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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XXI, 



publicly granted by His Majesty when he gave audience to 

 the Ambassador. Moreover, the Company and His Excellency 

 had endeavoured to the best of their power to please His 

 Majesty and to show their friendliness towards him. His 

 Excellency could, therefore, not imagine what reason there 

 was for offering such an insult to the Great Company. The 

 Ambassador added that as he had already received permission 

 to return to Colombo he was unable to represent matters to 

 the Adigar, and therefore he informed the courtiers of what 

 had occurred. 



The Naiiayakkara Mohottala replied that, as I was present 

 at the first audience, 1 too would be well aware of the 

 permission which His Majesty had granted regarding the 

 transport of elephants and the peeling of cinnamon within his 

 dominions. But they were of opinion that, as the agents of the 

 Disava of the Seven Korales had received no instructions 

 from the Maha Wasala, they were afraid to let the elephants 

 pass. They were, however, unable to give any definite reply 

 regarding the matter as they had only been commanded to 

 escort the Ambassador back ; but they promised to report it 

 immediately on their return to the capital to the Maha Adigar 

 to be submitted to His Majesty. The Ambassador, however, 

 pointed out that the matter would not admit of so much 

 delay. The rainy season was at hand, and should the rivers 

 rise the elephants would not be able to cross them and would 

 be compelled to return, which would entail considerable loss 

 on the Great Company. He therefore requested them to 

 communicate with the Adigar without delay and have the 

 roads opened for the elephants. After conversing among 

 themselves they promised to inform the Disava of the Seven 

 Korales, when they said they were confident the affair would 

 be satisfactorily arranged. They then withdrew to their 

 tdndyama. 



Starting again at four o'clock all crossed the Sitawaka- 

 ganga and were met within the Company's territory by 

 Yodovus Welhelmus Helnebrandt, Disava of Colombo, who 

 had come from Colombo as Commissioner, with Jan Elias 

 von Meilandonk the Zoldy Boekhouder, and Willem Bernard 

 Alvenus, the officer in charge of the warehouse, while three 



