38 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



not make war against those who had delivered him from the 

 power of his enemies, and given him four fortresses, and who 

 had the power to be of further aid to His Majesty. But His 

 Majesty would not listen to these arguments, and continued 

 to molest us and murder our people, as proved by a letter 

 dated May 31, 1646, addressed to His Majesty by Heer 

 Maetsuycker. It is as follows : — 



1. That instead of receiving an answer to his former letters* 

 he daily received tidings that our people, who were told to 

 abstain from committing any depredation, were murdered 

 and maltreated at Nigombo by His Majesty's command ; 



2. That His Majesty had sent Ambassadors to Colombo, 

 from which it would appear that His Majesty desires to enter 

 into a war with the East India Company in spite of our just 

 and reasonable offers ; 



3. That it is decided in accordance with international 

 law to oppose force by force, and that four ships and some 

 smaller vessels are being prepared to occupy Batticaloa,, 

 Coetjaar, and Trinconomale, and to repossess ourselves of the 

 places formerly taken from the Portuguese. 



Meanwhile, whilst composing the above, Heer Maetsuycker 

 received a letter from His Majesty, dated May 21, 1646,. 

 stating : — 



{a) That he was inclined to keep to the arrangements 

 made with Heer Westerwold. 



(b) That the Netherlanders had unlawfully taken his lands. 



(c) That Heer Thyssen had deposed his Governors. 



(d) That the Netherlanders had taken possession of 

 Nigombo against his will. 



To which Heer Maetsuycker replied : — 



1. That the Netherlanders also wish to adhere to the 

 contract with Heer Westerwold. 



2. That His Majesty was not entirely wrong in his state- 

 ment that the Netherlanders had taken unlawful possession 

 of some of his land ; but that this had been done by Heer 

 Thyssen without authority, under the impression that he 

 could get the cinnamon easier by this means. 



