JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 



CEYLON BRANCH 



A SHORT HISTORY 

 OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS THAT OCCURRED 

 IN THE ISLAND OF CEILON, 



SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST NETHERLANDERS IN THE YEAR 

 1602, AND, AFTERWARDS, FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 

 " HONOURABLE COMPANY " IN THE SAME ISLAND, 

 TILL THE YEAR 1757.* 



(Translation made for the Society, revised by 

 F. H. de Vos, Esq.) 



HE Island of Ceilon was for a long time a pearl 

 in the Crown of the possessions of the " Nether- 

 lands East India Company." Like so many of 

 their other jewels, she was irretrievably lost to 

 them during the latter part of the last century. 

 It cannot, indeed, be uninteresting to become 

 acquainted with some of the events that took place there 

 under our rule: such information will be found in the 



* " Helen opt e Mstorie van de voornaamste gebeuvtenissen op Ceilon 

 aedert de liomste van de eerste Nederlanders aldaar in den jare 1602, en 

 vervolgens van Jiet etablissement der Edele Maatschappy ten zelven eilande 

 tot den jare 1757" The original spelling of names has been retained. — 

 Hon. See. 



86—90 



B 



