314 
THE ISLAND -OF CEYLON. 
the whole a head officer is placed, usually known by the 
Portugese name of Captain Cannaille , which means Captain 
Cinnamon. lie is styled by the natives Corundu Mahabadda, 
or Chief of Cinnamon. The chief Moodelier receives all the 
reports concerning the woods, and the cinnamon affairs in 
general, from the inferior officers, and transmits them to the 
Captain, who is accountable only to the Governor. 
Under the government of the Dutch the choliaJis enjoyed 
very extensive privileges, and were accounted amenable only 
to their own Moodeliers. From hence they thought them- 
selves entitled to resist the authority of our military officers 
In the district of Caltura, where Lieutenant Macdonald 
commanded, they absolutely refused to acknowledge, his au- 
thority, and a party of them one day crossing the . Caltura 
river, almost under the Commandant’s windows, they shewed 
their disrespect by maltreating the natives who ferried them 
over, and throwing several headlong out of the boats into 
the river, to the imminent danger of their lives. Mr. Mac- 
donald having investigated the circumstance, ordered the 
offenders to be tied up and flogged, the ordinary punishment 
in such cases. At the same time lie reported what lie had 
done to Governor North, and represented to him the necessity 
there w r as of punishing such contempt of subordination. The 
choliahs on their part complained to the Governor of this 
encroachment on their privileges, and insisted that they were 
amenable only to their own chiefs. Governor North, however, 
was well convinced that the admission of this plea would 
