426 Appendix. 
\ 
against inhabitants of these settlements, obliged us to complain and demand satisfaction. 
Certain merchants of Putalora, who had under the faith of treaty purchased, at a fair 
market in the Candian country, areka and betel nut to the quantity of 292 amonams, 
were despoiled of it forcibly by a person in authority under the Candian government 
at Cacknakoley. Although so flagrant an outrage entitled us to make reprisals on the 
property of the subjects of the King of Candy within our government, we abstained 
from any such measure, and we even delayed making any remonstance till, after a seri- 
ous and minute investigation of the case, we were sure that the fact alleged was 
true, and that the Putaloin merchants had not brought it on by any improper behaviour 
or disrespect to the laws of Candy, or persons in authority there ; we then, without 
ordering reprisals to be made, forwarded a remonstrance to the Candian government. 
To this remonstrance, stating the case as it happened, an answer was returned early 
in October, acknowledging the truth of our statement and the justice of our com- 
plaint, and promising restitution immediately, of the betel nut which had been seized, 
to the persons to whom it belonged. Although we had a clear and positive right to 
insist on the delivery of the said areka or betel nut to the injured parties at Putalom, at 
the expense of the King of Candy, we, for the sake of peace, waved that right, 
and the Putalom merchants returned to Cacknakoley. At that place they remained 35- 
days without satisfaction, and were at last sent away with a declaration, that if 
the season proved favoRrable, and they would return in January, they would receive 
a quantity of areka nut equal to that of which they were deprived. We received at the 
same time a letter from the court, in date 14th November, informing us the areka nut 
in question had been sold, but that an equal quantity would be given to the merchants 
in the course of one or two months. In this proposal, however reluctantly, we ac- 
quiesced, and for the more regular performance of the articles agreed upon, we sent 
a native head man of rank to Cacknakoley as our commissioner. On the 14th of 
January, being the expiration of the stipulated time to receive the areka nut from the 
agents of the court of Candy, it was not, however, delivered to him.; and the first 
Adigar informed us, that a sufficient quantity would not be ready for two months. To 
this we answered, that the time for its delivery had been fixed by themselves, and that 
we therefore insisted that the value of it should be immediately paid in money, at the 
moderate rate of ten rix' dollars per ammonam. This conciliatory proposal has on the 
24th January been refused by the first Adigar of Candy, and another attempt made to 
delay the necessary reparation of the outrage committed on our people, until the time 
for active preparation in the field shall be passed. In the mean time preparations and 
assemblies of a menacing appearance have been formed in various places in the Can- 
dian frontiers, and acts of apparent hostility which the minister of Candy has not 
scrupled to avow on pretences wholly unfounded. 
Under these circumstances of aggravated injury and insult we have determined to 
send troops into the Candian territories, to enforce our just claims to full indemnifi- 
cations for the expence to which our goyerment has been put by the iniquity of the 
court of Candy, and to exact sufficient security against the repetition of similar outrage. 
In this view we have submitted to his Candian Majesty articles of accommodation, so 
moderate in their object, and so beneficial in their principle, that we trust he will im- 
