No. 55. — 1904.] RAJA SINHA II. AND THE DUTCH. 22^^ 
His Majesty had also asserted that the city (when taken) 
was, in accordance with the promise of the late Governor, 
Mr. Jakob van Kittensteyn, and later letters of the present 
one, Mr. Adriaan van der Meyden, to be delivered into his 
hands, upon which (so he said) he set little value if only 
the honour of the capture were ascribed to him, whereby the 
Honourable Company might expect various benefits. At the 
end of the letter it was stated that His Majesty had given 
orders everywhere to make ready the houses and roads, in 
order that he might come down." 
On November 4, says Baldseus,^"^^ there came the ambassa- 
dor Tenecon Apuhamy,^^'' with a letter from His Majesty^ 
together with a golden breast-jewel adorned with various 
precious stones, hanging by a chain, which letter being 
translated read thus : — 
Raja Singa Raju, Most Exalted Monarch and Most Potent Emperor 
of this my Empire of Ceylon, wishes much health to G-erard 
Hulf t, Director-G-eneral of the Naval Squadron of the 
upright, faithful Netherlands nation. 
I learnt by letters from the Governor of my imperial fortress 
of Gale that Your Honour had arrived with your present squadron, 
and had shortly afterwards captured the fortress of Caleture, and 
had sent on board the one-half of those therein (being Portuguese 
prisoners), and had kept the other half there in custody for my 
imperial service. And that Your Honour on the road between Caleture 
and Columbo, after a sharp fight, had put the enemy to flight, without 
any loss to my faithful Hollanders, which new tidings caused my 
Imperial Majesty great joy ; I also at once sent out my imperial 
command to all my dissaves and captains of war, that the whole of my 
army should be brought together as speedily as possible. Meanwhile 
I received an ola from my Saffragam dissave, which he had written to 
me on 23rd October, wherein he reported that Your Honour had 
summoned him, and had asked him in the first place how it fared 
with the health of my Imperial Majesty, and that Your Honour 
had said that you had come with no other intention than to deliver 
over to me the towns of Columbo, Manaar, and Jaf napatan, and that 
when that was done Your Honour would appear before my Imperial 
Majesty. For some days past I had been very ill, but nevertheless I 
had given orders in all that concerns my imperial army ; but, as soon 
as I received tidings of Your Honour, I was filled with such extreme 
joy that by that means with God's help I have been quite cured, so . 
a 66-04 
