advanced in age for 

 the task the local Government did not carry out the appoint* 

 ment, and Mr. Cat thought he could be more serviceable in the 

 course of native education by preparing Singhalese books for the 

 use of the Seminary, in which also he succeeded remarkably, 

 as the eulogiums pronounced on him by his brethren in their 

 letters of that time abundantly testify. 



In 1669 a recommendation from the Ceylon clergy was sent 

 that at Matura, Negombo and Manaar a located minister should 

 be appointed, not only because those at Head Quarters could 

 pay these towns no more than occasional or periodical visits, 

 but because at each of those place a considerable garrison of 

 soldiers had been stationed. The classis replied that as there 

 had been of late a call for ministers from all parts of India 9 

 they must for the present refrain from urging the matter on the 

 Company. A dispute arose this year between the clergy of 

 Ceylon and them of Batavia about the Ordination of a krank- 



