752 
A Defcriftm of C E Y L O N. 
Baidam 
it 
Flatteries and Pretences of Friendlhip, 
" they being fuch profligate Wretches, 
" as to be induced by the hopes of a fmall 
" Gain to undertake any bafe and trea- 
cherous Aft. The Letters fent from this 
Court to yourExceilency being generally 
written in an unknownTongue, I defire 
you, if you find any Defeft orlnconve- 
niency in rhem, to give notice thereof 
immediately, to remove all Obftades 
" and Mifunderftandings on our fide ^ 
it being our refolution, that the Peace 
made with you fhall continue as long as 
" the Sun and Moon fiirnifh us with Light, 
as you on your behalf have engaged it 
" fhall laft as long as the World ftands. 
I once intended to have fent you an 
Anfwer to your Letter dated Jan. 8. 
^' but underftanding that your Excellency 
" had difpatched to this Court aCap- 
tain of the Guards, I thought fit to 
" defer it for fome time. In former 
times whilit I was very young, I was 
encamped with my Army in Malvane ^ 
but that being many years ago, 1 did 
fend thither certain Perfons to view 
the Place, who alTur'd me, that the 
Place pitch'd upon by the Diffave of 
the four Carles^ was unfit for our Recep- 
tion, which was the reafon I ordcr'd 
my Head Qiiarters to be fettled in the 
Fortrefs of Reygamvoaue. In confidera- 
tion of which and other Mifcarriages 
of the faid Dijfave^ I have put another 
in his Place, with whom you may con- 
fu It in relation to fuch matters as tend 
" to our Service. I further ifTued my 
" Orders to the Dijfaves, and fent cer- 
" tain Perfons to prepare my Quarters 
with the utmolt Expedition, which 
done I intend to be there immediately 
" after. 
Dated in the Camp 
and Court of Gui- 
iMmibul.i, i''L'b.i.\. 
Watches, you now permit them to go 
where they pleafe in order to be rid of 
them : I thought it my Duty (for the 
difcharge of my Confcience) to defire 
you to let the faid Negro Citizens know^ 
that fuch as for the future come out of 
the City, fhall be punifh'd with Death. 
This I thought fit to let your Excellen- 
cy know, in hopes of moving you to 
compaiTion. I remain for the reft 
your Excellency's Servant, 
Dated in the Dutch Camp 
^t/orf Coiumbo, Fcb.i^. 
1655. 
Gerard Hulfi, 
Subfcribed, 
EajaSinga RajoUj mofl: 
potent Emperor of 
Ceylon. 
The General being extremely pleafed 
with the Emperor's Approbation concern- 
ing the fending back of the poor flarvM 
Wretches forc'd out of Columbo, thought 
fit to fend the following Letter to the 
Governour of Columho. 
r/;i' Dutch cc "Cinding that you fuffcr the poorJVe- 
GaieraL's a F^^o ^^itizeus, after that you have 
^bcGv^r- " received all the Services you poffibly 
nw o/Xo- " could from them, to peri (h for want of 
lumbo. Sufteaance \ and whereas you prevent- 
ed th?ir Dcfertion formerly by ftrift 
The i7?i)of February the Yacht the ^^j- 
fhlr came into the Road from Coromandel^ 
and brought a Letter from the Governor 
Laurence Pit, dated January 29. at FaUa- 
catta: Her Cargo confifled in Rice and 
Gun-powder, tho not fo much as was ex- 
pected, the full quantity of Brimftone 
not being brought from T ajouvan. 
But notwithftanding the beforcfaid 
Warning given to the Negro Citizens, 
many of them coming every day into our 
Camp, one of them was ordered to be 
hanged to deter others from doing the 
like -J fo that afterwards 1 5 and more Famine m 
died every day in the City of Famine, Columbo. 
and a Scorbutick Dropfy began alfo to 
reign among the Europeans there. The 
1 pf/j a Mi/lice Deferter brought advice, 
that they had equip'd a Boat, which lay 
ready to fail againft the next Night for 
Manaar \ whereupon Orders were fent to 
CovamodiOxt Rootbaui to intercept her, if 
poffibly he could. The ^oth Mr. John 
Hartman came with the following Letter 
from the Emperor to the General. 
Raja Singa Rajou. 
" Y O U R Letter dated the 8f^of Fe- TkEmpc 
^ bruary^ I received the next fol- rot's Let- 
" lowing Day, wherein you teftify "il^^^ 
" defire of being admitted into our Roy- "'^"^ ' 
al Prefence, in order to afiure me in 
" Perfon of the fincere Intentions of the 
" Dutch Company to continue in their 
" Confederacy with our Imperial Ma- 
" jefty, made from the time of your Ar- 
*' rival with your Fleet in our Empire. 
" It has always been my hearty Wifh to 
" fee you in my Prefence, which I hope 
will be fulfill'd with the arrival of your 
Excellency in our Camp near Raygam- 
" watte. You further mention tjie Mif- 
" behaviour of fome of our Lafcaryns 
" under the Dijfavcs •, fo foon as our Im- 
" periai Majefty arrives in the above- 
faid 
r 
