TO THE COURT OF CANDY, 
403 
plan to prevent the omission of this essential ceremony, 
would be to prostrate themselves before him who held the 
supreme authority there: and this alternative, after they 
found his Lordship would not submit to the other, they 
actually assented to. 
General Macdowal, understanding that this ceremony was 
expected at his introduction, previously informed his Ma- 
jesty, by means of the Adigar, that he could not on any 
account submit to it. The King made many objections to 
receiving him into his presence, unless he would consent first 
to prostrate himself and then to remain kneeling during the 
royal audience. The General, however, positively refused 
compliance, and informed the minister that his Sovereign 
acknowledged the superiority of no Potentate upon earth , 
and that sooner than degrade his Sovereign in the person 
of his representative, he would return to Columbo without 
being presented. The King, not daring to come to an open 
breach with us, upon this waved his prerogative ; but in order 
to reconcile this derogation from his dignity to his own feelings, 
he informed the General that it was his royal will to dispense 
in his case with the usual ceremonies required of ambassa- 
dors at their introduction, as the General came from his 
brother the King of Great-Britain, whose great power and 
strength he acknowledged to be far above that of the Dutch 
or the East-India Company. 
This important matter having been adjusted in this manner, 
and the time appointed for the first audience being come, the 
3 f 2 
