No. 39. — 1889.] account of ceylon. 



309 



felt as if I were on Christian soil. The chiefs of the heathen 

 of the country came, and were very glad that we Hollanders 

 had arrived and wanted to drive the Portuguese out, because 

 their Prince had wished for a long time already that the 

 Hollanders or the English should come and avenge an affront 

 which the Portuguese had put upon him. He had wished 

 at one time to have a Portuguese wife or maid ; they sent 

 him in a litter a white dog with a golden chain round the 

 neck, and with a letter to him, that as no Portuguese woman 

 wished for him since he was black, and a heathen, if he 

 wished to have a white female he should be satisfied with a 

 white bitch. This offended him and the whole country so 

 much, that he swore always to be an enemy of the Portu- 

 guese. When our Commander learnt this he was very 

 glad, and we others likewise, because we thought that now 

 our game was half won already. It was publicly announced, 

 with the beating of drums, that no natives should be harmed, 

 and that nothing should be taken without payment. They 

 have a curious custom, namely, when they want to sell some- 

 thing, they first inquire of their children whether they like 

 it : if they agree, the thing is sold ; if not, they do nothing 

 against the wish of their children. 



After having had a day's rest in the monastery, we con- 

 tinued our march, and our Commander sent word to the Prince 

 that he came as his friend and as the enemy of the Portu- 

 guese, and that therefore he did not wish to cause even the 

 slightest loss to his subjects. If they brought anything they 

 should be paid for it either in money or in other goods ; and 

 if we got possession of the castle, not a single Portuguese 

 should be allowed to remain in the country, but they should 

 all be transported to other islands ; and if they were to try 

 to take it back, we would keep the castle well provided with 

 ammunition and victuals, and would resist them with all our 

 power at sea and on land ; and every year he should be 

 twice informed as to how things stood between us and the 

 Portuguese. In case sooner or later they should try to 

 re-enter into his dominions, he had only to appeal to us for 



