No. 39. — 1891.] account of ceylon. 277 



that he should be protected against the elephants and 

 the natives, and sent him to Columbo, where he was to 

 tell the Viceroy what had happened to him and to his com- 

 rades, who were all dead. The Viceroy flew into such 

 a rage that he had the messenger hanged immediately, 

 and said that he ought to have remained where the 1,500 

 remained.* 



This is perfectly true : in the forest the natives are like 

 cats. If they have a little rope which they can put round 

 their feet they are quickly up one of the highest trees ; and 

 it would be difficult to beat the Emperor of Ceilon in the 

 forest. But in the plain they have no courage, and 300 

 Christians, however poor soldiers they may be, will beat 3,000 

 natives. 



In the year of Christ 1647, on the 2nd February, the 

 Emperor sent an Ambassador to Negumbo, and informed our 

 Commander that he was going presently to send an Ambassa- 

 dor to Piinte de Galle as well to negotiate a peace, especially 

 as the Portuguese had already asked him for peace, with 

 whom, however, he could not negotiate, on account of the 

 murder of his brother. When our Commander learnt this 

 he asked whether any of the merchants would like to 

 volunteer to go as Ambassador to the Emperor of Candi, 

 The same was done amongst the soldiers, twelve of whom 

 were to go with a merchant of their own free will. This the 

 Hollanders did, so that in case of a failure they were not 

 bound to liberate the soldiers ; for if no alliance can be 

 arranged the Emperor keeps the Ambassadors, perhaps ten 

 years, perhaps all their lives ; but if one of them returns, the 

 Emperor gives to the Ambassador a golden chain, and to each 

 soldier a golden ring with beautiful stones ; the Hollanders, 

 on the other hand, give them promotion, but it is very 

 dangerous. 



* The above refers, no doubt, to the disastrous Portuguese expedition 

 to Kandy under Diogo de Melo and Damiao Bottado in lt>38. (See 

 Valentyn, Ceylon, p. 117.) 



