No. 55.— 1904.] RAJA SINK A II. AND THE DUTCH. 171 
to erect a fort at Cotiar or at Batecalo they may come with five ships^ 
which are enough against the present strength of the enemy. I shall 
afford them every assistance either in my own person or that of my 
brother, and I shall give them all the booty and artillery, or if it please 
them the aforesaid port of Batecalo, and shall supply them at Cotiar 
with all things necessary to the building of a fort, binding myself to 
pay all that the Governor may spend over the said fleet with my royal 
word, and in whichever of the said ports it shall best please them to 
assist me I bind myself to bear all. In case the G-overnor approves of 
this, as in past times, he can send a vessel to Trinquelemale or Cotiar, 
in order that my envoys may go therein with safety, and if it shall be 
possible that these matters be brought to effect by the Governor, it 
shall be requited by me according to the merit of the person, and if 
not he will be pleased to forward the bearer of this letter to the 
Viceroy of J acatara. 
Given, September 9, 1636. 
(Signed) E-aja Singa, Imperador. 
This letter was intrusted to a Brahman, who had to wait 
six months at Jaffna before he could find an opportunity of 
getting across to the Coromandel Coast, where he delivered it 
to the then Governor of Palikat, Karel Reyniers or Reinersen, 
who at once forwarded it to the Governor-General at Batavia, 
Anthony van Diemen, and the Council of Netherlands India. 
These had already been deliberating as to how best to obtain 
a share of the much- coveted Ceylon cinnamon trade, which 
their Portuguese rivals were monopolizing;^'' and they 
immediately resolved to accede to the Kandyan kin.«f's 
request. Accordingly, instructions were given to Adam 
Westerwold, who was leaving Batavia with a fleet for the 
blockade of Goa, to call at Ceylon on his return voyage, and 
meantime a message was sent to Reyniers to dispatch some 
trustworthy person to Ceylon to arrange matters with Raja 
Siniha. Accordingly, Reyniers chose as envoys the skipper 
Jan Thyssen,^^ who had been a prisoner in Ceylon, and there- 
fore knew something of the Island, and the merchant 
Adriaen Helmont. These left Palikat on October 21, 1637, 
in the yacht Valek for Ceylon, and on the 29th, to avoid 
capture by the Portuguese, effected a landing by night at 
Kalmunai to the south of Batticaloa. After some delay, 
owing to the King having to be informed of their arrival. 
