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



9. Mr. Buultjens, in answer to the Chairman, said that the letters 

 he read were given in an appendix to the Dutch manuscript. They 

 were probably all written by the same person. 



10. Mr. C. M. Fernando proposed a vote of thanks to the two 

 gentlemen whose Papers were read that night. They had been much 

 absorbed in the second Paper ; but he ventured to think Mr. Ferguson's 

 Paper was of equal interest. That Paper referred to history in 

 the Portuguese era. It was very gratifying to note the interest Mr. 

 Ferguson and Mr. Buultjens took in the history of Ceylon during the 

 Portuguese and Dutch periods, and he hoped that out of their repertoire, 

 would come many more Papers relating to times of which so far the 

 records were still scant. In this connection he was glad to see that 

 Mr. Anthonisz was, on the orders of Government, looking into the old 

 Dutch records preserved in the Record Office, Colombo, and elsewhere. 



As regards this expedition he found two opposite versions. The 

 author of Mr. Buultjens' Paper refers to the Sinhalese as " the most 

 cowardly race under the sun," while in the Mahdwansa extract which 

 had just been read there was quite " another story." The Sinhalese 

 kings had not all the resources of civilization at their disposal, and it 

 was their policy to run away. When the expedition reached Kandy, 

 the king,Kirti Sri Raja Sinha, fled to Hanguranketa. But the Dutch 

 Governor made a great mistake in leaving all his forces in Kandy, 

 and none between Kandy and Colombo. That was what his generals 

 complained about. He stationed some 2,000 men there, and the 

 Kandyan king did the best thing he could have done — that was, ran 

 away and left all these men to starve where they were. What the 

 Dutch historian termed " cowardice " the Sinhalese historian called 

 " tactics." 



" He who fights and runs away, 

 May live to fight another day." 



{Laughter.) 



Mr. Guneratna seconded the vote of thanks, which was carried 

 unanimously. 



11. Mr. F. H. Price proposed a vote of thanks to the Bishop 

 of Colombo for presiding. They were all aware how much the 

 Society owed to the presence of the Bishop of Colombo at their 

 Meetings ; and they would support him in the assertion that, without 

 the Presidency of the Bishop, the Society would lose very much of its 

 prestige. 



Mr. White seconded ; and the vote was carried with acclamation. 

 The Proceedings then terminated. 



