336 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVII, 



To employ on the said service, the sooner the better, the yacht 

 " Rommerswael," the said yacht to continue there until the 

 20th or 25th September ; and if the said yacht shall not get 

 any advice or goods from the king within that time, she shall 

 return hither, as shall be more specifically set forth in the 

 instructions which the said yacht shall get for this purpose. 



The Lord President having further submitted to the 

 judgment of the Council whether it would be advisable [ 



] 



It has been resolved, forasmuch as this could matter but 

 little to the Honourable Company, and the king might easily 

 take it ill, 



To leave this matter alone until a better opportunity shall 

 offer, the more so as the said king has at present possession 

 of the fortress himself. Finally, at the humble request of 

 the Sabandaer and two other Cingalese Moedliaers residing 

 in this town, that, as their provision of rice and paddy by 

 length of time had been totally consumed., so that, so to 

 speak, they had not a single grain left, and would certainly 

 die of hunger unless they were provided with some by us, 

 seeing that none but Company's rice was obtainable here ; 



We might be graciously pleased, for some time and until 

 the champans sent out from here to Battecaloa should have 

 returned, to provide them with rice for themselves and their 

 families ; 



It has been resolved — although they ought to provide us — 

 as there were only three families, and consequently the 

 support needed would not be very considerable, and as we 

 have hitherto maintained most of the lascars in this town ; 

 and as both they and the lascars were of more or less service 

 to us, as in future we hope will still more be the case ; 



To furnish them with the aforesaid rice until the afore- 

 mentioned yacht shall return ; and if the said yacht has got 

 nothing from the king, which to us will be a sure sign that 

 the king bears us but scant love, we shall altogether withdraw 

 our hand and utterly leave them to their own resources. 



Jacob Eliasz, of Delff, 



