368 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



and to hear how His Majesty may have resolved to live with 

 them, and if the Emperor fails to send them back, free of cost 

 and securely, that the Honourable Company will be obliged 

 to take its revenge by land and water, on those rascals, who 

 the Honourable Company knows, are guilty, and the Honour- 

 able Company would in that case so surround His Majesty's 

 land, that the rascals and traitors will not be able to escape or 

 flee, and all this, the better to secure His Majesty's kingdom 

 and life. Further I declared to His Majesty that I had 

 delayed nine months, for the service of His Majesty and the 

 Honourable Company, but I thought that I was from the first 

 as near my departure as I was now. And I also said, as 

 regards the desire of His Majesty's chiefs to make war, that 

 they were free to do so, but I assured him that they would 

 not find His Majesty's trusty Hollanders asleep, and that they 

 cannot mislead them with their treachery, as they know the 

 knavish tricks of the Cingalese. Thereafter, at the same time 

 I asked, by the order of His Majesty, how he would be pleased 

 to despatch me, and said that if he did not do so I should at 

 once die for the service of the Honourable Company and the 

 honour of His Majesty, before I should betake myself from 

 His Imperial Court. 



The king then stood for an hour, as if agitated and 

 astonished, without speaking a word, casting up his eyes 

 to heaven, then down upon the earth, and shrugging his 

 shoulders. But I continued my address about the Emperor 

 and his chiefs, and said : " All you who stand there have no 

 strength and courage to put me down ; whereas I alone have 

 the courage to annihilate you !" There was then in my 

 presence, besides the Cingalese, one Gale Mohoterale of the 

 Imperial Court, a faithful servant of the Emperor and inter- 

 preter for the Honourable Company. 



But one Dionij Gens, a native of Denmark, must rightly 

 be called by me a beast of beasts, and a born traitor 

 to his own blood, who dared to say certain words in 

 my presence to the following effect : — The Hollanders, 

 when they are here, always speak soft words, but behind, 



