NO. 53.— 1902.] GALLE DUTCH RECORDS. 335 



the purpose, with the Company's champans, 1 expressly pre- 

 pared and now lying ready to be sent to Battecaloa, in order to 

 try to obtain for money paddy, rice, wax, and other necessaries 

 for this garrison, in case the king should show himself 

 unwilling to provide the same ; and at the same time to 

 deliver to his said Majesty a letter, expostulating with him 

 for his neglect, and furthermore admonishing him and 

 calling upon him to provide us with such provisions and 

 fresh victuals as shall be in any way obtainable there and he 

 shall be able to bring together, and to forward the same to us 

 on the earliest opportunity by the aforesaid yacht, in the 

 hope that in this way we shall be able to get something from 

 this mistrustful king ; 



All which having been duly weighed by the Council, and 

 it having been considered ; 



That the said yachts are lying inactive in the bay here, 

 as they cannot be sent to Columbo in order to cruise there 

 before the end of September or the beginning of October, 

 seeing that up to that time the winds continue to blow 

 contrary and the currents are against us ; 



That we know absolutely nothing of the enemy's strength 

 by water ; 



That in this way we may get acquainted with this 

 suspicious king's latest intentions towards us ; 



Finally, that if we get nothing, we shall have good 

 grounds to tell the Cingalese residing in this town, that if 

 we refuse to give them any more support towards their 

 maintenance 



MS. page 94. 



this is not owing to ourselves, but exclusively the king's 

 fault ; 



It has been unanimously approved of and resolved 



1 Champan or Sampan, a kind of small boat or skiff. The word is 

 apparently of Malay origin, but the article was in use in the Indian seas 

 (see Hobson-Jobson, Sampan"). 



