46 History oj Ceylon 
here. In their retreat, four hundred of their best soldiers 
Avere made prisoners and put to death at Cuddavilii and Sitti- 
vacca, only two days march from their own chief settlement 
at Columbo. Notwithstanding this disaster, however, they had 
many ways left of harassing the King of Candy; and in par- 
ticular by their power to deprive him of salt at pleasure 
they reduced him at last to comply with all their demands. 
In 1766 he Avas compelled to accede to a treaty which greatly 
curtailed his dominions, and left him little better than a pri- 
soner at large in those that remained to him. All those parts 
of the sea-coast, which had not formerly belonged to the 
Dutch, Avere now ceded to them, Avith the addition of several 
other tracts Avhich they reckoned advantageous for their pur- 
poses. They insisted that the King should have no intercourse 
with any other power whatever; and that he should deliver up 
all foreigners or subjects of other princes, who should happen 
to come -into his dominions. All cinnamon Avhicli grew on 
the coasts was to be considered as exclusively Dutch property ; 
and the natives, by Avay of special privilege, Avere allowed 
quietly to cut and carry it to the several Dutch factories on the 
island. The cinnamon groAving in the Aroods Avas allowed to 
be, in some degree, the property of the natiA^es ; they were 
obliged to peel and sell it to the Dutch at a rix-doilar a pound : 
this is a coin of a nominal value, and exchanges for about 
the Avorth of two shillings sterling of their copper money. But 
though cinnamon ionned the chief article in the stipulations, 
the other productions of the island were by no means over- 
looked. The King of Candy Avas also obliged to stipulate that 
his subjects should gather the pepper, cardamoms, coffee, and 
cotton groAving in the interior, and sell them to the Dutch 
