No. 38.— 1889.] THE DUTCH IN CEYLON, 1602-1757. 89 



there and reap the greatest advantage ; any one unbiased 

 could see the justice of that objection, and in consideration 

 of the service rendered to the King by money, men, and 

 other things by the Company, which had not been repaid, 

 that they were entitled to the preference, the more so as the 

 Moors had never rendered the King any service, neither 

 could they ever do so. 



This argument silenced the Ambassador completely. 



On July 12, 1688, it was agreed in the Council to 

 draw out a draft contract, and to send it afterwards by a 

 messenger to Candia. The Secretary Alebos was temporarily 

 appointed to compliment the King on his accession to the 

 throne : he departed for Candia on the 23rd following, with 

 costly presents. 



Governor Pyl communicated the fact of this embassy and 

 his interview with the Candian Ambassador to His Honour 

 Commissary van Rheede, who thereupon wrote some 

 remarks to Colombo, contending that it was very unjust and 

 unreasonable on the part of the Singalese to expect a peace, 

 the conditions of which had neither been discussed nor 

 agreed upon, particularly as in consequence of the death of 

 the old King the new monarch was not bound by the treaty 

 made with Adam Westerwold ; for which reason opportunity 

 should be given him to confirm that contract, or to make a 

 new one, with regard to the surrender of the lands and 

 strongholds occupied by the Company since 1665 : this 

 would satisfy international rights, truth, reason, and custom, 

 as it would be unreasonable to compel the Company to fulfil 

 conditions to which the King would not consider himself 

 bound. 



It would also be absurd for the Singalese to appeal to the 

 letter from their Excellencies at Batavia, wherein the name of 

 the old, but not of the young, King was mentioned, particularly 

 as the young prince had not divulged his opinions, and the 

 Netherland servants of the Company were no sorcerers, or 

 fortune-tellers, to guess the thoughts of the Singalese, who 

 were only pretending to be offended about the abandoned 



