No. 38.— 1889.] THE DUTCH IN CEYLON, 1602-1757. 113 



Some merchants from Colombo having gone to Sitavaca 

 and purchased 500 or 600 amunams of arecanuts for their 

 town, were not only prevented from transporting them, but 

 were not allowed even to pass the gravets. 



Notwithstanding that some presents were sent to the Court 

 by an Ambassador, the gravets remained closed, thereby 

 producing a great scarcity of provisions and reducing the 

 value of the Company's areca and salt trade. 



Although the mountaineers came to the Company's lands in 

 June, 1702, they brought nothing for sale ; thereby revealing 

 that the object of the courtiers was to draw the whole of the 

 trade in arecanut and cotton goods to Putulang and Coetjaar. 

 The Ambassador who had gone to Candia the previous year 

 still remained there. 



In August of the same year a Modliaar in command of 

 eleven files of lascoreens in the District of Mature went 

 over to Candia taking his family with him ; and four of the 

 King's chiefs, with about 300 lascoreens, many of whom 

 were armed, came within two hours' distance of Mature, 

 in the Company's lands, in order to escort him safely to the 

 mountains. There was little doubt of the connivance of the 

 King and his officials. 



Our Ambassador at last returned from Candia, relating the 

 *civil treatment he had continually experienced while there. 



The courtiers at the same time sent an ola in His Majesty's 

 name to Colombo, containing many expressions of friendship; 

 and everything had the outward appearance of our being on 

 friendly terms with the Court. 



On November 26, Governor Gerrit de Heere died, and 

 the Political Council assumed the Government. 



In the following month of December the Court Adigaar and 

 four other chiefs arrived expressly from Candia, their specirl 

 mission being to offer His Majesty's condolence to the 

 Council on the death of Governor Gerrit de Heere. 



At the commencement of the following year, 1703, the 

 gravets were again opened, and the mountaineers brought 

 a fair quantity of provisions for sale ; but Putulang still 



86—90 I 



