No. 55— 1904,] RAJA SINHA II, AND THE DUTCH. 221 
from which, however, not much was to be expected, so long 
as our heavy war expenses were not settled, about which His 
Majesty seemed to think little." 
On August 16 Raja Sinha, who, since his defeat at the 
hands of Gaspar Figueira had been sulking in his palace 
in Kandy, wrote the following letter^^^ to Governor Van der 
Meyden : — 
[13.] 
[I] Eaja Singa Raju, Most Exalted Monarch and Most Potent 
Emperor of this my far-famed Empire of CeilaS, to the 
Governor of my Imperial Fortress of Gale, Adrienen Isic"} 
Yander Meiden, send much greeting. 
It came to my imperial notice that the General of the Portuguese 
who was coming to Columbo, having escaped from the encounter that 
he had with my Hollanders, had arrived at Japhanapatao ; but I did 
not receive this news as true, and wishing to know the certainty of it 
they told me how the said General came to Manar, and that on the 8th of 
August he left the said place and arrived at Calpety,^^^ whence he 
wrote these letters, which he sent to Columbo and which my dissava of 
the Seven Oorlas seized in a village called Corlavela^^^ belonging to 
the territories of Anna Volundana,^^^ and at once sent them to be 
presented at this imperial court with the bearers who carried them, 
and they arrived on Saturday, the 14th of this present month ; and 
to-day, Sunday, they were presented to me ; and as it seems right to 
me that on this occasion the Governor of my imperial fortress of 
Galle should know these things, I therefore send you the said letters 
that you may see them. Amongst them goes a copy of one which 
they have determined to write to this imperial court ; on this occasion 
I say nothing thereanent. The said letters go along with this. 
Let Your Honour look at them and keep them in your possession 
until occasion offer and my imperial person shall send to ask for them. 
Your Honour will then deliver them up with goodwill and much 
joy. 
On account of the unlucky journey that my imperial person made 
in times past,'^^^ and likewise because at this present time the 
festivals of my God are being celebrated, for the aforesaid reasons I 
have not yet dispatched the rutilant Frco. Haas ; but in a few days 
from now, by the favour and help of God, I shall give him leave to 
go to that my imperial fortress, and he will go well content and 
he will at the same time take the return (as Your Honour is deserving 
of it) of the presents which at various times you have sent to be 
presented to this imperial court, and I shall also reply to the letters 
of Your Honour. In order to make sure that this reaches the hands 
