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^91 
the English, if he should be on the throne ; and threw out many 
other things which clearly proved, that he was not acting with 
sincerity in the conclusion of the treaty as it was proposed to him, 
but that he was still labouring to find means for effecting the de- 
position of the King, and his own elevation to the throne. When 
he had finished, Mr. Boyd told him, that he felt no hesitation in 
saying, that he perceived his drift to be the bringing of the 
English into his views of acting against the King. The Adigaar 
replied, that he was far from being displeased with the frankness 
of this observation ; and avowed, that he had not yet lost sight of 
the throne of Candy. Mr. Boyd then assured him, and repeated it, 
that if he imagined the Governor would enter into his views, he 
was egregiously mistaken; for that his Excellency's acting hostilely 
against the present King of Candy, whom he had already recog- 
nised, without any provocation or aggression on his part, was totally 
out of the question. He then, as on a former occasion, began to 
enquire what would be considered as a sufficient aggression for 
taking arms against the King ; and went so far as to ask whether 
an irruption of three thousand men into the English territories 
would suffice. It was replied, that such would certainly be con- 
sidered as provocation enough ; but it was added in explicit 
terms, that should such a thing take place, he himself would be 
regarded as the person who had instigated it, and could not from 
that moment look up to the British Government for support or 
protection, but must consider himself as having forfeited them for 
ever. Mr. Boyd explained to him the unhappy situation to which 
he would be reduced by usurping the throne ; that he must live 
in continual agitation ; whereas, by entering heartily, and with good 
VOL. I. p p 
