No. 38.— 1889.] THE DUTCH IN CEYLON, 1602-1757. 139 



as after this many of the cinnamon peelers escaped to the 

 King's country, pur frequent requests to have them delivered 

 into our hands were not complied with, it appearing as if 

 they sought by this means to obtain the pearls they desired. 



At the commencement of 1750 some Candian Ambassa- 

 dors arrived at Colombo with the following protestations : — 



1. That certain elephants lately captured near Nigombo, 

 and belonging to them, were not delivered to them. 



2. That threats were used in a letter from the Governor 

 to the courtiers that unless the peelers were given up their 

 Excellencies at Batavia might not interest themselves further 

 with regard to sending the Siamese priests. 



3. That no previous Governor had had the temerity to 

 address the great Court in such terms. 



4. That the Court had been informed that it was intended 

 to open a pearl fishery between Chilauw and Caymelle ; 

 whereupon the courtiers had replied, that His Majesty was 

 going to send some boats and people thither, but that enter- 

 prise as yet remained in abeyance. 



To this the following replies were made 



1. That although the claims of the Court with regard to 

 these elephants were quite without precedent and founda- 

 tion, still the Company's elephant-keeper (Koerwerale) had 

 two months ago been instructed to deliver them up, but no 

 one had made a demand for them, and their detention was 

 not the fault of the Company. 



2. That their Excellencies had sufficiently proved their 

 goodwill to His Majesty by the pains they had taken and 

 the expenses they had incurred in conveying the priests, as 

 they had ordered the Governor to despatch His Majesty's 

 Ambassadors in a good ship by way of Malacca to Siam 

 for that purpose. 



3. That previous Governors had never perhaps ex- 

 perienced similar unreasonable treatment from the Court to 

 that the present Governor had met with. 



4. That the reefs between Chilauw and Caymelle had been 

 surveyed, but that no pearl oysters were discovered. 



