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



to the community by the Company providing them with 

 cloth and other goods (which they could do at more reason- 

 able prices than others), they could not with justice, if their 

 friendship is real, deprive the Company of a benefit and give 

 it to another. 



The Company had undertaken by article 6 of the contract, 

 in consideration of having the undisturbed gathering of the 

 cinnamon in all His Imperial Majesty's lands, and posses- 

 sing the entire monopoly, to send a considerable yearly 

 present to His Majesty. Besides, if they thought that the 

 people could not live from the present price of arecanuts 

 being too low, we would gladly meet their wishes to some 

 extent, provided the nuts were only sold to the Company. 



Further, should His Imperial Majesty wish to despatch 

 annually one or two vessels to collect curiosities and provide 

 for the wants of the Court, every facility will be given, 

 provided notice is given beforehand : these vessels will 

 be saluted with the usual honours and provided with pass- 

 ports, not only to depart and return free and unmolested ; 

 every assistance will also be rendered to them in the 

 countries under the Company's rule. The Governor sub- 

 mitted all this for His Imperial Majesty's consideration, and 

 requested the favourable assistance of the chiefs. 



The only answer the Ambassador received at the conclusion 

 of this interview, after some interruption by the courtiers, was 

 that a report would be made to His Imperial Majesty, and a 

 favourable conclusion arrived at ; then the Governor would 

 receive marks of great favour, and the Ambassador be allowed 

 to depart well satisfied in three or four days' time. 



The conference ended after the exchange of mutual com- 

 pliments and the usual ceremonies. 



The Ambassador came to the conclusion that neither the 

 treaty of 1638 nor the new one of 1649 was in the possession 

 of the Court, but had been lost or mislaid at Raygam watte 

 or at the insurrection of Nigombo, as the chiefs, although talk- 

 ing about sharing in the booty, either did not allude to a single 

 article or mentioned it incorrectly ; for they claimed two-thirds 



