32 



CEYLON BRANCH 



has of late begun wonderfully to bestir itself through the agi* 

 tations of certain ill-disposed persons, who, not content with 

 their present improved state, have not only by ingratiating 

 themselves with the new King of Kandy and his courtiers 

 been seeking to be absolved from the existing orders and regu- 

 lations respecting schools, but have also effected a demand 

 from the court of Kandy for the re-erection of dagobas in the 

 lower provinces, and the restoration of the lands, whose revenues 

 formerly supported the dagobas and their priests, and conse- 

 quently for the revival of idolatry. If this be conceded, the 

 orders respecting native Churches and Schools can no more be 

 enforced, and defection from Christianity will be on the increase." 



The Clergy further stated that they had called the atten- 

 tion of the Local Government to the apprehended evil, from 

 whom they had received the assurance through their Commis- 

 sary Politic, that Government would do all in their power to 

 assist the Clergy in favouring the work of Christianity by 

 discountenancing idolatry. But it appears that the partial 

 measures of the civil power did not satisfy the Clergy, as will 

 appear in the case of the temple of Calany. The secret agent 

 or instigator in the attempt to restore temples and temple 

 domains was a certain Moorman in the capacity of Bannaeke 

 or Sabandeur in the Company's Service, who got his wife's 

 brother Jasondere Appoohamy to go to the King of Kandy 7 

 and move him to send the embassy to the Dutch Governor. 



"With the hope of checking the public exercise of heathen- 

 ism the Clergy had applied to the Local Government for 

 permission to convert a certain mandou which stood a short 

 distance from the foot of the hill of Calany, where the ruins of 

 an ancient and renounced dagoba existed, into a Christian 

 School. This project of erecting a building dedicated to the 

 service of the true God upon the ruins or in the contiguity of 



