188 
JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVIII. 
Majesty's subjects and allies, among whom we are the first. We 
should indeed have wished not to have to undertake any division of 
lands with the Portuguese until some one had been commissioned on 
behalf of Your Majesty who might have assisted therein ; but I was 
not able to obtain sufficient time for that from the Yiceroy Dom 
Philippo, who is about to leave for Goa/*^ but instead we have agreed 
that, in case it be found that we have been deceived, we may within 
the period of a year challenge it, as Your Majesty will have learnt 
from our previous letter, whereby everything remains safeguarded, 
while we shall be glad if Your Majesty will be pleased to point out 
wherein you have been prejudiced, in order that we may seek for 
reparation on his behalf. In like manner it is for the sake of the 
Portuguese that our name stands in the contract of the division and 
not Your Majesty's, to whom the lands properly belong ; on account 
of other princes and kings we shall do as Your Majesty requests, and 
it is also right to strike out our name and put Yoar Majesty's in place 
thereof. What Your Majesty says touching our camps near Negombo 
and their retiring inside that fortress shall, as, owing to the truce with 
the Portuguese, we have now no more enemies, be carried out in the 
near future. But as the lands are still, owing to the late war, full of 
highwaymen and rabble, who in the name of Your Majesty cause 
annoyance to the good inhabitants and drive them off their lands, it 
will be necessary for the aforesaid camps to remain in the field for 
some time yet until the lands have completely quieted down, as we 
confidently believe Your Majesty will understand in regard to us, for 
without this it will be impossible to obtain any fruits from the lands, 
wherewith to pay the expenses that we have incurred in Your Majesty's 
service. Meanwhile we shall not fail to hold Your Majesty's fortresses 
occupied by suitable garrisons, so that with God's help they shall be 
free from danger, of which may Your Majesty be pleased to rest fully 
assured, by whom also we expect that the aforesaid garrison will be 
provided with all necessaries, as promised in the aforesaid letter. 
During the last monsoon we have received some 180 bhar of 
cinnamon, namely, 20 from Negombo and 160 bhars from the lands 
hereabouts, which we are taking with us to Batavia, and which shall 
be placed to Your Majesty's credit, hoping that Your Majesty will 
send to Batacaloa a good quantity of the further articles of merchan- 
dise of the contract, to take in which we- have ordered a ship to be 
sent thither, as also for the transport of the envoys whom Your 
Majesty intends to send to the Governor-General, who I am certain 
will be acceptable to him.*^^ 
At present we cannot, to our regret, send any person of quality to 
court in order to treat* with Your Majesty on several important 
matters, because our time for returning to Batavia is long overdue, 
and we could not wait for his return. Will Your Majesty kindly 
give orders to his envoys whom he shall send to Batavia to bring 
these before the Governor-General, from whose wisdom and discretion 
