JSIo. 55 —1904.] RAJA SINHA II. AND THE DUTCH. 
237 
To the citizens of Columbo I send this imperial letter. On this 
oscasion it befits my imperial person to send you these lines. Having 
for many years been citizens of this city of Columbo, you have defended 
it very well ; therefore do not weary yourselves in vain or be 
willing that your families perish ; because the trials that you are now 
enduring my imperial person foretold to Dom Hieronimo de 
Azevedo at the time that he came as ambassador to this imperial 
court/o* and in addition to that in several letters that before and 
after went therefrom I set forth ever the same. And in payment 
of the great favours which the kings my predecessors showed to the 
Portuguese, and the tyrannies with which they paid them, and the 
benefits that my imperial person has bestowed upon you, the evils and 
dishonours with which you have repaid me, for these aforesaid reasons, 
God has given you this chastisement now. From this great camp and 
court of Kagamvata, on the 11th of May, 1656. 
Copy of the imperial letter that was sent to the citizens of Columbo. 
Indorsements (in Dutch): — (1) Sr. Blom.^^^ [Be so good as?] to 
translate these two short letters as soon as you can, as they are waited 
for. (2) Copy of Candian missive, in dato 11th May, 1656, written 
to the inhabitants of the Columbo districts. 
On the same day that the above were written Raja Sinha 
sent another letter^^^ to the Dutch commander stating that 
he had heard rumours of an intended capitulation of Colombo, 
and wished to know if it were true. He also referred to 
certain promises made by Hulft. What these promises 
were we learn from another letter,"^^^ written next day :— 
[19.] 
[I] Raja Singa Raju, Most Exalted Monarch, Greatest and 
Most Potent Emperor of this far-famed Empire of 
Ceilao, to Adriaen Yan der Meiden, G-overnor 
of my Imperial Fortress of Gale, who is 
in my camp, send much greeting. 
The letter of Your Honour written on the 12th of May was 
delivered at this imperial court at 7 o'clock at night on the same 
12th day of the said month. Together with it came two copies of the 
articles of the conditions of treaty which Your Honours had made 
regarding the entry of that city of Columbo, both of which were of 
the same purport ; and the articles which the Portuguese sent to Your 
Honour did not come, which before Your Honour made them, 
for what reason did you not first write me a letter, and send it to this 
imperial court by a person of trust, in order to let me know what was 
to be treated of in your Council, because the said articles which Your 
