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of Candy. 
who finds himself sufficiently powerful and ambitious to depose 
his master. An instance of this kind occurred in the fate of 
the late King of Candy. His Adigar or prime minister, having 
formed a large party, and conceiving that he could govern more 
absolutely a creature of his own making, than the monarch 
who had exalted himself, deposed and put to death his master, 
and then procured a stranger to be elected in his room. 
What may seem as inconsistent with the despotic powers of 
the King of Candy, the monarchy is completely elective by the 
s fundamental laws of the country, and where a deposition takes 
place, these laws are usually acted upon. It is in the power 
of the people to put aside the next branch of the royal family, 
and to elect the more distant, or even a stranger. The pre- 
sent king, who as I have already mentioned, was elected through 
the influence of the Adigar, is a native of the island of Ramise- 
ram, on the Malabar coast, opposite Manaar. His only claim 
to the succession, except the power of the minister, was his 
descent from a female branch of the royal family. When the 
last king has no immediate descendents, and where the here- 
ditary right lies between equidistant males and females, the 
preference by the Candian laws, is given to the female branch. 
In the present instance, however, there were two other of the 
native princes who advanced claims of nearer alliance to the 
crown. They came during my residence at Columbo to lay 
their pretensions before governor North, and to implore his 
interference and protection. It is evident, however, that as 
long as we can preserve terms of amity with the ruling prince, 
it is by no means our interest to enquire into the merits of 
any claims which may be advanced to his crown. 
The people do not consider themselves in their election 
