Chap.XXX VIII. A Defcripion of C E Y L O N- 755 
An am 
Letter 
from th? 
Emperor. 
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8 Dutch 
Prifoners 
fent out of 
Col umbo. 
Their Ac- 
count. 
come out of Co/wm^'a^ to be fupplied iin- 
derhand with Provifions,he commanded 
*' to fire among them, and to fecure the 
Moddiar Jaz^ondere^ who had been ac- 
cellbry to the matter :i has been very ac- 
ceptable to me,as tending to myService. 
The Letter deliverM to me by Cumpule 
Mtynde^ written upon half a Sheet, I 
did not tliink fit to read, much lefs to 
anfvver,being fill'd with nothing but in- 
flpid Stufl": If perhaps afudden Muti- 
ny or Accident, or any other Misfor- 
tune had happened in the Gamp, I 
*' could have cxcufed llich a Letter, in 
" vtipcct of the Love and Inclination I 
bear to the Hollanders^ my moft trufly 
Servants i but every thing being in a 
very good Condition, I can'tfufficienr- 
Jy admire what could induce George to 
" write fuch a Letter. Truly the Gene- 
" ral (who has the fupreme Command 
" there) ought not to have been fo care- 
" lefs in this matter, fuch a Negled be- 
ing not very futable to the Gondud 
*' that may be expeded from a Perfon 
" entertain'd in the Service of a Great 
Monarch ^ wherefore I fend you this 
Letter, together with the 0/a (Letter) 
in order to have it read in the Prefencc 
" of the General, and to let him know 
" word by word the true Contents thcrc- 
" of. 
Thurfday, May 2. 16 $6. 
Confidering the nicety of the Ctngale- 
fes and Malabars in this Point, it muft be 
confetVcd, that more caution ought to 
have been ufed in this refped. 
Towards Evening the Portugncfes fent 
our eight Prifoners out of the City, half 
dead for want of Food, three of them 
being fo weak, that they could neither go 
nor ftand they unanimoufly depofcd, 
that there had been a great Diforder a- 
mong the Officers, which had prevented 
their marching to the Baltion of Ckrgos^ 
after they had enter'd the City, as they 
ought to have done, the fame being guar- 
ded only by 15 Men. But whilll they 
Itaid in expedation for Orders from the 
Sea-Captain Lippens (of whom they fpoke 
very indifferently) they were attack'd 
both in Front and Rear by a great Num- 
ber of Portuguefes.^ and charg'd fo fiiri- 
oully, that fcarce 26 of them cftaped, 
without being either kill'd or wounded, 
after they had fpentall their Powder and 
Ball. They added, that what had been 
related of their having fell to plundering 
was not true, that they were fecur'd in 
Wareboufe belonging to Lewii Taverdy 
Vol. II L 
where they had the fame daily Allow- > 
ance of Rice with the King's Soldiers, ^^^'^^^ 
and that they had fed as well as the reft -^"^ 
of the Inhabitants upon the Flefhof E- 
iephants, Buffiers Hides, nay upon Dogs, 
Cats and Rats. That molt of the 74 
Prifoners died for Want of good Food, 
and according to all Appearance thefe 
8 would not live long. They further 
faid, that as they were going out of the 
City, they faw a Body of 400 or 500 
Men, fonie Europeans^ fomc Negroes, 
near St. John's Gate. 
The 4t/jof Alay the Emperor Raja Sin- 
ga fent the following Letter. 
A Bout three Years ago Captain To- ^^^'^ 
r'vs Hervendonkj with fome otter £^;"//^r„ 
Officers and Soldiers entring into our 
Service ^ and their time being expir'd 
fince, for which they had agreed with 
the Company, I refolv'd with my felf 
(lince I had no great Occalion for thcin 
here) to fend them to the Camp. An 
Account of what Services the faid 
Captain had done me, may be feen in 
a Letter written by him (according to 
my Command) to the late Diredor- 
General, immediately after his Land- 
ing near 0/«wto, He had neither be- 
fore nor fince the fame Senfe he had 
when he writ that Letter, which then 
induc'd me to a Refolution to belfow 
certain Favours upon him before his 
Departure. But his infolenc Behavi- 
our having drawn upon huii fcveral 
Chaftifements, without any hopes of 
Amendment, 1 thought fit to remove 
him from his Station, and to put Fra^i- 
cvs Has (who happenM then to come 
as a IMeflenger with Letters to our 
Court) in his Place. This Man having 
lived for fome time among the /'oj-jw- 
guefes our Enemies, fcem'd to have 
laid afide all the Modelly of the Portu- 
gueftis., and addided himfelf to all 
forts of Villanies, which made medif- 
charge him from my Service, an;l to 
rellore the before, mentioned Jorvs Hcr- 
'vcndonk to his former Place. I would 
not have my Hollanders entertain fuch 
an Opinion of me, that I would let a- 
ny one who has ferv'd io long in o;ir 
Imperial Court, be difraifs'd viiihout 
a Reward for whoever gains (,av Im- 
perial Favour, fiiall never depart un- 
rewarded : But fuch as are not willing, 
or can't apply themfelves to that Study, 
may be fure that they will t>c fent a- 
way like this Perfon. The reafon why 
the faid Francis Has flayed in Candy ^ 
is not unknown to your Excellency i 
Eeeee 2 "bat 
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