Xo. 49.— 1898.] dutch monumental remains. 277 



Plate 122, Trincomalee. 



TOT GEDAGHTENIS 

 VAN FRANCINA VAN 

 RHEDE TUEN VAN 

 MYDREGT DESEN 

 A°. 1G87 : 24 APRIL 

 OP GEREGT. 



Translation. — To the memory of Francina van Rhede, 

 Lady of Mydregt. Erected on the 24th April, 1687. 



Remarks. — The word TUEN is evidently a mistake for 

 VROUW. 



Forbes, in his account of Ceylon (vol. II., p. 4), gives an 

 account of the suicide of this Dutch lady, and the reasons 

 which induced her to kill herself ; and Sirr (vol. L, p. 112) 

 relates substantially the same story. He also adds that 

 u some descendants of the lady's family are still in Ceylon." 



Whatever may be the Ceylon tradition, one Francina, Lady 

 of Mydrecht, was the daughter of Hendrik Adrian van 

 Rheede, Lord of Drakestein, afterwards, in 1680, Knight. 

 " beleend met de Ridderhofstad Mydrecht, en beschreeven 

 in de Ridderschap des Lands Van Utrecht." Serjeant-Major 

 Hendrik van Rheede was in Ceylon in 1668, when in October 

 of the same year he was sent with a force to " Ruanelle " 

 to wreak vengeance on the King of Kandy, whose emissaries 

 had suddenly attacked the Company's servants in the 

 " Mendekaduale " and " x-Vtakalan " Korales and driven them 

 away. History records that he was successful. In 1687 

 we find him " Commissaris of the Coromandel Coast, " and it 

 was during his tenure of office as such that Francina took 

 the fatal leap. Pyl, who was Governor of Ceylon, is said 

 to have, about this lime, paid a visit to Van Rheede at 

 Negapatnam to have a conference with him about Ceylon 

 affairs, and the King of Kandy waxed very wroth that notice 

 of this visit was not given him. It is even said that one 

 Mattamagoddy Chitty was sent from Kandy to Jaffna with 



28—98 P 



