No. 35. — 1887.] notes on ceylon. 



153 



letter, or ole, M from the King of Candia, had returned to 

 Candien. Then again a letter was sent from the Governor to 

 the King, with the foregoing ceremonies, and was conducted 

 by six companies of foot as far as the Pas, under a canopy or 

 pavilion, with large torches as well, and from there onwards 

 by three companies to Orwevel 25 or Anguellen, amidst the 

 firing of all the cannon, according to the old custom. 



Before I leave the island of Ceilon, it will not be 

 unreasonable if I briefly relate what I heard and saw of that 

 island during the period of eighteen months that I lived there. 

 It is true that Baldeus has written much about it and extols 

 it mightily high, but in deed and in truth the whole island 

 and all that is in it, excepting the cinnamon tree, is not worth 

 as much as an ordinary village in Brabant or Flanders : for 

 all the fruits that grow there are not worth describing. The 

 sweet oranges, or King's apples, 26 that grow there have been 

 brought from elsewhere and planted there. The cattle are 

 so thin that they are not eatable. The fish that comes into 

 the fish market on a Friday in Antwerp is better and worth 

 more than all the fish that is caught in a whole year 

 throughout the whole of Ceilon. The schools in which the 

 children in the low-lands are taught, and which are figured 

 in Baldeus in fine copperplates, are altogether not worth as 

 much as the plates cost to engrave : for they are nothing 

 more than a wretched hut and a roof on sticks, that is open 

 all round, and some covered with straw and others with tiles. 



This island was first discovered by Christoffel Columbus, 

 an Italian, whence the chief town bears his name. 27 Colombo 

 lies in seven and a half degrees 28 The Portu- 

 guese, who were the first possessors of this island, also had 

 various other forts there, both round the sea coast and inland, 

 such as Negombo, Goalen, 29 Battecolo, Vincquenelaley, 30 

 &c, and endured severe contests with the inhabitants before 

 they could bring them into subjection, until about the year 

 1655 the Hollanders landed there, who, with the help of the 

 Cingalese, that is, the inhabitants, drove out all the Portu- 

 guese. But before the Cingalese would help the Hollanders 



