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



During the presence of the Dewekare Mahamohotiaar at 

 Colombo, Heer Pyl had several private conferences with him 

 concerning peace, but without making any impression on him. 



He had, on the contrary, the presumption to declare in the 

 absence of the Governor, but in the presence of the Coun- 

 cillors, that the King, his master, was not indebted to the 

 Company for anything, &c. 



Meanwhile many of the Company's subjects, including 

 coolies (koelys), went to the mountains to receive titles of 

 honour from the King, without the knowledge of the 

 Governor. Some of the Chiefs went also, with the Company's 

 permission, for the same purpose ; thereby showing their 

 preference of the King to the Company ; but pretending 

 that this was done to promote the success of the negotiations 

 for the treaty. 



In the month of September the Ambassador Alebos again 

 returned from Candia without any success, although he had 

 been received and entertained in a very friendly manner. 

 He had submitted the above-mentioned conditions to His 

 Imperial Majesty, who, after having looked into them, 

 appointed the Gannebandar and some other chiefs to confer 

 with our Ambassador on the matter. This they did the first 

 thing on their visit to the Ambassador's residence, where he 

 presented these articles of peace for their consideration, 

 requesting them seriously to remember the heavy expenses 

 incurred by the Company, besides the great loss of Holland 

 blood shed in His Majesty's service in driving away and 

 extirpating the Portuguese from these Islands, and also that 

 they could still be of the same service to His Imperial 

 Majesty. 



Whereupon the officials, having read the document with 

 much attention, asked the Ambassador whether these articles 

 were construed in conformity with the old contract. He 

 replied in the affirmative, and said that it had been followed 

 to the extent to which it was applicable at the time, as could 

 be ascertained by perusing every article separately. He was 

 then asked whether the third article was also the same as in 



