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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



the Company, with twenty men as volunteers, to the Emperor 

 at Candi. There they arrived on the 15th, and when the 

 Court was informed of it, he was soon summoned to appear, 

 and was kindly received by the Emperor. After he had 

 shown his credentials, and delivered his message, the 

 Emperor said that he would think about it ; in the meantime 

 the Ambassador could go to his quarters. The Emperor then 

 sent for his sister, who was a very experienced sorceress, to 

 ask her with which of the two parties he was to make peace : 

 with the Hollanders or the Portuguese. She gave him the 

 advice to have three of the most savage fighting cocks in this 

 country to fight — a black one for himself, a white one for the 

 Hollanders, and a red one for the Portuguese ; then to get 

 the white one and the red one to fight together, and with the 

 winner he was to make his peace. When the cocks fought, 

 the white one got the better of the red one, and thoroughly 

 defeated him. The Emperor's sister said that now he ought 

 to treat with the Hollanders. Thereupon the Emperor asked 

 whether, after the Portuguese had been driven out of the 

 country, the Hollanders might not become his masters. She 

 bade him, in reply, to let the white and black cocks fight 

 each other. This was done : the birds went at each other 

 boldly, but neither could master the other, and the fight 

 remained undecided. Thereupon the Emperor's sister 

 declared this to mean that he would remain Emperor of 

 Ceilon and King of Candi, in the hill country ; but that the 

 Hollanders would remain masters in the plains, and near the 

 seaborde. He therefore made up his mind to make peace with 

 the Ambassador Captain. First, however, he assembled all his 

 nobles and counsellors, and those who advised to make peace 

 with the Portuguese he caused to be murdered in secret, but 

 those who advised to make peace with the Hollanders he 

 honoured. He instantly sent for the Captain to come and 

 begin the treaty, and to complete it ; he then ordered all the 

 prisoners who had been previously distributed in the country 

 to be brought to Candi, made each one a present of a gold 

 ring, and sent them back to Piinte de Galle with much 



