NO. 38.— 1889.] THE DUTCH IN CEYLON) 1602-1757. 97 



the. old contract. He answered that it was so far as it 

 treated about the expenses, as His Majesty had promised and 

 undertaken to reimburse them, and it was desired as 

 compensation that they might continue in possession of the 

 towns, lands, and forts now occupied by them, as would 

 .appear further from the aforesaid, article. 



The Chiefs objected to this, saying that the Company or its 

 malicious rulers (as they called them) in the Island were 

 the first to break the contract ; neither did they keep their 

 promises to surrender Colombo to His Majesty or to divide 

 the spoil ; further, that they had treacherously attacked His 

 Imperial Majesty at Raygam watte and defeated and robbed 

 him of incalculable treasures, of far more value than the 

 -expenses the Company laid claim to. 



Whereupon the Ambassador tried to prove to them that 

 the breaking of the contract was not to be ascribed to the 

 Company but to the King, and demonstrated, that to prevent 

 our perishing from hunger at Colombo we were obliged to 

 attack some rebels of His Imperial Majesty, who carried away 

 some of the inhabitants near the gates, stripped, robbed, and 

 burned them, and interrupted our supplies. 



The Chiefs replied that there were probably causes for 

 complaint on both sides, and it were better not to discuss 

 them, as it led to no result and caused greater estrangement ; 

 but as their instructions were limited to the hearing of the 

 Company's proposals, and to reporting upon them to His 

 Majesty, they could not decide finally upon anything ; that the 

 Ambassador would receive further communications as soon 

 as His Imperial Majesty had made himself acquainted with 

 the points submitted to him. 



These articles being to the interest of the Company, His 

 Imperial Majesty on his part intended to propose some 

 clauses to his own advantage. 



The Ambassador observed that the proposed articles were 

 as much to the advantage of His Imperial Majesty and his 

 subjects -as to the Company ; but he was nevertheless very 

 anxious to learn His Majesty's pleasure, and if it was not in 



86—90 H 



