NO. 43.-1892.] ANCIENT CHRONICLES OF CEYLON. 171 



protecting the religion, &c. ; while Knox gives one the 

 impression that he cared little for it, and, in fact, preferred 

 Christians, as being more trustworthy, to Buddhists : still 

 he practised Buddhism outwardly and gave gifts. Some of 

 the difference may be explained by the supposition that the 

 part of Raja Sinha's reign on which the Mahdwctnsa dwells 

 is the earlier part, in which his struggles were against the 

 Portuguese. Knox was there in the latter, when it was the 

 Dutch who were the enemy. In fact, I think it is probable 

 that either the burning of Kandy or the great rebellion in 

 1665, which drove the king away, also broke up the office of 

 the king's recorder and scattered the historians, These 

 disasters are mentioned by Knox, not by the MaJidwansa. 

 The Mahdwansa doubtless exaggerates Raja Sinha's successes 

 against the Portuguese, laying emphasis only on his victories. 

 But it admits that the "wicked unbelievers, after their 

 defeat," began again to plunder the districts, and that the 

 king went to Dighavapi, in the eastern part of the Island. 

 There, the historian tells us, he destroyed a Portuguese fort 

 and gave it to the Dutch. The victories of the Dutch are 

 credited to Raja Sinha ; for he is said to have destroyed the 

 forts all round the Island, and utterly destroyed and expelled 

 the Portuguese. This refers to what took place in the earlier 

 part of his reign, before Knox's time. " He established" — 

 says the native history — " the people of Olanda in places 

 bordering the sea, that they might guard Lanka and hinder 

 the enemy. And he commanded them to come to him 

 every year with presents." Knox most curiously confirms — 

 not this view of the case, but the statement that this 

 was the Sinhalese view of the case. He tells us that the 

 Dutch took great pains to flatter the king, and to persuade 

 him that they were in Ceylon merely as his servants and 

 messengers. " The Dutch knowing his proud spirit make 

 their advantage of it by flattering him with their ambassa- 

 dors, telling him that they are his majesty's humble subjects 

 and servants, and that it is out of their loyalty to him that they 

 build forts and keep watchers round about his country to 



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