110 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



The vessel was allowed to depart after the private property 

 had been taken out. 



The customary yearly present to the King was meanwhile 

 continued, our reward being the gathering of the cinnamon ; 

 but the Singalese made no further progress with the contract, 

 but kept fooling the Company and driving it to great expense. 



The courtiers represented that it was His Majesty's wish 

 that Governor Pyl (who asked to be relieved) should con- 

 tinue in his office, otherwise he would not be inclined to 

 make peace ; but if he consented to remain, some Ambassadors 

 should be sent to negotiate a treaty. 



No attention was paid to this request, as it was only 

 considered as a trick of this treacherous people to find out 

 what our reply would be. 



The Governor, however, consented to remain so as not to 

 place any difficulties in the way of the important matter of the 

 treaty of peace ; but this was of no effect, as the courtiers had 

 sufficient influence with the young King to delay it by various 

 excuses, and to keep the Company waiting the whole year. 



All that could be obtained in the following year, 1691, was. 

 free permission to gather the cinnamon in the King's 

 lands, although His Honour Commissary van Rheede 

 expressed his opinion that it would have been preferable to 

 have looked for it outside the Singalese territory, thus 

 making them conscious that we could do without them : we 

 had now put them under lasting obligations to us, but 

 obtained nothing more than a mere license. 



The present to the King also remained as before on the 

 road, as if to show the great honour vouchsafed to the 

 Company by its acceptance by the King, and also to show 

 their contempt for the Company. 



Meanwhile some lowlanders and lascoreens having fled 

 to the mountains, were sent back by the King. 



This was considered as a trick of the Singalese, to see 

 whether the Netherlander would do anything more than 

 return their thanks, and whether they, through gratitude for 

 such conduct, would cease from making fresh requests ; when 



