68 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XL 



the King was as good as besieged, but had so well 

 entrenched himself on one of the mountains, that with 

 50 men he could easily keep 1,000 at bay ; and that the 

 Company's people were detained by the Chiefs and not by the 

 King. But while the arrival of the Chiefs was looked for in- 

 vain at Colombo, they consulted what was to be done with the 

 Candian King, he having already suffered so much at their 

 hands, that all the lowlands round about were cleared of 

 highlanders, and it was easy to see that his power was on 

 the wane, provided nothing was to be feared from outside. 



The mountaineers once more resumed their depredations, 

 trying to corrupt the inhabitants of the Company's districts r 

 and to bring the people over to their side, taking many to 

 Batticaloa and Trinconomale, where they expected to be 

 assisted by the French, who had arrived there with a numerous 

 fleet under their Admirals de la Haye and Caron, pretend- 

 ing they had been invited by the King Raja Singa, and 

 had been authorised by His Majesty's Commissioners to 

 assume the Government of these lands. It was thereupon 

 resolved to delay no longer, but to despatch some soldiers 

 to Sitavaque and Iddangodere, and also a considerable 

 force to the Mature district ; also to station troops as far as- 

 Walgodde in order to keep the communication open from 

 that place to Tammegam. This had the effect of bringing 

 several Corles again under our authority, and inducing the 

 inhabitants of the Billigal Corle to apply to us to send a force 

 there, when they would also submit to our r le. Some native 

 soldiers were thereupon sent to Billigal, thi. Corle being of 

 great importance to the Company. 



Meanwhile information was received from Mature that 

 the depredations, outrages, and murders on the part of the 

 King's people still continued, but that Dessave Pit with a 

 large force had driven the insurgents over the Waluwe river. 



His Excellency van Goens having received certain intelli- 

 gence of the arrival of the French in the Bay of Trinconomale 

 and of their landing there, consulted his Council as to the 

 best means of dislodging them and defending the Company's- 



