NO. 47.— 1896.] 



PROCEEDINGS. 



115 



4. Mr. Justice Laweie remarked that he was sure the Members of the 

 Society were indebted to the writer for his translation of an interesting 

 account, by an alleged eye-witness, of a very interesting occurrence in 

 the history of Ceylon. But the writer had not told them — and 

 possibly he had not the means of ascertaining — who the Mr. Dias was 

 who contributed the Paper to the Sinhalese Magazine in 1861. The 

 Paper appeared forty-five years after the events which it purported to 

 describe. 



Mr. Lawrie then read the following letter from Mr. D'Oyly 

 written to the Governor immediately after the capture of the king : — 



King's Granary, 

 Teldeniya, February, 17, 1815. 



Dear Sir, — I have the sincerest joy in reporting to Your 

 Excellency that the object of your anxious wishes is accomplished. 

 The King of Kandy is a captive in our hands. He was surrounded 

 yesterday by the people of Dumbara in conjunction with some armed 

 Kandyans sent by the Adigar, in the precincts of Medamahanuwara, 

 and taken about an hour before dusk in the house of Udupitiya 

 Arachchi at Gallehewake, a mile beyond Medamahanuwara, with two 

 of his queens. A few attendants, after the house was surrounded, 

 made a show of resistance, and wounded two or three men, but fled 

 after a few shots from the assailants. I went forward with palanquins 

 to meet him at Rambukwela, and conducted him to this place with his 

 queens, from whence, after rest and refreshments, they will be sent to 

 Kandy under a sufficient military guard. The king's mother and two 

 more of his queens are at Hanwella, and a detachment will be sent 

 immediately to conduct them in safety and to secure from plunder 

 any treasure and valuables which may be found. 



I have written also to be sent to the King's relations and Nayakars 

 informing them of these events, and inviting then to come without fear. 



I have, &c, 



John D'Oyly. 



Mr. C. M. Fernando inquired of Mr. Justice Lawrie if there is any 

 historical foundation for the tradition that Jayawardena Mudaliyar, 

 popularly known as Tamby Mudaliyar, was instrumental in the capture 

 of the Kandyan King. 



Mr. Lawrie replied in the negative and stated that the credit of the 

 capture rested entirely with Ehalapola and his men. Mr. Lawrie gave 

 a summary of the contents of the despatch which Governor Brownrigg 

 had addressed on the subject of the capture of the King to Earl 

 Balthurst, then Secretary of State for the Colonies. 



Dr.VANDORT said he was sorry to say he could not attach much 

 faith to the Paper read ; and the doubts which existed in his mind had 

 been more than confirmed by the careful and judicious observations of 

 Mr. Justice Lawrie. He was strongly inclined to think that the 

 original of the Paper read was a compilation of traditional records, 



