No. 38.— 1889.] THE DUTCH IN CEYLON, 1602-1757. 143 



to impart to the Dessawe of the Three and Four Corles ; also 

 to tell him that an answer had lately been received from 

 Batavia concerning the proposal of the Candian Court with 

 regard to the elephant trade, to the effect that their Excel- 

 lencies felt themselves (for various important reasons, fully- 

 set out in the letter of instructions) compelled to refuse the 

 application. 



But the aforesaid Maha Modliaar wrote later on that 

 having had no opportunity of conferring with the Dessawe 

 of the Three and Four Corles on the subject, he had 

 employed the royal letter-carrier and Koraal of Hewagam 

 Corle, Don Louis Rasnaike, to communicate to the Dessawe 

 the contents of the letter of instructions, but that the Dessawe 

 still insisted on the fulfilment of his desires. 



Although their Excellencies had indicated in their letter 

 the means by which the elephants could be transported at 

 moderate expense by native vessels, without being obliged 

 to ask permission from the Court for a free passage or expose 

 ourselves to a refusal, it was not considered advisable to 

 make use of that suggestion at present as the Court was 

 friendly, and the innovation might disturb the present peace- 

 ful state of affairs. 



In the month of May of the aforesaid year, the Tamble- 

 gammers, close to Trinconomale, committed all sorts of depre- 

 dations, but on complaint thereof to the Court they were 

 put a stop to. The cinnamon-peelers and chiefs of the 

 Mahabadde jointly complained against the Vidaans of An- 

 ganmonne and Caltura ; but on a careful investigation their 

 complaints were found to be groundless. The aforesaid 

 chiefs were therefore severely reprimanded, and ordered 

 never again to make such unreasonable complaints. 



In October of the same year the Lieutenant-Dessawe 

 Keller received a letter of complaint written by a number 

 of the inhabitants of the Hina Corle, containing amongst 

 other charges the following : — 



That during the administration of Governor van Imhoff, 

 Modliaar de Saram was banished to Tutucoryn on 



