TO THE COURT OF CANDY. 
40 i 
The attendants, and indeed the whole of the natives, 
seemed to be actuated by the same mysterious taciturnity ; 
.so that little information was . to be collected from them 
about the King or his politics. 
The General was now arrived at that place where it 
was determined he should reside while he transacted the 
business of his embassy. It might now seem that he had 
overcome the chief difficulties that lay in his way ; and that 
the fatigues of his tedious inarch would have been compen- 
sated by a frank reception and ready admittance into the royal 
presence. But it was the study of the Candians to impress 
the Ambassador with the highest ideas of their dignity, and 
their condescension in receiving overtures from an European 
government. With this view, so many ceremonies attended 
each introduction into the royal presence, that little business 
could be transacted ; and such a space was allowed to elapse 
between each interview, that the General was only admitted 
to three during his stay here, which was from the tenth of 
April to the third of May. 
But previous to any interview, it was found no easy matter 
to adjust the ceremonies of introduction. It had been cus- 
tomary for the Kings of Candy to demand prostration, and 
several other degrading tokens of submission from the am- 
bassadors introduced to them. The Dutch ambassadors had 
always submitted to be introduced into the capital blindfold, 
and to prostrate themselves before the Monarch. In a former 
war, when Trincomalee was taken by us from the Dutch, 
3 F 
