370 



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



VOLUME II. 



Monday, March 12, 1640 A.D. 1 



M S. fol. A. 



Whereas since the 9th of last month we have been 

 bombarding the town and fortifications of Sta. Cruz de 



1 The resolutions bearing- date March 12 and 13, 1640, are contained in 

 two sheets of manuscript apparently belonging- to a separate record which 

 has now disappeared. They have been erroneously bound up with this 

 volume, although they ought properly to precede the matter contained in 

 the previous volume. I have just been fortunate enough to discover, in a 

 pile of loose, unsorted manuscript lying among the Dutch archives in my 

 charge, an additional leaf from the same lost volume, of which I here append 

 a translation. 



" Saturday, Marcli 1 7, 1640 A.D. — Whereas the Mudaliyars of His Imperial 

 Majesty have earnestly begged for an exact half of the spoil obtained from 

 the conquered town of Gralle on the strength of the promise made by us to 

 His Majesty, the Heer President has submitted to the Council the question 

 as to whether or not this should be granted to them : Whereupon, after due 

 deliberation, and considering that by the non-fulfilment of this promise 

 (although no assistance was rendered in this seigeby His Majesty's soldiery 

 or coolies) other and fresh troubles may be expected, it is unanimously 

 agreed (dis. the Heer Majoor, who maintains that the matter ought to be 

 submitted for the approval of the Honourable the G-overnor-G-eneral) that 

 all the property, both ammunition and general goods, being collected 

 together, a half thereof be given to His Majesty's Mudaliyars. 



"Further, whereas the Skipper Pieter van de Camer has, in virtue of the 

 leave obtained by him, applied for permission to depart for Batavia by the 

 first ships going thither, it is resolved to grant him this and to appoint the 

 Skipper Lieven van Souwenburch in his place on the yacht ' De Star.' 



" It is also resolved that as there are residing here many mystice widows, 

 as well as a few unmarried women, to grant to such of the soldiers as 

 may apply for it, permission to marry these and thus prevent all future 

 unpleasantness. 



" Further, whereas we find ourselves overcrowded by Portuguese prisoners, 

 and it is deemed injudicious to allow any of them to reside here, in view 

 of the weakness of our garrison, it is resolved, by a majority of votes, to 

 furnish each of the ships going to Malacca with 25 Portuguese prisoners of 

 war. 



" It has been decided in Council, at the same time, that as the ships 

 1 Haarlem,' ' Utrecht,' ' Middelburch,' and ' De Veer ' have, on account of 

 adverse circumstances, been very lightly loaded, to put on each of them half 

 a legger (350 J&ans) of the Spanish wine obtained from Saragossa. 



