CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 25 



their prophet, Buddu, whom according to the Rev. E. Horn- 

 beek's work, they honor as a deity) was come they ought to 

 drown themselves in the sea, which also he enjoined them to 

 do, saying they should not conceal themselves in any towns or 

 villages in the jungle. At the conclusion of all this, the cler- 

 gymen desired them to speak definitely of their religion and 

 its ceremonies, but to this the Prince objected, saying repeatedly 

 that these persons did not know the mysteries of their religion, 

 that what they did was more from custom. The resort to this 

 Prince from the neighbourhood and from afar increased conti- 

 nually, especially of sick and lame whom he undertook to cure, 

 in attestation of which he sent to the clergymen with his ser- 

 vants ;;wo natives, whose eyesight he pretended to have restored, 

 which also the individuals themselves appeared to believe ; one 

 of them however subsequently confessed the deception. 



As to the.se cures, he said, he exhorts the patients to pray 

 t6 God, promising them his own prayers, and after a few days 

 they come to him, saying they are cured. His dwelling was 

 not far from the town in a house of the Company, at Hulsts- 

 dorp so called after General Hulst who at the besieging of Co- 

 lombo, resided there. In this house he exercised his religion 

 and numbers came to him, to the no small injury of Christi- 

 anity. But on a representation to the Governor, he was for- 

 bidden and the visits of the natives were prevented. Then he 

 again feigned an inclination to Christianity, but shortly after •« 

 wards fled by night, and passing through the King's territories 

 he was apprehended, and, report says, cut to pieces at the King's 

 command, while others still hold out that he lives. " 



In the same letter, from which I have made this long extract, 

 an extraordinary passage occurs from which it appears that in 

 those days the clergy also kept slaves and that these were not 

 treated always in the most gentle manner. " In our former 

 letter of 26 December 675 we mentioned the removal from 

 Jaffna of the Rev. J. Durenus, caused by an action brought against 



