No. 55.— 1904.] RAJA SINHA II. AND THE DUTCH. 247 
illnesses, and after gaining health with joy return to my imperial 
city."**^ Nothing further suggests itself. God keep Your Honours. 
Wednesday, 11 o'clock in the day, 21st of the month of July, in the 
year 1660. 
El Rej Raja 
SiNGA Raju. 
Towards the end of this year a soldier was sent by the 
Dutch with a letter to Raja Sinha, but the nature of the 
communication is not stated.^^^ No answer was received 
from the King, who detained the messenger, as he had kept 
previous envoys, as a prisoner. It was resolved therefore in 
future to send only natives as messengers.^^ 
In 1664 occurred the rebellion against Raja Sinha, which 
almost cost him his throne, and caused him to flee for safety 
to the fortresses of Hanguranketa, whence he addressed 
letters to the Dutch couched in a humble strain, and asking 
for assistance against his enemies.^^^ 
During the next twenty-three years, until the King's death 
in December, 1687,^^^ letters continued to pass between him 
and the Dutch ; but none of the correspondence seems to have 
come down to us. The tenor of the communications is, 
however, given in the Beknopte Historief'^ to which I would 
refer the curious reader. 
NOTES. 
^This is the date given by Baldaeus {Ceylon^ p. 44^), and I believe 
it to be the correct one. The Mahdwansa (Wijesigha's translation, 
chap. XCV., V. 26) says that Seuerat " reigned seven years and 
this statement has led writers on Ceylon history into the utmost 
confusion. But the word translated "reigned" (thito) means simply 
"lived" or " continued ;" and I suspect that the " seven years " spoken 
of followed the partition of the kingdom described in the preceding 
verses (see next note). The Rdjdvaliya (Gunasekara's translation, 
p. 101) says that " Senarat reigned twenty-five years and died at the 
expiration of 1555 years of the Saka era." As Senarat's reign began 
probably in 1605, if it lasted twenty-five years it must have ended 
in 1630 ; while Saka 1555 + 78 = 1633. That he died before 1634 
and probably before 1633, appears certain from the fact that on 15th 
April, 1633, a treaty was entered into between the Portuguese and 
" King Maastana," 2.e., Rdja Si^ha II. (see note infra). 
