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diff --git a/40579-0.txt b/40579-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..96134eb --- /dev/null +++ b/40579-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5852 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40579 *** + + Memoirs and Instructions of Dutch Governors, Commandeurs, &c. + + MEMOIR OF + HENDRICK ZWAARDECROON, + + COMMANDEUR OF JAFFNAPATAM, + (afterwards Governor-General of Nederlands India), + + 1697. + + FOR THE GUIDANCE OF + THE COUNCIL OF JAFFNAPATAM, DURING HIS + ABSENCE AT THE COAST OF MALABAR. + + + + Translated by SOPHIA PIETERS, + Dutch Translator. + With an Introduction and Notes by the Government Archivist. + + + + COLOMBO: + H. C. COTTLE, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, CEYLON. + 1911. + + + + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +This Memoir of Commandeur Zwaardecroon was, as stated, compiled and +left by him in 1697 for the instruction and guidance of the Political +Council of Jaffnapatam during his absence from the "Commandement" +on special duty as Commissioner to the Coast of Malabar. He did not, +however, return to his post, having been appointed Director of Surat +on the termination of his Commission. Of the many compilations of the +same kind prepared by successive Commandeurs on the standing orders of +the Supreme Government at Batavia, this of Zwaardecroon is one of the +most exhaustive and authoritative in regard to the Dutch Company's +affairs in the north of the Island. It was quoted and referred to +from time to time during almost the whole period of the Dutch rule +in Ceylon. Its value will be found to consist chiefly in the light +it throws on such matters as native industries, sources of revenue, +and the condition of the people. Many obscure terms, some local, some +obsolete, such as "officie gelden," "adigary," "alphandigo," &c, which +occur in the old records, will be found explained here for the first +time; and the topographical information is both full and accurate. In +a word, the work bears the impress not only of a man of great powers +of observation and sound judgment, but also of a strong and capable +ruler. His independent character is shown in the plain-spoken manner in +which he marks his resentment of the methods adopted at headquarters in +regard to appeals from the native subjects of the Commandement. That +a man possessed of such intelligence and independence of character +should in the course of time have risen to the highest post in the +Company's service, viz., that of Governor-General of Nederlands India, +was in the natural course of events. + +The following brief personal account of him, based on information +collected from various sources, will, I am sure, be of some interest. + +Hendrick, or Henricus, Zwaardecroon was born at Rotterdam on January +26, 1667. His father, Theophilus Zwaardecroon, son of an older Henricus +Zwaardecroon, was Rentmeester, or Steward, to Jonker Gysbrecht van +Mathenesse, his mother being Margaretha van Heulen. He came out +to the East in 1684 as Secretary to the High Commissioner Hendrick +Adriaan van Rhude, Lord of Mydrecht, to whom frequent reference is +made in the Memoir. Having been first attached to the adelborsten +(lit. "noble youths"), a regiment composed of gentlemen's sons, he, +shortly after his arrival in Batavia, exchanged from the Military to +the Civil Service of the Company, and passed rapidly through the grades +of boekhouder, onderkoopman, and koopman. In 1694 he was appointed +Commandeur of Jaffnapatam with the rank of opperkoopman. This +Memoir is the record of his three years' administration of the +Commandement. After four years' service at Surat, he was appointed +Secretary to the Supreme Government at Batavia, being admitted the +following year (August 4, 1704) an Extraordinary Councillor of India +(Raad extra-ordinair van Ned. Indie). In 1709 he became President +of the Board of Dike-reeves (College van Heemraden), and, in 1715, +was elevated to the rank of a Councillor in Ordinary. His modest +disposition and unambitious character will be seen from the fact that, +although twice offered the Governor-Generalship, he declined the honour +on the ground that he did not feel himself qualified to accept it. But +he was at last prevailed upon to do so, and formally received his +appointment on November 13, 1718. The appointment was confirmed by the +Chamber of XVII, in the Netherlands on September 10, 1720. He remained +at the head of the Government of India up to October 16, 1724, when he +retired at his own instance. He never returned to the Fatherland, but +lived a simple and unostentatious life in Batavia up to his death. The +following passage, which I quote from my Report on the Dutch Records, +[1] gives an account of his death and burial:--"His death occurred +at Batavia on August 12, 1728, some years after his retirement. At +his special desire the burial took place in the graveyard attached +to the Portuguese Church outside the town. His grave is still to be +seen on the left side of the entrance to the church. This church and +graveyard were intended for the humbler section of the community; and +Zwaardecroon, says an old writer (Hofhout), chose this burial place, +because he wished to lie beside the 'common people.' This is said +to have been characteristic of the man, who, as long as he lived, +took pains to maintain by ostentatious display the dignity and the +honour of the Honourable Company which he served, but at his death, +though of gentle descent himself, preferred to be buried among the +poor and lowly than among the high and mighty of the land. [2] His +funeral as described in the Dagh Register des Casteels, Batavia, +August 16, 1728, was one of great magnificence." + +When Councillor of India, Zwaardecroon was commissioned by the +Government of India to compile a descriptive account of Malabar +and Coromandel, a work which he appears to have satisfactorily +accomplished. During his Governor-Generalship he undertook for the +first time, in 1723, the planting of coffee within the territories +under his rule. For his exceptional services to the Company in +introducing coffee and the silk worm industry into Java he was +much commended by the Directors of the East India Company, and was +presented by them with a silver tankard inlaid with gold, bearing a +suitable inscription on the lid. [3] + +Of his marriage and descendants I have not been able to obtain +any definite information. He appears to have married in Batavia, +but the lady's name does not occur. By this marriage he had two +children: a daughter Hillegonda, who married Cornelis van Berendrecht, +"waterfiskal" of Netherlands India, and a son, Hendrick Zwaardecroon, +who is mentioned in 1703. + +R. G. ANTHONISZ, + +Government Archivist. + +Colombo, December 20, 1910. + + + + + + + +MEMOIR + + + For the Instruction of the Honourable the Political Council of + Jaffnapatam, compiled and left by Commandeur Hendrick Zwaardecroon + on his departure from that kingdom as Commissioner for the Coast + of Mallabaar, Cannara, and Wingirula. + + +It has pleased His Excellency Mr. Willem van Outhoorn, +Governor-General, and the Honourable the Government of India, to +appoint me Commissioner for the Coast of Mallabaar, and to require +me to compile before my departure from here a Memoir or Instructions +for the guidance of the Council, stating therein how the affairs +of the Company are to be conducted during my absence, which Memoir +is to be handed to the said Council after having been submitted to +His Excellency the Governor of Ceylon and the Council of Colombo for +revision, amplification, and alteration where necessary, as may be seen +from the letter of May 23 last, from Their Excellencies at Batavia, +sent here by the ship "De stad Leyden." + +In compliance with this esteemed order I compile this Paper, although +I am aware that you are all persons who have served the Company for +a greater or smaller number of years, and that you must have had +ample opportunity to obtain a knowledge of all matters concerning +the Company. + +Moreover, during the last 38 years which the Company has been in the +absolute possession of this territory, many papers have been written +with regard to Jaffnapatam which are always accessible to the members +of the Political Council at the Secretariate, so that I take it for +granted that, in addition to your daily experience, you have obtained +a sufficient knowledge of these matters from these documents; because +among these are to be found descriptions of whatever is necessary to +give the reader a clear idea of all that is required in the Company's +service, and they having been written by wise and circumspect men, +some more and others less in detail. I am, therefore, sure that +everything that is necessary will be found if carefully looked for. + +I will not, for this reason, enter into detail in respect of the manner +the Company took possession of this territory, or of the advantages +that may be found here both for the inhabitants and for the Company; +nor what compulsory services are demanded from the subjects in +Jaffnapatam, and the number of castes into which they are divided +and under which they are registered; nor will I specify here the +licenses for navigation and trade which have been given to them, +nor the changes which have taken place in the course of time with +regard to these and many other matters not stated here. + +Because, if I were to relate all these matters from the very beginning, +I would have to write several volumes instead of a few sheets of +paper. And this I do not intend to do, as I wish to be as brief +as possible. + +Moreover, sufficient information may be found in the documents +preserved at the Secretariate, which it would be well if Your Honours +would make yourselves familiar with. We must be always prepared to take +upon ourselves higher and more difficult posts whenever called upon, +and in so preparing ourselves we avoid confusion, and the Company +would never be in want of capable servants. + +I have no doubt you will all see the truth of what I say, yet, in +order the more clearly to convey the force of my suggestion, I will +specify here some of the documents which I consider it particularly +useful to obtain a general insight of. + +With regard to Jaffnapatam, I know of no better documents than +the Instructions compiled by Admiral Ryclof van Goens, Mr. Anthony +Paviljoen, and the Hon. Laurens Pyl, at present Councillor of India +at Batavia, left for this Commandement respectively on September +30, 1658, December 12, 1659, July 26, 1661, December 19, 1665, and +October 7, 1679, the latter [4] having been inserted in the General +Instructions left by His Excellency Ryclof van Goens, junior, on his +departure on October 3 of the same year, to take up the Governorship +of Ceylon. The directions in these Papers must be followed so far +as change of time and circumstances will permit. I could not avoid +mentioning these before entering into further details. + +It was the more necessary because so many observances, customs, +institutions, and singular methods of action are to be met with in +Jaffnapatam which are not found anywhere else or among any other +subjects of the Company, and also because they cannot be discovered +or understood without careful investigation and only in process of +time. Thus, although the most important matters have been successively +treated of in the service of the Company, yet all the necessary +information cannot be brought together here, and such a detailed +description would be beyond the purpose of ordinary instructions. I +will therefore only touch upon such matters as will be unavoidable +under the present circumstances. + +The mode of government during my absence will be the first point +to be decided upon; because formerly the Dessave, as second in the +Commandement, used to be appointed to preside, as may be seen in +the yearly Memoirs of Commandeur Floris Blom, left by him when he +had to travel beyond the Commandement; with the only restriction +that the Dessave was not to pass any orders for the warehouses, +the Treasury, workshops, &c., which were left to the Administrator, +although the Dessave was more often present within the Castle. Later +on, in the year 1694, on the death of the same Commandeur Blom of +blessed memory, the government of the whole of this Commandement was +entrusted to the Political Council by order of the Hon. Thomas van +Rhee, Councillor of India and Governor of Ceylon, and the Council of +Colombo. The government was then divided, and the authority limited, +and rules were laid down, which may be seen from the letters from +Colombo bearing date July 20 and August 23, 1694; but experience +has proved that this mode of government was not successful in the +best interests of the Company; because the subordinate officers and +the subject classes often did not know to whom they had to apply; +so that they were sent "from Pontius to Pilatus," as it is sometimes +said; which often caused unnecessary waste of time and delay in the +Service. I noticed this to have been the case when I was away from +this Commandement from the last of March till about the middle of +August this year, on the occasion of my being ordered to Colombo, +and the authority distributed according to the instructions contained +in the letter from Colombo of March 22. But I noticed later on that +the letters from Colombo were addressed to Mr. Rykloff de Bitter as +Dessave and Secunde of the Commandement and the other members of the +Political Council here; which was done again on October 16, 1696, +when it was anticipated that I had already left for Mallabaar by the +frigate "De Tamboer." + +In the letter from Colombo of April 18 the members of the Council +were also recommended to show the said Mr. de Bitter all the respect +due to his position as Dessave and Secunde in the Commandement; +so that it seems His Excellency the Governor and the Council wished +to re-introduce the former mode of government during the absence of +the Commandeur, seeing that the Company's affairs cannot be properly +conducted by such divided authority. This at least is my opinion, +and I intend to point out that in the absence of the Commandeur the +government here ought to be carried on according to the former lines, +and consequently the entire administration entrusted to the Dessave, +with the assistance of the members of the Political Council; and +that he must call the meetings both of the Council and of the Court +of Justice, and preside at both; and that he must further sign the +orders for the Treasury, the workshop, the arsenal, and even for +the warehouses, and in reference to any other of the effects of the +Company. This would be in compliance with the Instructions contained +in the letter from Colombo of December 5, 1696, where it is said that +no orders are to be passed here but by the person in authority. I +therefore think that, in the interests of peace and order in this +Commandement, the Dessave R. de Bitter should be in authority at such +times, especially as I have to be so far away. Besides, he lives just +in front of the town, and close by the Castle; so that he is always at +hand for those who require his assistance or instruction. But as the +Dessave lives outside the fortress, the giving of the watchword, the +closing and opening of the gate, and the supervision over the military +and their drill, could not very well be delegated to him. This must +therefore be left to the Captain as special chief of the Military; +unless the Dessave should occasionally remain within the Fort +overnight, in which case he will preform those duties. [(1)] [5] + +With a view to prevent the impression being created that I had formally +given over this Commandement and entirely transferred the authority, +I will leave without making a written transfer of any of the Company's +effects. I merely entrust these to Your Honours' care and management; +but, on the other hand, it must be understood that I do not want to be +held responsible for any mistakes you might make during my absence. I +therefore, and in order to show that I do not relinquish my authority +in the Commandement, but only absent myself during the mission to +Mallabaar or until further orders from the Honourable the Government +of India are received, Your Honours are recommended to send to me +by Manaar and Tutucorin proper advices, and to communicate to me the +principal transactions that take place with regard to the Company's +service, in order that I may not be obliged on my return to ask what +had transpired or to look up these things in the books. It will be well +here to remind Your Honours of the order contained in the Resolution +passed by the Council of India on December 6, 1694, with regard to +all Administrators, viz., that they will be held responsible for all +cash or articles belonging to the Company which are found missing, +and that, if unable to justify themselves, they would have to replace +these within two months, or submit to be punished for their offence.[2] + +Economy is the first matter which I have to recommend to Your Honours, +because this is not only constantly urged both from the Fatherland and +from Batavia, but also because it is beyond doubt that what is saved +in this manner will be pure profit. It must be understood, however, +that in using the word economy I mean care in the administration of the +Company's effects, and not a wrong economy. There are officers who take +this word in its narrowest sense, and, failing to have the necessary +repairs done in proper time in their endeavour to spend as little as +possible, create the necessity in the course of time of a complete +restoration, while the existing objects might have stood good for a +long time with a small timely expenditure. I must therefore recommend +Your Honours to read certain letters from the Hon. Mr. van Mydregt, +[6] bearing date July 4, 1690, and addressed to the establishment at +Jaffnapatam during his circuit on the coast of Madura.[3] + +The Wanni is the largest division in this kingdom, and would also +be the most profitable to the Company if matters went on as they +ought to. It is from there that we have to obtain the elephants +which are sold here at considerable profit, as the proceeds of the +sale of elephants which are sent here for sale from Galle, Matura, +and other places in Ceylon cannot be credited to this Commandement, +as the profits are not retained here, but have been so far forwarded +to these places. With a view to secure the profits on the elephants +which are to be obtained from the Wanni, the Company has divided this +large forest and extensive territory into several Provinces, which +have been farmed out to Majoraals, known as Wannias, on the condition +that they should deliver yearly 42 1/2 alias. [7] This practice was +followed from the time that the Company first established itself here +up to the present day, but the results have proved that these Wannias +continually fail to deliver the tribute elephants, and it appears in +the Instructions of the late Mr. Paviljoen that their arrears in his +time were already 74 1/2 alias, when the Company had possessed this +territory only 7 or 8 years. In the returns for 1680 it will be seen +that these arrears had then increased to 313 alias. The whole of this +debt was remitted to them, but in 1694 again the arrears went up to +18 1/2 alias, and last year they had come up to 70 animals, namely: + + + Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar Konsjeynaar Ilengenarene + Mudaliyar, for the Provinces of Lanengamo, Paleamblancolam, + and Poedicoe 48 1/2 alias; Don Diogo Poevenellemapane Wannia, + for the Provinces of Karkattemoele and Meelpattoe 18 alias; Peria + Meynaar Oediaar, for the Province of Moeliawalle 3 1/2 alias; + total 70 alias. + + +It will therefore be necessary for Your Honours to endeavour to secure +as many elephants from these Wannias as possible, both in payment +of their arrears and of their present dues. This must be done, with +all kindness, and in compliance with the successive orders received +from His Excellency van Rhee, [8] Governor of Ceylon, and the Council +of Colombo, in order that this profitable trade may be maintained, +because there has been no lack of purchasers since the year 1689, +as the merchants from Golconda come over every year, and there is +a possibility that the Bengal Moors will also come over to purchase +elephants now that this passage has been opened. The price to be paid +to the Wannias for animals delivered above their tribute has been +stated in the letter of the Hon. Mr. van Mydregt of blessed memory, +sent here on April 3, 1690, from Tutucorin, while the Honourable the +Government of India, in their esteemed letter of December 12, 1691, +agreed to pay from 10 to 20 Rds. more for each animal, according +to their value. I fear, however, that it will take a long time +yet before it will be necessary to make such payment. The Wannia +Philip Nellamapane may be allowed to sell every year one elephant +on his own account to the Moors, in compliance with the orders +of the said Governor and Council at the meeting of May 11, 1696, +although Your Honours will find a positive refusal to the request +made by him and submitted to His Excellency van Mydregt by Commandeur +Floris Blom on October 20. The refusal was made in His Excellency's +answer of November 20. There are two other Wannias to whom the same +privilege has been granted, viz., Ambele Wannia and Chedoega Wannia, +the former holding the Province of Carnawel pattu, and the latter +that of Tinnemerrewaddoe. They obtained this permission because +their tribute is of little importance compared with that of the +other Wannias mentioned above, and because they had paid up their +arrears at the closing of the books last August. It seems, however, +that they also are not much inclined to deliver any elephants beyond +their tribute. Most likely they prefer the tithes which they draw +for ruling these Provinces to the payment they would receive from +the Company for the delivery of elephants. + +I will not state here my opinion as to the manner in which people ought +to be ruled or as to their behaviour, nor in what way the Company is +to expect the largest number of elephants and the greatest profits +from the Wanni; because I would then not only have to write too many +sheets of paper in doing so, but the subject would be of little +use to enlarge upon and only tend to confuse Your Honours in your +actions. I could merely advise you to follow the old instructions +of being kind and considerate. Meanwhile, however, Your Honours +are well aware of my principal views with regard to the Wannias, +as expressed in our conjoined letter to Batavia of August 12, 1695, +which letter might serve for your guidance; while you might also +read the letters exchanged between Colombo and Jaffnapatam during +the years 1674 to 1679, as also the resolutions passed with regard +to the Wannias during the same period. From the perusal of these +documents you will perceive whether or not my opinion of these people +is unfounded. Should you require more information with regard to the +Wannias and the Majoraals, you will find it in the Journal kept by +Commandeur Laurens Pyl, at present Councillor of India, on his visit +to that large forest in 1675 during the months of August to December, +and in another Journal written by me in July, 1692, when I accompanied +the late Commandeur Floris Blom also on a visit to the Wanni. + +These Wannias, by birth subjects of the Company and by descent no +more than ordinary caste Bellales, have in the course of time become +very conceited, and imagine that the title of Wannia is one invested +with awe and so important that, although they have received it from +the Company, they do not need to respect the Company or those placed +in authority here; and they seem to be in doubt whether they ought to +show their due obedience by appearing before its officers. It was on +this account that His Excellency van Mydregt gave special orders in +his reply of November 29, 1690, that one of the Wannias should always +stay at the Castle, each taking his turn for three months. Why this +order has not been carried out I do not know. Moreover, it appears +that Don Philip and his son, the young Don Gaspar, Master of the Hunt +in Ponneryn, together with his brother-in-law Don Gaspar Ilengenarene +Mudaliyar, has gone to Colombo instead of presenting himself here at +the Castle, as I had summoned them to do, as may be seen in the ola +of January 14, 1696, and in the resolutions of Council of the 16th +of the same month. I do not know how they obtained audience, but +they were received with even greater honour than they ever received +from the Governors or Commandeurs here. This was the first time they +ever went to Colombo. Still less am I able to say what transpired +between them and the Government of Colombo, because when I was there +I was not admitted to the meetings of the Political Council, and was +only an eye-witness of the outward show. I do not also know for what +reason the said Wannia Majoraals were kept here since their return, +and why they were not sent back to their forest for the capture of +elephants, unless it was because they acted as adjutants or auxiliaries +to the Opperkoopluyden [9] Jan van Keulen and Pieter Petitfilsz, as +I heard that during my absence they acted as Commissioners in this +Commandement. Perhaps these matters are better known to Your Honours +than to myself, because you were present here at the time. Yet I do not +know whether you realize that this action has made these people more +conceited than ever, and that they mention it here exultingly. This +is proved also by the fact that their arrears have greatly increased +since this trip to Colombo, and I have been privately informed that +the Master of the Hunt, Don Gaspar Nitcheachaderayen, has, on his own +authority and as if he were a sovereign, caused one of the Lascoreens +and one of the hunters of his father-in-law, the old Don Gaspar, to +be put to death; which has caused great enmity between these two and +Don Philip Nellamapane. It is also said that the old Don Gaspar is +desirous of revenging himself for this action, so that two people who +were such great friends and made such a stir here by going to Colombo +have not only become bitter enemies, but by this murder have also +given cause for consequences of a serious nature. It will therefore +be Your Honours' duty not only to hold an inquiry with regard to +this matter when an opportunity offers, but also to watch the future +conduct of these people. In the beginning of 1696 some Waddassen +[10] also entered the lands of the Wannia Don Diogo Poevenellemapane +and committed acts of hostility, whereby the brother of Cottapulle +Oediaar, cousin of the said Don Diogo, had been killed, because the +latter wrote an ola to the Administrator Biermans while I was away at +Colombo and the Dessave was commissioned to the pearl fishery. As he +complained publicly to both of us in the month of October of the same +year, saying that this happened for no other reason than because he +would not act in collusion with Don Philip Nellamapane or join with +the seditious company on their trip to Colombo, knowing that he could +find here competent rulers. Chedoegawale Mapane of Tinnemerrewaddoe +spoke to the same effect. Amblewanne, whom Your Honours wanted to +take his turn of staying here at the Castle, has been prevented from +doing so by the severe illness of one of his friends. I am obliged +to mention all these particulars here in order that Your Honours may +be able to keep an eye on the Wannias and their conduct. I wished to +do more in this matter, and would have made an effort to discover +and punish the murderers, but I was not in a position to do this +because it seems that the Government of Jaffnapatam has no longer +any influence in Colombo. This is apparent from the fact that while +these Wannias were not only heard, but also treated with great honour, +unknown to their ruler, I was even personally insulted by being kept +out of the Political Council. I considered it inadvisable on my part +to bring any charges against them at that time, and I think it would +be for Your Honours to do thus.[4] + +Mantotte, Moezely, and Pirringaly are just as important to the +Company with regard to the capture of elephants as the Wanni; but +these Provinces are not under the subaltern rule of any native chief, +but are ruled directly by the Company through officers paid by the +Company. In Mantotte and Moezely there is an Adigar, paid by the +Company, whose work it is to supervise the elephant hunt and the +cultivation of the arable fields. For the latter the Company exacts +tithes, as from the Wannia Majoraals in the Wanni. The inhabitants +of Pirringaly, who were for some time ruled by Wannias, appealed in +1692 to the Commandeur Blom to be relieved of that servitude, and +this was granted to them on condition that they yearly delivered to +the Wannias 2 alias for this freedom. Since then they have been ruled +by their own Moete Carres or Masters of the Hunt, which arrangement +has proved to be very satisfactory, as may be seen from the Trade +Accounts, which show that these people, as well as the hunters of +Mantotte, Moezelypattoe, and Setticoulang have delivered a large +number of elephants at Manaar, and would have delivered more were it +not that a great many animals had died on the way. Further particulars +on this subject may be found by Your Honours in a certain report of +September 13, 1690, submitted by Commandeur Blom to His Excellency +van Mydregt of blessed memory, in the margin of which His Excellency +wrote instructions bearing date October 7 of the same year, where +you will find the most important particulars as to the troubles on +the borders of the Wanni. Your Honours may also read a short Memoir +by the late Commandeur Anthony Paviljoen, dated July 28, 1662, and +addressed to the Adigar of Mantotte. This office is held at present +by Dimingo Rodrigues, who was transferred from the same office in +Ponneryn by order of His Excellency the Governor and the Council of +Colombo, as contained in their letter of October 13, 1696. He was sent +to Mantotte to take the place of the native Alepander Ananaal, who in +the same letter was dismissed from his office, although, as this was +done without my knowledge, I am not in a position to state the reason +therefor. Some other native officers were likewise dismissed from +their offices in this Commandement without communication with me, as +you may see from my letter to Colombo of October 15, 1696. The hunters +in the Provinces of Mantotte, Pirringaly, and Moezely, who, as stated +above, have shown great diligence in the capture of elephants and +still continue to do so, must be protected from any ill-treatment on +the part of the Adigar or any of the officers at Manaar or elsewhere, +in order that they may not be discouraged and lose their interest in +the work, which would be prejudicial to the Company. The price paid by +the Company for each elephant is stated in a document forwarded by His +Excellency van Mydregt to Jaffnapatam bearing date April 3, 1690.[5] + +Ponneryn is the third Province from where elephants should be obtained +if all be well, because formerly when this Province was ruled by +an Adigar or Lieutenant-Dessave appointed by the Company, like the +Provinces Ilipoecarwe, Polweramcattoe, and Mantotte, no less than 25 +alias on an average were obtained from there yearly, for which purpose +two kraals had been made. In 1690 this practice was changed, because +His Excellency van Mydregt, by decree of March 2 of the same year, +granted the revenue of Ponneryn to the young Don Gaspar, and those +of the other two Provinces to the old Don Gaspar, on condition that +the former should, as Master of the Hunt, see that all the elephants +which were found there were captured and sent down on account of the +Company; for which purpose 145 hunters and their Manigares were placed +under his command. The project for which this arrangement was made, +however, proved to be illusory, for no more than 74 elephants were +delivered by the Master of the Hunt in 7 years' time, while according +to the previous account 175 animals ought to have been delivered. This +means a loss to the Company of 101 elephants during the same period, +besides the tithes of the harvest for these three Provinces, while, +moreover, we had to continually hear complaints from the inhabitants of +maltreatment on the part of the said Wannias, as happened again lately +when the Dessave De Bitter visited Ponneryn. They are not satisfied +with the revenues mentioned above, but consider themselves rulers +over the inhabitants, which was never meant by His Excellency van +Mydregt, and they were always prevented from asserting themselves as +such, as may be seen from a report by Commandeur Blom on Jaffnapatam, +submitted to His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo on +August 28, 1692. About a year after the issue of the deeds of gift of +the tithes, His Excellency proposed to change this practice again, +and in a document of March 29, 1693, he repeated this proposal, +saying that he had already given orders for a general elephant hunt +on account of the Company in the said Provinces, in which both the +hunters and the inhabitants were to take part. Why this order was not +carried out I cannot say; but I know that already, within six months +after the issue of the deeds of gift, he noticed that both these Don +Gaspars had been favoured too much. This may be seen from a letter +from His Excellency dated July 4, 1690, to Jaffnapatam. For these +various reasons I have recommended that the form of government in +the Wanni should be changed, as would appear in our conjoined letter +to Batavia of August 12, 1695. Many more reasons might be brought +forward, but it would be trouble in vain. I therefore recommend +Your Honours to strictly follow the orders of His Excellency the +Governor and the Council of Colombo as contained in their letters +of October 13 and November 21, 1696, in favour of the said Wannias, +because Messrs. van Kuilen and Petitfilz, who were commissioned to +investigate this matter, declared that the inhabitants on the borders +of the Wanni are quite content and well satisfied. There is no use +therefore in our saying anything, although my experience and that of +the Dessave have proved quite the contrary. I cannot help for this +reason making a speculative calculation of the amount which the Company +has lost since the conquest of this territory by the non-payment of +tributes and arrears in the Wanni and Ponneryn. If each animal be +calculated on an average to be sold at Rds. 350, or 1,050 Florins, +as may be considered to be the case, the amount would be:-- + + + Fl. + + For 1680 discharged from the delivery of 313 alias: + estimated price 328,650 + For 1694 discharged from the delivery of 18 1/2 alias 19,425 + For present arrears 73,500 + For arrears over 7 years in Ponneryn 106,050 + + Total 527,625 + + +This then is the loss the Company has suffered through the Wannias, +besides the many annoyances and indirect losses through the inhabitants +and the subjects in Jaffnapatam, which might be pointed out, but +which I will not do here for the reasons stated above.[6] + +The trade here is not very important and does not amount to much, +except that in elephants, which was renewed chiefly by His Excellency +van Mydregt since 1689; because the merchants from Golconda and +Tansjouwer [11] had neglected this trade for some years, having driven +up the prices by bidding against each other at the public auctions. The +endeavour to interest them again in this trade has been successful; +the more so because the price for tuskers and elephants without tusks, +as also for that of infirm animals has been limited and regulated +in the letter of April 3, 1690, often previously referred to. The +principal people in Golconda address their payment orders to Philip +Sangere Pulle or the Brahmin Timmersa, whom they have chosen as their +agents, while the Company employs them as brokers in this trade. This +is found to save much trouble in the distribution and selling of the +animals and in feeding and transporting them when sold, because these +brokers procure the provisions and vessels, giving an account to the +merchants. This course was followed from the time the Company took +possession of this territory up to 1696, but Sangere Pulle died in +1695, and the Brahmin Timmersa has been discharged from his office, +because His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo gave +instructions, in their letter of August 23 last, that the trade in +elephants with the Moors at Golconda should be carried on in future +without any agents or brokers. This office was accordingly taken +off the trade accounts in compliance with the said order, after the +accounts with the merchants and between them and the agents had been +settled. This has brought about a great change, as may be seen from +the resolutions of December 17 of the same year, where it is stated +that these people intended to give up the trade for the reasons just +mentioned, as is known to Your Honours; but it is to be hoped that this +new Ordinance which was issued without communication with, or advice +from, the Commandeur of Jaffnapatam, may not have the serious effects +which are feared. Your Honours are also aware with how much bickering, +cavilling, dispute, and vexation, the trade in elephants was kept +up last year, so that about 161 animals were sold on behalf of the +Company for the sum of Rds. 53,357. It is to be hoped that the sale +will increase; but I must seriously advise Your Honours to strictly +adhere to the above-mentioned rule, although it was made without my +advice or opinion being asked; unless their Excellencies at Batavia +should not agree with the view of His Excellency the Governor and +the Council of Colombo and send other orders. + +Besides the trade in elephants the Company deals here only in pepper, +about 40,000 or 50,000 lb. of which is sold yearly; some copper, +spiaulter, [12] a little pewter, a small quantity of powdered sugar, +about 300 or 350 ammunams of Ceylon areca-nut, which are sold to the +inhabitants, and a few other articles of little importance which +are sold to the Company's Dutch servants, amounting altogether to +no more than Rds. 7,000 or 9,000 a year. Several endeavours have +been made to extend the trade, and an effort was made to introduce +here the linen manufacture from Tutucorin and Coromandel, but so far +without success, as may be seen from the minutes of the meeting of +the Council of Ceylon of January 22, 1695, where I brought forward +several questions with regard to this matter. It was proposed there +to allow private persons in Jaffnapatam to carry on a trade in cloth +on the payment of 20 per cent. duty, which proposal was approved +by Their Excellencies at Batavia by their letter of December 12 of +the same year, but this subject will be treated of under the head of +Leases. Considering further means of extending the Company's trade, it +struck me that Jaffnapatam was not only better situated than Calpetty +for the areca-nut trade with Coromandel, but also that the roads +through the Wanni to the Sinhalese areca-nut forests are very good, +so that the nuts could be transported from there in Boyados. [13] In +our letter of October 26, 1694, to Colombo, I proposed that this should +be done, which proposal was referred by His Excellency the Governor +and the Council of Colombo to Their Excellencies at Batavia. In +their letter of December 12, 1695, our Supreme Government expressed +themselves in favour of this proposal, but in a later letter of July +3, 1696, this was cancelled, although it is beyond doubt that this +way of transport of the areca-nut would be more advantageous to the +Company. This may be seen from the fact that the Portuguese, when they +were here, followed the same practise, and with good success as I was +told. I will now leave the subject of areca-nut and revert to that of +elephants. Many of these animals have been left here after the last +sale in 1696, because the purchasers were afraid of meeting with a +north wind on their voyage. Many vessels will be required to transport +not only these animals but also those that will be sold during the +next southern season. There being no agent now, the purchasers will +have to look out for themselves. And it will be necessary for Your +Honours to give them all possible assistance in order that they may +not be entirely discouraged and give up this trade. Your Honours +must also inquire whether any suitable vessels are to be procured +here which could be sent to Colombo or Galle in March or April, for +the transport from there of the Company's elephants fit for sale: in +compliance with the proposals contained in the correspondence between +Colombo and Jaffnapatam of April 13 and July 11, 1695, and especially +with the orders from Their Excellencies at Batavia in their letter of +July 3, 1696, wherein this course was highly approved. The fare for +these private vessels is far less than the expenditure the Company is +put to when its own vessels are used to transport the elephants from +Galle round about Ceylon to Cougature. If the latter course has to be +followed, care must be taken that the animals are carefully landed at +Manaar, in order that they may be fit to be transported further by land +to the place of their destination. It will also be necessary to have +some more of these animals trained for the hunt; because at present +the Company owns only about 6 tame ones, while there should be always +about a dozen; not only in order to fetch the elephants from Manaar +and to tame the wild animals, but also to assist the Wannias in case +they should capture a large number of elephants, when these animals +would be useful in the shipping of those sold to the purchasers. This +is not a regular practice, but is followed sometimes at their request +when any animals are to be shipped which are not sufficiently tamed +to be led into the vessels by themselves. Nothing more need be said +with regard to the elephants, except that there are about 6 animals in +the stables besides the 6 for the hunt mentioned above. It is to be +hoped that this number will soon be considerably increased, and the +prices must be regulated according to the instructions contained in +the letter from Colombo of January 16, 1696, and in compliance with +the decision arrived at on certain questions brought forward by the +late Commandeur Blom in the Council of Ceylon on February 17, 1692, +and agreed upon on February 19 following; while also, and especially, +the instructions from Their Excellencies at Batavia contained in their +letter of January 4, 1695, must be observed, where they order that +no animals are to be sold or sent except for cash payment, so that +there may be no difficulty in recovering the amount. (7) + +The trade with the Moors from Bengal at Jaffnapatam and Galle has +been opened by order of the Honourable the Supreme Government of India +in terms of their letter of August 20, 1694. It is expected that the +trade with the Moors will greatly benefit this country, because the +inhabitants here are continually in want of grain and victuals, which +are imported by the Moors. Some years ago, when food was very scarce in +Coromandel, the English at Madraspatnam stopped the Moorish vessels on +their way hither, and bought up all their rice, which was a great loss +to Jaffnapatam. If the Moors could be induced to come here in future +with their rice, butter, sugar, cadjang, [14] &c., which are always +very much in demand, it must be seen that they are fairly dealt with, +and not discouraged from coming to this country. Perhaps they also +would buy some elephants if it happened that the Company had too many, +or if too few purchasers should arrive here from Golconda. But if the +demand for these animals at Golconda continues as it has done for the +last few years, we would not need the aid of the Bengal Moors in this +matter, although in compliance with the orders of Their Excellencies at +Batavia they may be accommodated with a few elephants if they urgently +request them. It is the intention besides to sell to them the Ceylon +areca-nut; as we cannot as yet transport it through the Wanni, His +Excellency the Governor and the Council at Colombo must see that the +areca-nut from Calpetty or Trincomalee is sent here, in compliance +with the instructions of Their Excellencies at Batavia as contained +in their letter of July 3, 1696. Your Honours must therefore send in +the orders in due time if the Moors continue to come here, because +we cannot sell to them the Chiankos, [15] it being the intention of +Their Honours at Batavia, according to their letters of January 4 and +February 12, 1695, that this sea-product should be chiefly transported +to Bengal on behalf of the Company. On the other hand the diving for +Chiankos at Manaar is of so little importance that it is hardly worth +while mentioning here, and they are also very small, so that it is +not likely that the Moors would be willing to pay 12 pagodas a Cour, +as was ordered in a letter from Colombo to Jaffnapatam of March 23, +1695. With regard to the further restrictions put upon the trade with +the Moors, Your Honours must observe the instructions contained in +the letter of January 4, 1695. (8) + +The inhabitants of this territory, who are really a perverse +race, are far too numerous to be maintained by the produce of this +Commandement. This had been expected at the beginning of the Company's +rule, when the late Commandeur, Anthony Paviljoen, stated in his +Instructions that there were about 120,000 subjects. How much worse +must this be now, when, as shown by the last Census, there were of the +people known alone, 169,299 subjects here and in Manaar. I think there +would be far more if all those who hide themselves in order to escape +from taxes and servitude be included. All these inhabitants are divided +into 40 different castes, which are described in the Thombo, so that +I will not name them here, as this would involve too much prolixity, +especially if I should state what kind of services, impositions, +&c., each one is liable to. All this I imagine to be well known to +Your Honours; because the late Mr. Blom had given a detailed and +accurate account of these matters in his report of August 20, 1692, +and I could only re-write what has been already described by others; +I therefore refer to the said manuscript, where, besides this subject, +much information may be found with regard to other matters concerning +Jaffnapatam. In the same document is also found a comparison between +the revenue of the Commandement, with the taxes and duty it has to +render to the Company, in the payment of which it has been greatly met +by the Honourable the Supreme Government of India as will be shown +below. In order to prevent any misapprehension during my absence, +I will state here the amount of the income of the Company during the +last year, viz., from September 1, 1695, to the end of August, 1696, +inclusive, viz.:-- + + + Rds. + + Rent from lands, trees, and gardens 16,348. 3.4 3/4 + Tithes 8,632. 7.3 3/4 + Poll tax 5,998. 1.0 + Officie 865. 2.0 + Adigary 1,178. 3.0 1/2 + + Total 33,020.10.2 + Revenue of Manaar 879.10.2 + =============== + 33,900. 9.0 [16] + + +From this amount of Rds. 33,020.10.2 the following expenditure must +be deducted, viz.:-- + + + Rds. + + Payment of 216 Majoraals at Rds. 2 each 432. 0.0 + Payment of 218 Cayaals at Rd. 1 each 218. 0.0 + Payment of 8 tax collectors 320. 3.7 3/4 + Payment of 8 Sarraafs [17] or Accountants 32. 3.0 1/2 + For elephants delivered in lieu of poll tax and + land rent by the tamekares to the value of 373. 4.0 1/2 + ============== + Total 1,375. 8.1 1/4 [18] + + +So that Jaffnapatam had from this a clear revenue of Rds. 31,645.2.3/9 +last year, which is the second in importance of the sources of revenue +which the Company derives from this Commandement, besides the profit on +the sale of elephants. So far the land rents have only been calculated +in the Mallabaar books. We had therefore to depend entirely on the +native officers who were employed in this work and had to translate +the accounts; but the Hon. the Extraordinary Councillor of India, +Mr. Laurens Pyl, when he was Commandeur of Jaffnapatam, very wisely +introduced the practice of having all the fields, trees, houses, and +gardens of the inhabitants indicated on maps, and of estimating the +impositions of the tithes, and thus compiling a Dutch instead of the +Mallabaar Thombo. Because, when a description was made in Mallabaar, +in compliance with the orders of Their Excellencies at Batavia in 1675 +and 1677, the yearly revenue of the Company increased by no less than +Rds. 12,204 and 17/40 fanams. But as the natives were not supposed +to have done the work satisfactorily, it was again undertaken by a +committee of Dutch surveyors, who, however, wrote a great deal but +did not start the work in the right way, and it was never properly +completed. + +The new description of lands had however become so urgently necessary +that His Excellency the Commissioner-General left orders that this work +should be started afresh, ignoring what had been done already. During +the government of Commandeur Blom this work was commenced again, some +soldiers who were qualified surveyors being employed in it, as well +as such Cannecappuls [19] as were required by the Thombo-keeper to +do the writing, while one of the surveyors prepared the maps of the +fields which had been surveyed. This was done with a view to obtain +a plan of each particular field and thus recover the proper rents, +and also to fix the boundaries between the different properties. Maps +are also being prepared of each Aldea or village and each Province, +of which our authorities in the Fatherland desire to receive a +copy as stated in their letter to Batavia of August 27, 1694, which +copies must be prepared. On my arrival here from Batavia in 1694, the +Thombo-keeper, Pieter Bolscho, pointed out to me that this description +of land was again unsatisfactory, and that it would not serve its +purpose, as stated by me in the Annual Compendiums of November 30, +1694 and 1695. It was therefore necessary to have this work done for +the third time, and to measure again all the lands which had been +surveyed already. This time a scheme was drawn up with the help of the +said Mr. Bolscho, and the work has succeeded so well that the Province +of Walligamme, which alone extends over about half of this territory, +has been completely surveyed, and will from the last of August yield an +increase of revenue of Rds. 1,509.5.23 or Fl. 4,527.3.4 yearly. I have +already written and sent out the bills, as a warning to the people +to prepare for the payment, and the tax collectors are responsible +for the recovery of the amount; so that the small expenditure of this +new description will be recouped, and the inhabitants have no cause +of complaint, because they are only asked to pay their due to the +lord of the land as they ought to have done long ago. There is also +to be recovered an amount of Rds. 500.2.5 for some small pieces of +land which were sold on behalf of the Company in 1695 in the village +of Copay, which no one appears to have demanded, because I was in +Colombo and the Dessave in Negapatam at the time. This must be done +now, especially as the expenditure of the new description of lands +has, by order of Their Honours contained in the general resolutions +of October 4, 1694, been written off the general revenue, to which +must therefore be now transferred the amount gained thereby, as also +the sum of Rds. 288.7 which has been received by the survey of some +lands in Sjeroepittie, Wallalay, and Nierwely, which were occupied and +cultivated by the inhabitants, but for which they did not pay any rent +while we had the old Thombo, and which we left to them for payment as +they had cultivated them. This was in compliance with the instructions +contained in the reply to our letter to Colombo of August 22, 1695, +received December 15 following. If any one among you should not quite +understand this new description of lands, he may find it useful to +read certain instructions left by Governor Laurens Pyl with regard +to this subject on February 1, 1679, for the Committee appointed +to do this work, which instructions must be still observed so far +as they are applicable to the present circumstances. Your Honours +will most likely be aware also of the extensive Memoir compiled on +my orders by the said Mr. Bolscho, and submitted to the Council on +December 15, 1696, and of the reply thereto, as also of the report by +Mr. Blom of August 20, 1692, on the same subject, to which documents +I here refer. The surveyors are at present at work in the Province of +Waddemoraatsche, where they have with them two Mudaliyars, in order to +settle small differences which might arise among the inhabitants when +their lands are being surveyed. The Mudaliyars act as arbitrators in +the presence of the Majoraals of the villages, but important matters +must be brought before the Dessave, to be disposed of by him or by +the Court of Justice or the Civil Court according to the importance +of the case. The Dessave must see that the Thombo-keeper, Mr. Pieter +Bolscho, receives all the assistance he requires, and also that the +natives who have to serve him in this work are kept in obedience, in +order that he may not be discouraged and lose the zeal he has shown +so far in the service of the Company in this difficult work. Once +this work is completed it will not be required to be done again, +and we will be able then to prepare separate lists not only of each +Province, but also of each village; so that at any time the credits +or the debits of each tax collector may be seen.[9] + +The tithes are a tax levied on the harvest, and are paid in money. Last +year it amounted to the sum of Rds. 8,632.7.3 3/4, as shown in the +above account, and treated of at length in the report of August 20, +1692. I need not therefore dilate on this subject, and only wish to +state that I do not agree with the concluding portion of that report, +where it is stated that this tax is too heavy, and might be reduced to +half the amount as requested by the inhabitants, for which many reasons +are given pro and con. I think that it can be proved sufficiently that +the inhabitants are able to easily pay this imposition of the tithes; +not only because they have never complained against it since the year +1690 during the stay of His Excellency van Mydregt, when they knew +His Excellency had the power to grant their request without waiting +for further instructions. On that occasion the people of Jaffnapatam +tried every means of obtaining their wish, but it may be proved that +since that time they have become more prosperous--a subject which +may be dealt with perhaps later on. That the payment of the said +tithes cannot be very difficult for them is proved by the fact that +if half of the amount, viz., Rds. 4,316, be divided over the total +number of inhabitants, the rate for each individual amounts to but +very little. It is stated as a fact that the rich people possess +the largest number of fields, but this shows that they do not need +a reduction of the tithes.[10] + +Besides these tithes, one-tenth is also paid for the forests, mud +lands, &c., which have been granted for cultivation by the successive +Dessaves to different persons with the promise of exemption from any +impositions for a period of 3, 4, 6, or more years; on the expiry +of this period taxes must be paid. As I think that the Majoraals +do not look after these matters sufficiently well, and do not give +notice in time, the Dessave will have to investigate the matter and +see that the tenth of the harvest is brought to the Company's stores, +especially because the natives do not hesitate to steal or keep back +their dues if they are not kept constantly in fear of punishment. + +The poll tax, shown above to amount to the sum of Rds. 5,998.1, +is of quite a different nature, because the rich and the poor pay +exactly the same rate. His Excellency van Mydregt on February 28, +1690, caused a decree to be issued, by which all the inhabitants +were exempted from the increase of poll tax which they had had to +pay since the year 1675, and which amounted on an average to from +Rds. 10 to 110. But this exemption was only for the period of ten +years, and would have expired therefore in 1699, if the Honourable +the Supreme Government of India had not in a spirit of benevolence +decided by their letter to Ceylon of December 12, 1695, to make the +reduction a permanent one. This was made known to the inhabitants +of this Island on November 8 following. They showed themselves very +grateful for this generosity; but this must be considered sufficient +for the present, and they have not much reason now to insist upon a +decrease of the tithes also. The time for a renovation of the Head +Thombo, which has to be done every three years, has again arrived, +and the Ondercoopman and Thombo-keeper, Mr. Pieter Bolscho, and the +Ondercoopman, Mr. Roos, were sent on circuit on November 19, 1696, in +order to carry out this work. The names of the old and infirm people +and those who have died must be taken off the list, and the names of +the youths who have passed from the schools must be entered, in order +that those who owe Oely service may be known. It would also be useful +if the Dessave were occasionally present at this revision when his +other duties do not interfere with it, because an acquaintance with +this work is very desirable in a land regent. This new Head Thombo +must be completed by the end of next August, in order that the poll +tax and the fines for failure of performing Oely services, called +Chicos money, may be included in the Trade Accounts for each year, +as arranged by me.[11] + +The Officie Gelden have also been described at length in the often +cited report by Mr. Blom of August 20, 1692. It is stated there +how these were first levied, as also how they were raised by the +Portuguese, and how they were paid during the rule of the Company. Some +of the castes had besides requested to be exempted from the payment of +these dues, and it is shown how this had been refused. Last year the +aggregate of this tax did not amount to more than Rds. 865.2. It is +also spoken of in the Memoir of the Thombo-keeper, Piet Christiaansz +Bolscho, which was presented to the Council on October 20, 1696, +and the approval of which was conveyed by the letter from Colombo to +Jaffnapatam of November 16 following. The instructions contained in +this Memoir with regard to the Officie Gelden must still be observed, +the chief point being that they must be demanded for each individual +and not in the aggregate for the caste as a whole, as it has been done +thus far, so that the Majoraals and tax collectors had an opportunity +of appropriating a great part of the amount, which could never be +exactly calculated. That they could do this easily may be understood +when it is considered that most of the castes have increased in number, +while the Company has received no more than the lump sum due by each +caste. Knowing the covetousness and avarice of the tax collectors +and Majoraals, it could hardly be expected that they would excuse +any one from the payment; they must, on the contrary, have demanded +the money from each person and appropriated the surplus collected +by the increase in the number of people in each caste. Your Honours +must therefore take note of the matter, and the newly compiled lists +must show at a glance how much each aldea or parish owes; and as the +payment of this tax will be fairly distributed, no one will be wronged, +and the Company will receive its dues.[12] + +The Adigary amounted last year to Rds. 1,178.3 1/2. It is paid, +like the Officie Gelden, by every person without distinction, but +the only castes which pay it are the Bellales, the Chandes, and the +Tannatare. It dates from the time of the heathen kings, who used to +rule the country through Adigars, who were appointed over the different +Provinces, and the same method was followed by the Portuguese. These +Adigars were not paid by the king, but the inhabitants had to furnish +them with victuals. This was changed in the course of time by their +having to contribute to the payment of the Adigar, which did not +exceed one fanam for each person. Although the Company, which at +first followed the same practice, later on abolished this office, +except in the districts of Mantotte and Ponneryn, yet this imposition +of the Adigary remained in force on the same castes and is still +paid by them. No one however complains of it, but on the contrary, +they consider themselves to be the three oldest castes, and look +upon it as a mark of distinction and honour conferred on them above +the other castes, thinking that only they are worthy to contribute +to the maintenance of the king's Adigars. It is looked upon in the +same light by some other castes who consider themselves equal to +these three, such as the Maddapallys, Agambadys, Paradeesys, &c. I +think, therefore, that the Company could put this point of honour +to advantage and levy this tax from many other wealthy castes, who +would gladly out of jealousy allow the Adigary to be levied on them; +but this is mentioned here only en passant as a suggestion for the +consideration of wiser heads.[13] + +The Oely service has, like the Officie Gelden, been described in +detail by the late Mr. Blom in his report of August 20, 1692, so +that I need not expand on this subject here. It may be seen from the +document just mentioned what castes up to this time have been obliged +to perform this service and how many men have to attend daily, as +also how they are classified. The same rules are still observed, but, +as I noticed during my residence, these people are very lazy in the +performance of their servitudes, although they are only required to +attend three days in every three months, or twelve days in a whole +year. I think this may be considered as a sign of their increased +prosperity; because they seem to find the means for paying their +fines for non-attendance without any trouble. This fine is only 2 +Dutch stivers for each day, or 1 rix-dollar for the twelve days in +a year for each person, and the account for the year 1695 shows that +on the 24,021 men Rds. 2,001.9 were paid in fines, and for the year +1696 for eight months (January to August) a sum of Rds. 1,053.9 for +12,640 men; so that the Company during the period of 20 months had to +lose the daily labour of 36,661 men. It is therefore to be expected +that the works have been considerably delayed at the Castle, in the +loading and unloading of the vessels, at the wharf, at the gunpowder +mill, at the brick-kiln at Point Pedro, in the burning of lime and +the felling of wood on the borders of the Wanni, the digging and +breaking of coral stones on the islands, the burning of coals for +the smith's shop, &c. I therefore think that the said Sicos [20] +money ought to be doubled, so that they would have to pay 1 fanam +instead of 2 stivers for each day's absence; because I do not think +this must be considered as a tax levied on the inhabitants, but as +a fine and punishment imposed for negligence and as a means to make +them perform the necessary labour in order to prevent delay. But, +as these my Instructions are to be revised by His Excellency the +Governor at Colombo, Your Honours will no doubt receive orders from +him, I not being authorized to issue them. The reason why the last +account of the Sicos runs only over eight months instead of as usual +over a year is that I specially ordered this to be done because the +account used to run from the beginning to the end of each year, +while the Trade Accounts were closed on the last day of August, +which formerly closed on the last day of February, which was always a +source of confusion. In order to correct this I ordered the account of +the Sicos to be made up for the last eight months only. Meantime Your +Honours must not fail to see that these amounts are collected on behalf +of the Company, because out of it only Rds. 180 has been received for +Patchelepalle for 1695; so that out of the above-mentioned amount +for the last 20 months the sum of Rds. 2,975.1 is still due to the +Company. Besides the usual Caltementos received by the Collectors as +a compensation for the loss they suffer on account of those persons +who died or disappeared since the last revision of the Thombo, Your +Honour must also keep in mind that a small amount is to be paid yet +towards the Sicos for 1693. The whole of the amount was Rds. 993.7, +and the greater part was received during my time. I do not know why +this was not collected before; perhaps it was due to the departure +of the late Mr. Blom to the pearl fishery in 1699, and his death +soon thereafter. [21] Because, when I arrived in December of the +same year from Batavia, I found matters in Jaffnapatam very much in +the same condition in which they were on my return from Colombo last +August, namely, many necessary things had been neglected and there was +great confusion. I will not enter into details over the matter here, +as I am not writing with direct reference to them. We will return +now to the subject of the Oely service, with regard to which I have +merely to add that it must be seen that the old and infirm people, +who are exempted from this servitude in the new Thombo, do not fail to +deliver such mats and pannegay [22] kernels for coals for the smith's +shop, as they are bound to according to the customs of the country; +because, although this is only a small matter, yet these things come +in very handy for the storehouses, vessels, pearl fishery, &c., while +otherwise money would have to be spent on these mats, an expenditure +which could be thus avoided. (14) + +The tax collectors and Majoraals are native officers appointed by +the Company to demand and collect the poll tax, land rent, tithes, +and the Officie and Adigary rates which I have treated of above. They +also see that the natives perform such servitudes as they owe to +the lord of the land, and collect the Sicos money to which I have +referred, levied for neglect in attending for Oely service. The +expenditure in the appointment of these native officers is very +small, as may be seen from the foregoing account, considering that +these Collectors and Majoraals have to attend once in three months, +or four times a year, at the Castle to hand over one-fourth of the +full amount of the taxes for the year; so that the revenue is usually +received at the closing of the accounts. As this practice has proved +to be successful, the same course must be followed in future. I would +wish at the same time to point out here that the facility with which +these taxes are collected in Jaffnapatam is another evidence of the +improved condition of the inhabitants. In the year 1690 a change +was made in the appointment of the Collectors and Majoraals. Up to +that time all these and many of the Cannecappuls, Arachchies, &c., +belonged to one caste, viz., that of the Bellales, being the farmers +or peasants. The principal of these belong to the family of Don Philip +Sangerepulle, from Cannengray, a native of evil repute; so much so, +that His Excellency the Extraordinary Councillor of India, Laurens Pyl, +who was at the time Governor of Ceylon, issued an order on June 16, +1687, by which Commandeur Cornelis van der Duyn and his Council were +instructed to have the said Don Philip and several of his followers +and accomplices put in chains and sent to Colombo. He succeeded, +however, in concealing himself and eventually fled to Nagapatam, where +he managed to influence the merchant Babba Porboe to such an extent +that through his aid he obtained during the years 1689 and 1690 all +the advantages he desired for his caste and for his followers. This +went so far as to the appointment of even schoolboys as Majoraals +and Cayaals from the time they left school. His late Excellency van +Mydregt, who had great confidence in the said Babba, was somewhat +misled by him, but was informed of the fact by certain private letters +from the late Commandeur Blom during His Excellency's residence at +Tutucorin. His Excellency then authorized Mr. Blom on July 4, 1690, +to at once make such changes as would be necessary, under the pretext +that some of the Majoraals were not provided yet with proper acts of +appointment issued by His Excellency. This may also be seen in the +answer to some points brought before His Excellency by Mr. Blom on +October 20. These replies bear date November 29 following. Finding, +however, on my arrival from Batavia, that these appointments were +still reserved for the Bellales, through the influence of a certain +Moddely Tamby, who had formerly been a betel carrier to Sangerepulle, +later on a private servant of Babba Porboe, and last of all Cannecappul +to the Commandeur, and another Cannecappul, also of the Bellale caste +and a first cousin of the said Sangerepulle, of the name of Don Joan +Mandala Nayaga Mudaliyar, I brought this difficulty before my Governor +His Excellency the Extraordinary Councillor of India, Thomas van +Rhee, on my visit to Colombo in the beginning of 1698. He verbally +authorized me to make the necessary changes, that so many thousands +of people should no longer suffer by the oppression of the Bellales, +who are very proud and despise all other castes, and who had become +so powerful that they were able not only to worry and harass the poor +people, but also to prevent them from submitting their complaints to +the authorities. Already in the years 1673 and 1675 orders had been +given that the Collectors should be transferred every three years; +because by their holding office for many years in the same Province +they obtained a certain amount of influence and authority over the +inhabitants, which would have enabled them to take advantage of them; +and it has always been a rule here not to restrict the appointment +to these offices to the Bellales, but to employ the Maddapallys +and other castes as well, to serve as a counter-acting influence; +because by this means the inhabitants were kept in peace, and through +the jealousy of the various castes the ruler was always in a position +to know what was going on in the country. All these reasons induced +His Excellency Thomas van Rhee to give me leave to bring about the +necessary changes, which have now been introduced. I appointed the +Collector of Waddemoraatje as my Cannecappul in the place of Moddely +Tamby, whose place I filled with the new Collector of the Maddapally +caste, while also a new Collector was appointed for Timmoraatsche +in the place of Don Joan Mandala Nayaga, whom the late Mr. Blom had +discharged from his office as Cannecappul of the Gate; because no two +Bellales are allowed to hold office in one place. He agreed with me on +this point, as may be seen from his report of August 20, 1692. I have +further transferred two Collectors in the large Province of Wallegamo, +so as to gradually bring about the desired change in the interest of +the Company and that of the other castes; but I heard that this small +change created so much disturbance and canvassing that I had to leave +the matter alone. The Bellales, seeing that they would be shut out from +these profitable offices and that they would lose the influence they +possessed so far, and being the largest in number and the wealthiest of +the people, moved heaven and earth to put a stop to the carrying into +effect of this plan so prejudicial to their interests. With this view +they also joined the Wannias Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar +Ilengenarene Mudaliyar in their conspiracies. The latter two, also +Bellales, well aware that they owed many elephants to the Company, +as stated at the beginning of this Memoir, and knowing that their +turn would also come, organized the riots in which the said Moddely +Tamby was the principal instrument. He was a man who first appeared +as a rebel, on the plea that, having been prosecuted by the Fiscaal +for many offences, he had been injured by a long imprisonment and +that this induced him to take revenge, these same two Wannias having +been then the first accusers who came to me complaining against this +man in the latter part of 1694. Perhaps later on they considered the +great assistance they received from him during the time of Babba +Porboe in obtaining the various privileges and favours. They also +probably understood that it was my intention to diminish the influence +of the Bellale caste, and were thus induced to take this course to +promote the welfare of their caste. I think that it was also out of +their conspiracies that the riots arose from which this Commandement +suffered during my absence in the months of May, June, and July. I +cannot account for them in any other way, as I have stated previously +when treating of the Wanni. I am obliged to repeat this here, in +order that Your Honours may be on your guard and watch the movements, +alliances, and associations of these Bellales and the Majoraals of the +Wanni; because although I may have persisted in bringing about the +desired changes, I preferred to leave the matter alone, seeing how +much annoyance this first attempt caused me, and how the obsequious +subjects of this Commandement are not only given audience in Colombo, +but are also upheld against their local ruler, whose explanation is +not only not asked for, but who is even prevented from defending the +interests of the Company at the place he had a right to do. I will, +however, drop this subject, although a great deal more might be said, +because I consider it will be useless to do so. I only advise Your +Honours not to make the slightest alteration in the appointment of the +native officers during my residence at Mallabaar, but to leave them +for the present in the state in which they wish so much to remain, +as this is a matter within the province of the Commandeur. Lascoreens +and Arachchies with their Canganes may, however, be discharged or +appointed according to their merits by the Dessave, in accordance +with the instructions of the late Admiral Rycloff van Goens, dated +February 26, 1661. In the case, however, of any of the Majoraals, +[23] Cayaals, [24] Pattangatyns, [25] Cannecappuls, or Collectors +resigning their offices or of being dismissed on account of misconduct, +the Dessave will be also authorized to provisionally appoint others +in their place without issuing the actens [26] until my return or +until the appointment of another Commandeur in my place, if such be +the intention of Their Excellencies at Batavia. Because no provision +has been made for such cases, which interrupt the regular course of +the administration. (15) + +It must be also seen that the lower castes observe the rules with +regard to their costumes, &c., because I hear that here also corruption +has crept in, and that they do not wear their dress in the proper way, +do not cut their hair, and do not wear any golden rings in their ears, +so that they cannot be distinguished from the caste-people or Gonoradas +as they are called, who consider this an insult to them. A plackaat +on this subject was issued by His Excellency Laurens Pyl, Governor +of Ceylon, on August 18, 1686. There will be little difficulty in +enforcing those rules if the Regent in this Commandement is allowed to +assume the authority which is his right, and which he must have if he +is to maintain the discipline required to carry on the operations of +the Company, for the people of Jaffnapatam are conceited, arrogant, +and stubborn. They bring false complaints against their rulers to the +higher powers if they find but the least encouragement, while on the +other hand they are slavish and cringe under the rod of their rulers so +long as they see that their authority is not disputed, but is upheld +by the Government. As they were so strictly held down to their duties +during the time of the heathen and of the Portuguese, not knowing any +other but their own immediate ruler, they often do not understand +the position of a subordinate ruler in the service of the Company, +and are not able to act with discretion when they find a way from +an inferior to a superior. It is not in accordance with the natural +government to which their ancestors had been accustomed. It must not, +however, be supposed that I ignore the fact that the mild government of +the Company always leaves a way of appeal for those of its subjects, +whoever they may be, when they consider themselves unjustly treated; +but I think that on the other hand the Company should likewise allow +their chiefs to punish the delinquents before they are permitted to +appeal to the higher powers. This I have found is not always observed +as regards Jaffnapatam, although it seems to me necessary that it +should be if our officers are not in the course of time to become a +laughing stock to the people. It is a well-known fact that the more +influential natives always try to oppress the poorer classes, and it +will be impossible to prevent their doing this if they are allowed +to become stronger than they already are. + +The Lascoreens, who are supposed to be soldiers, appear however to be +more useful in times of peace for the running of errands, the carrying +of letters, the communication of orders to and fro in the country, +and to summon the inhabitants, than they are in times of war for +the carrying of arms, for they have not the slightest idea of drill +or discipline, and are entirely wanting in courage. Yet we have to +employ them in these services, and it will be chiefly the duty of +the Dessave to see that those whose names are entered as Lascoreens +in the Hoofd Thombo are kept under discipline by their officers, and +also that their number is complete, so that they may be easily found +when suddenly wanted. It must also be observed that no men are entered +as Lascoreens who are bound to perform other services. The argument +brought forward by His late Excellency Commissioner van Mydregt in +his Instructions for Jaffnapatam of November 29, 1690, that it is +most difficult to reduce such people afterwards to their more humble +service is undoubtedly true and has been proved by experience. Those +whose names are at present entered in the Thombo as Lascoreens amount +to 834 men, both archers and pikemen, viz.:-- + + + Arachchies 31 + Canganas 4 + Lascoreens 799 + === + Total 834 + + +Of these, only 200 are paid, and sometimes less than that +number, according to circumstances, as may be seen in the monthly +accounts. They are commanded by two Mudaliyars, one over the archers +and one over the pikemen. The Lascoreens are paid only 7 1/5 fanams +per mensem, without rice, and they are required to be ready day +and night to carry orders. Their pay is certainly not too high, +especially in such times of dearth as we have had during the last +three or four years, but I hope that this may be prevented in future +to some extent when the Moors from Bengal come here more frequently +and the rice from Trincomalee and Cotjaar is received in the required +quantities. Otherwise I think that the request of the Lascoreens, +if they strongly urge it, should be complied with, namely, that they +may be paid Rd. 1 per month should the dearth continue longer. But +this can only be done with the special permission of His Excellency +the Governor and the Council of Colombo, although the Commandeur +and the Council here have been authorized to grant this higher pay +by His Excellency Laurens Pyl, Councillor of India, on his visit to +Jaffnapatam on June 14, 1687, when this and other requests of the +natives were submitted to him. But, considering that besides the +180 or 200 Lascoreens there are also employed other native soldiers +in Mannar, Aripo, Calpentyn, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa, who are +also drawn from the above-mentioned 834 men, and that they have to +be transferred every half year, it is desirable that the same rules +should apply to them all, especially because a number of them are +also employed in this Commandement in the felling of wood, some at +Point Pedro under the Vidaan of the Elephants, some at Kayts in the +dyeing industry, some under the Civil Council, others again under +the Collectors of taxes in the various Provinces, at the Passes, +under the clergy, the Fiscaal, and other of the Company's servants; +since in that way they will be best kept under discipline. This would +also prevent fraud, because each person would receive his pay direct +from the Company, while at present the two Mudaliyars mentioned above +have a chance of favouring those whom they prefer. For this and other +reasons Your Honours must see that the Lascoreens are transferred at +least once a year, if not twice.[16] + +Slaves from the opposite coast are brought here in large numbers, +because the accounts state that from December 1, 1694, to the end of +November, 1696, no less than 3,589 slaves were brought across, on each +of whom was paid to the Company as duty for admittance the amount of 11 +fanams, making a total of 39,424 fanams or 9,856 guilders. The people +of Jaffnapatam import these slaves only for their own advantage, as +they find the sale of these creatures more profitable than the trade +in rice or nely, these grain being at present very dear in Coromandel, +which again is a reason why these slaves are very cheap there, being +procurable almost for a handful of rice. As Jaffnapatam does not yield +a sufficient quantity of rice for its large population, I tried to +induce the inhabitants to import as much nely as possible, but to no +purpose. Therefore, considering that it is likely the scarcity of the +necessaries of life will increase rather than decrease, because the +Moorish vessels loaded with rice remained at Madraspatam, I thought +it best to open the passage to Trincomalee and Batticaloa for the +inhabitants of Jaffnapatam. I did so because I was informed that grain +is very plentiful there and may be had at a low price, and also because +I found that this privilege had been granted to them already by the +Honourable the Supreme Government of India by Resolution of November, +1681. This permission was renewed in a letter of December 12, 1695, +but as this was cancelled in a letter from Colombo to Jaffnapatam +of January 6, 1696, this Commandement continued to suffer from the +scarcity of provisions. However, the price of rice was never higher +than Rd. 1 a parra, and even came down to 6 fanams for a cut parra, +of which there are 75 in a last of 3,000 lb. The question arises, +however, whether the Company might not be greatly inconvenienced +by the importation of these slaves, because it seems to me that the +scarcity of victuals would be thus increased, and I do not consider it +advisable for other reasons also. It is true that the Company receives +a considerable amount as duty, but on the other hand these slaves +have to be fed, and thus the price of victuals will, of necessity, +advance. The people of Jaffnapatam are besides by nature lazy and +indolent, and will gradually get more accustomed to send their +slaves for the performance of their duties instead of attending to +them themselves, while moreover these slaves are in various ways +enticed outside the Province and captured by the Wannias, who in +times of peace employ them for sowing and mowing, and in times of war +strengthen their ranks with them. They also sometimes send them to +officers of the Kandyan Court in order to obtain their favour. Many +of the slaves imported suffer from chicken pox, which may cause an +epidemic among the natives, resulting in great mortality. The amount +derived from the duty on importation of slaves would therefore not +be a sufficient compensation. In my opinion this large importation +of slaves is also another evidence of the greater prosperity of the +inhabitants of this Commandement, as the purchase and maintenance of +slaves require means.[17] + +Rice and nely are the two articles which are always wanting in +Jaffnapatam, and, as the matter is one which concerns the maintenance +of life, great attention must be paid to it if we are to continue to +exact from the inhabitants the dues they are paying now. It will be +found on calculation from the notes of the Tarrego [27] taken for +some years that the inhabitants consume on an average no less than +2,000 lasts of rice a year in addition to the quantity produced in the +Provinces, The Islands, the Wanni, Ponneryn, and Mantotte, so that it +is clear how necessary it is that the inhabitants are not only enabled +but also encouraged to import grain from outside. Besides that obtained +from the Bengal Moors, they may now also obtain rice from Tanjauwen, +Oriza, Tondy, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa, as the latter passage has +been re-opened by order of the Honourable the Supreme Government of +India at Batavia in terms of their letter of July 3, 1696, which I +published in a mandate in Dutch and Mallabaar on October 1, 1696. From +this I expect good results in future for this Commandement. I also +hope that this will be a means of preventing the undesirable monopoly +of victuals, with regard to which subject I refer Your Honours to the +letter from Colombo of November 16, 1696, and the reply from here +of December 12 following, and I again seriously recommend to Your +Honours' attention this subject of monopoly, without any regard to +persons, as the greatest offences are undoubtedly those which affect +the general welfare. (18) + +The native trade is confined to articles of little importance, which, +however, yield them a considerable profit, as many of the articles +found here are not found elsewhere. Thus, for instance, the palmyra +tree is not only very useful to them, as its fruit serves them as +food instead of rice, but they also obtain from it sugar, poenat, [28] +pannangay, [29] calengen, [30] mats, carsingos, [31] and caddigans [32] +or olas, and besides, the palmyra timber comes very handy whenever they +fell the trees. For all these sundries the inhabitants of Jaffnapatam +obtain good prices in Coromandel and Tondy, where also they sell +coconuts, kayer, [33] oil obtained from coconuts, and margosy, and +many other things which are not found in the places mentioned above, +or in Trincomalee and Batticaloa. These articles are rising in price +from year to year, so that they fetch two and three per cent. more +than formerly, and on this account the number of vessels along the +seacoast between Point Pedro and Kayts has increased to threefold +their number. With a view to prevent the monopoly of grain as much as +possible Your Honours are recommended to follow the same method I did, +viz., to order all vessels which come into Point Pedro, Tellemanaar, +or Wallewitte to go on to Kayts, as the owners often try to land in +these places under some pretext or other. They must be made to sell +their nely at the bangsaal or the public market, which is under the +supervision of this Castle; because if they unload their nely elsewhere +they do not bring it to the market, and the people not finding any +there have to obtain it from them at any price, which I consider to +be making a monopoly of it. Another product which yields a profit to +the inhabitants is tobacco. This grows here very abundantly, and the +greater part of it is sold by the owners without the least risk to the +merchants of Mallabaar, while the rest is sold here among their own +people or to the Company's servants. A part also is sent to Negapatam, +because the passage to Mallabaar is too dangerous for them on account +of the Bargareese pirates, who infest the neighbourhood. They also +make a good profit out of the provisions which the Company's servants +have to buy from them, such as fowls, butter, milk, sheep, piesang, +[34] soursop, betel, oil, &c., on which articles these officers have +to spend a good deal of their salaries, and even the native officers +have to devote a great deal of their pay to the purchase of these. The +inhabitants are also able to obtain a good deal as wages for labour if +they are not too lazy to work, so that, taking all in all, Your Honours +will find that the inhabitants of Jaffnapatam are more prosperous now +than they have been for some time, although it has been urged in some +quarters that they are oppressed and fleeced and are therefore in a +miserable condition. These people do not know or pretend not to know +that those reports have been circulated by some of the wealthiest +Bellales, because endeavours were made to maintain and uphold the +poorer castes against them. Their circumstances being so much better, +the people of Jaffnapatam ought not to hope for a decrease of the +tithes, as spoken of before. Nor did they ask for this during my +time, nor even referred to it, because at the general paresse [35] +of August 2, 1685, they made a unanimous declaration that they had +no request to make and no reason for complaint, and that they were +perfectly satisfied with the rule of the Company. This may be seen +in the Compendium of the last of November of the same year. In my +questions of January 22 of the same year several requests of theirs +had already been submitted, which had been all disposed of to their +satisfaction, as, for instance, that with regard to the free trade +in Batticaloa and Trincomalee already mentioned above, while the +other matters will be treated of later on. It is true that the late +Mr. Blom would seem to recommend the decrease of the tithes in his +report of August 20, 1692, but he did not know at the time that so many +privileges would be granted to them. Although the granting of these is +of little importance to the Company, it is a fact on the other hand +that the prosperity of the inhabitants will also be an advantage to +the Company, because it enables them to pay their imposts and taxes +regularly, as witness the last few years.[19] + +The coconut trees are the third source of prosperity granted to the +inhabitants, besides the free trade in Batticaloa and Trincomalee +and the reduced poll tax; because, in compliance with the orders from +Batavia of December 12, 1695, these trees would no longer be subject +to taxes in the new Land Thombo, the owners being obliged to feed not +only the Company's elephants, but also those which have been already +purchased by the merchants, with coconut leaves. Although this no +doubt is more profitable to them, as they are paid for the leaves +by the merchants, yet it is true that the trees yield less fruit +when their nourishment is spent on the leaves. But although Their +Excellencies at Batavia kindly relieved the people of their burden +in this respect, the duty was imposed again in another way when His +Excellency the Governor and the Council decided, in their letter of +October 13, that Jaffnapatam would have to deliver yearly no less +than 24 casks of coconut oil besides that which is required for use +in this Commandement and at Manaar. This, including what is required +at the pearl fishery, amounts according to my calculation to no less +than 12 casks. For this reason it will be necessary to prohibit the +export of coconuts. This order, like the one with regard to the reform +in the sale of elephants, was sent to us without previous consultation +with the Commandeur or the Council of Jaffnapatam; yet in the interest +of the Company I could not abstain from expressing my opinion on the +subject in my reply of November 1, 1696; but as the order was repeated +in a subsequent letter from Colombo as also in one of the 21st of +the same month, although with some slight alteration, I am obliged to +recommend that Your Honours should endeavour to put this order into +execution as far as possible, and not issue licenses to any one. I +do so although I expect not only that the farmer of the Alfandigo +(for the export of all articles permitted to be exported) will +complain on this account, and will pay less rent in future, but also, +and especially that the inhabitants will object to this regulation, +because they receive at least twice as much for the plain coconuts +as for the oil which they will have to deliver to the Company. This +will be so in spite of some concessions which have been made already +in the payment for the oil, upon their petition of June 14, 1687, +submitted to His Excellency Laurens Pyl, then Governor of Ceylon, +in which they stated that it was a great disadvantage to them to be +obliged to give the olas of their trees as food for the elephants, +and that they were now also prevented from selling their fruits, +but had to press oil out of these for the Company.[20] + +The iron and steel tools imported by the Company did not yield much +profit, because there was no demand for them. The wealthy people +considered them too expensive, and the poor could not afford to +purchase them for the ploughing and cultivation of their fields and +gardens. They have therefore been stowed away in the storehouses. As +may be seen from the questions submitted by me to the Council of +Colombo on January 22, 1695, I proposed that the inhabitants should +be permitted to obtain these tools direct from Coromandel, which was +kindly granted by the Honourable the Supreme Government of India by +letter of December 12 of the same year. This may be considered the +fourth point in which they have been indulged; another is the license +given to them in the same letter from Batavia (confirmed in a letter +of July 3, 1696) that they may convey the products of their lands and +other small merchandise by vessel to Coromandel, north of Negapatam, +without being obliged to stop and pay Customs duty in the former place, +as they had to do since 1687. They must not therefore be restricted in +this, as I introduced this new rule as soon as the license arrived.[21] + +The palmyra timber required by the Company for Colombo and Jaffnapatam +used to be exacted from the inhabitants at a very low price which +had been fixed for them. They had not only to deliver this, but also +that which some of the Company's servants demanded for their private +use at the same low rate, under pretence that it was required for the +Company; so that the owners not only lost their trees and what they +might obtain from them for their maintenance, but were also obliged +to transport this timber and the laths, after they had been split, +from their gardens for two or three miles to the harbours from which +they were to be shipped, either to the seacoast or to the banks of +the river. Besides this they had still to pay the tax fixed for those +trees in the Thombo. Moreover, it happened that in the year 1677 +there was such a large demand for these planks and laths, not only +in Colombo but also in Negapatam, that no less than 50,687 different +staves and 26,040 laths were sent to the latter town on account of +the Company. Their Excellencies at Batavia, considering that such +a practice was too tyrannical and not in keeping with the mild, +reasonable, and just government which the Company wishes to carry on, +have lessened the burden of the inhabitants in this respect, and have +desired that in future no such demand should be made from them, but +that they should be allowed to sell this timber in the market. Further +particulars with regard to this matter may be found by Your Honours +in the letter from Their Excellencies to Ceylon of May 13, 1692, and +in the letter from His Excellency the Governor and the Council of +Colombo of April 29, 1695, which may serve for your guidance. This +may be considered as the fifth favour bestowed on the inhabitants, +but it does not extend to the palmyra planks and laths required by +the Company for the ordinary works in this Commandement or for the +Castle. These are to be paid for at the rate stated in the Trade +Account as paid formerly, because this is a duty they have been +subject to from olden times, and it is unadvisable to depart from +such customs without good reason, the nature of these people being +such that they would not consider it a favour and be grateful for it, +but if they were relieved of this they would continue to complain +of other matters. On the other hand they will, without complaint, +pay such duties as have been long customary, because they consider +themselves born to these. I therefore think it will be best to observe +the old customs. With regard to the purchase of planks and laths on +account of the Company, I found on my arrival from Batavia in this +Commandement that this had been done with the greatest carelessness, +the accounts being in a terrible disorder. I therefore proposed in +my letter of December 9, 1694, to Colombo that such purchases should +be made by the Dessave, as he, by virtue of his office, has the best +opportunity. This was approved of in the letter of the 22nd of the +same month, and since then a certain amount of cash, about Rds. 100 +or 200, has been handed to him for this purpose, and he accounts for +this money in the Trade Accounts and states how many planks and laths +have been delivered to the Company. In this way it may be always seen +how the account stands, and this practice must be continued. It must +also be seen that as many planks and laths are stored up at the outer +harbours for Coromandel and Trincomalee and at the inner harbours for +Colombo and our own use as will be possible without interfering with +the liberty granted to the inhabitants; because the demand both in +Negapatam and in Colombo is still very great, as may be seen in the +letter of February 10, 1695, to which I have referred.[22] + +The felling of timber is a work that must receive particular attention, +as this is required for the repair of the Company's vessels, at +least such parts of them as stand above the water level. For repairs +under water no timber has so far been obtained in the Wanni that is +serviceable, as the timber there is liable to be attacked by a kind of +worm under water. Timber can be transported to the Castle only once +a year during the rainy season, when the rivers swell so much that +the timber which has been felled during the dry season can be brought +down to the Passes and from there to the Fort. Sometimes also timber +is felled near the seashore, when it is brought down along the coast +to Kayts or Hammenhiel by pressed Carrias or fishermen. Occasionally +some timber is also felled near the seacoast between Manaar and +Jaffnapatam, which is suitable for door posts, window frames, and +stocks for muskets and guns, while here also is found the timber for +gun-carriages, which comes in very useful, as the Fort must be well +provided with ammunition. In the Memoir left by Mr. Laurens Pyl for +this Commandement, bearing date November 7, 1679, [36] it is stated +in detail how the felling of timber is conducted and what class of +people are employed in this work. This subject is also dealt with +in the report by the late Mr. Blom of August 20, 1692, so that I +merely refer to these documents, and recommend that another and an +experienced person ought to be trained for the supervision of this work +in addition to the sergeant Harmen Claasz, who has done this work for +the last 25 years, and has gained much experience during his residence +in the forests of the Wanni, and knows exactly when the timber ought +to be felled, when it can be transported, and what kinds of trees are +the most suitable. Because it must be remembered that like all human +beings he also is only mortal. I therefore some time ago appointed the +soldier Laurens Hendriksz as his assistant. He is still employed in +the same capacity. As these forests are very malarious, there are but +few Dutchmen who could live there, and this is the more reason why Your +Honours should always see that an able person is trained to the work, +so as to avoid inconvenience some time or other. It is impossible to +employ a native in this work, because the Wannias would not have the +same regard for a native as for a European, and one of their caprices +to which they are so often subject might interfere with the work.[23] + +Charcoal, made from the kernel of the palmyra fruit, is used here +for the smith's forge. In the Memoir referred to Your Honours will +also find stated by whom this is furnished to the Company. As I +noticed that the work in the smith's forge had to be discontinued +sometimes for want of charcoal, especially during the months of +August, September, and October, which causes great inconvenience to +the Government, I proposed to His Excellency the Governor and Council +that a quantity of smiths' coals from Holland should be provided. This +has been approved of. It must be used in times of scarcity, and the +people who are bound to collect and burn the kernel must be kept +to their duty, and compelled to deliver up the full extent of their +tax. The coals from Holland must be looked upon as a reserve supply, +to be used only when no pannangay kernels are to be had, as happens +sometimes when the inhabitants plant these seeds in order to obtain +from them a kind of root, called calengen, which they use as food.[24] + +Bark-lunt is another article which the Company receives from the +inhabitants here without any expense. All inhabitants who go yearly +to the Wanni to sow and mow, consisting of about 6,000 or 7,000 +and sometimes even 10,000 persons, and who pay 10 of these lunts to +the Wannias, have on their return at the Passes to pay a piece of +lunt each, 4 fathoms long, and for each cow or bull they have with +them and have employed in the Wanni for ploughing or have allowed +to graze there they also have to pay the same. This amounts to a +considerable quantity yearly, nearly 60,000 lunts. It is a matter +of little importance, but a great convenience, because not only the +garrison in this Commandement is thus furnished, but a large quantity +may also be sent to other places when required, as is done usually to +Negapatam and Trincomalee, for which a charge of 1 stiver a piece is +made, which amount is entered here with the general income and charged +to the said stations. Care must be taken that this duty is paid at +the Redoubts, but on the other hand also that not too much is charged +to these people, because I have heard complaints that sometimes more +than 4 fathoms of the lunt is demanded. This is unfair, because the +surplus is appropriated by persons who have no right to it.[25] + +Coral stone, used for building purposes and for the burning of lime, +is found here in abundance. This also the Company obtains without any +expenditure, because it is dug up and broken by ordinary Oeliares. It +is also found at Point Pedro, where it is burnt into lime or otherwise +sent to the Castle in tonys or pontoons, where it is then either burnt +into lime, used for foundations or for the filling up of the body of +walls, which are then covered on the outside with cut coral stone, +as this makes them strong and durable. For some years the cut stone +has also been sent to Negapatam for the fortifications. This must be +continued until we receive notice that it is no longer necessary, +which I think will be soon, because I noticed that lately not so +much stone was asked for. From 1687 up to the present about 52,950 +cut stones have been sent to this place.[26] + +It may be understood from the above that lime is easily obtained here, +and without great expenditure. That which is required for the Company +here is delivered free of charge. For the lime sent to Negapatam 7 +fanams are paid in place of 5 light stivers. [37] This is paid to the +lime burners at Canganture, who received an advance on this account, +of which a small balance is left. Meanwhile the Dessave de Bitter +informed us on his return from Coromandel that no more lime was +required there, but in order that the Company may not lose by the +advance made, a quantity of 8,000 or 9,000 parras of lime is lying +ready at Canganture, which must be fetched by the Company's vessels +in March or April and brought to Kayts. This, I think, will make up +the amount, and if not, they must reimburse the difference. It will +be seen from this that we have tried to comply with the wishes of +His late Excellency van Mydregt, who wrote from Negapatam on July 10, +1687, that the new fortifications there were to be supplied with lime +and all other building materials which are to be found here. The lime +sent there since that date has amounted to 4,751 31/75 lasts.[27] + +The dye-root is a product found in this territory which yields the +Company a considerable profit. The best kinds are found in Carrediva, +but the largest quantity in Manaar. The other kinds, found in the +Wanni and The Islands, are so inferior that they cannot be used for +dyeing unless they are mixed with the kinds obtained from Manaar +and Carrediva, and are found in small quantities only. The inferior +kinds are used in this way so that they may not be lost, because it +is to be feared that there will be a greater scarcity of root than +of cloth. I will not enter into detail here as to how, by whom, +where, and when these roots are dug out, or how they are employed +in the dyeing of cloth, or again how much is received yearly; as +all these matters have been mentioned at length on other occasions, +making it unnecessary to do so here. I therefore refer Your Honours +to an account by the late Commandeur Blom, dated April 25, 1693, +with regard to the cultivation and digging of this root, and another +by the same Commandeur of November 12 of the same year with regard to +the dyeing of red cloth and the use of dye-root, while Your Honours +might also look up the document sent to Colombo on December 29, 1694, +by Your Honours and myself, and another of September 16, 1695, where +an estimate is made of the quantity of cloth that could be dyed here +yearly with the root found in this Commandement. An answer will also +be found there to the question raised by the Honourable the Supreme +Government of India in their letter to Ceylon of December 12, 1695, +as to whether the dye-roots found in Java costing Rds. 5 the picol +[38] of 125 lb. and sent here might be employed with profit in the +service of the Company, and whether these roots from Java could not +with advantage be planted here. The reply from Colombo of January +6, 1696, in answer to our letter of September 16, 1695, must also +be considered, in order that Your Honours may bear in mind all the +arguments that have been urged on this subject. Experiments have been +made with the Java roots to see whether they could be turned to any +account, and with a view to compare them with the Jaffna roots. It +seems to me that good results may be obtained from the Brancoedoe +roots, according to the experiments made by myself and afterwards by a +Committee in compliance with the orders of Their Excellencies, but as +we cannot be quite sure yet another quantity of Java roots for further +experiments has been sent, as stated in the letter from Batavia of July +3, 1696. Your Honours must pay great attention to these experiments, +so that the result may be definitely known. This was prevented so +far by the rainy season. Besides the above-mentioned documents, +Your Honours will also find useful information on the subject in two +reports submitted by a Committee bearing date July 29 and December +10, 1695. Experiments must also be made to find out whether the +Wancoedoe roots used either alone or mixed with the Jaffna roots will +yield a good red dye of fast colour, this being the wish of Their +Excellencies. Meantime the red cloth ordered in 1694, being 142 webs, +and the 60 webs ordered lately, must be sent as soon as the required +linen arrives from Coromandel. This cloth must be carefully dyed, and +after being examined and approved by the members of Council must be +properly packed by the Pennisten of the Comptoiren who are employed +in this work, on both which points complaints have been received, +and which must be guarded against in future. During my residence +96 webs of cloth have been sent out of the 142 that were ordered, +so that 46 are yet to be sent, besides the 60 of the new order. No +more cloth and dye-roots must be issued to the dyers at a time than +they can use in one dyeing, because otherwise the cloth lies about in +their poor dwellings and gets damaged, while the roots are stolen or +used for private purposes, which is a loss to the Company, of which +many instances might be quoted. There is no doubt the Administrateur +Abraham Mighielsz Biermans, who has been entrusted with the supervision +of this work for many years, will endeavour to further the interests +of the Company in this respect as much as possible and keep these lazy +people to their work. For the present there is a sufficient quantity +of material in stock, as there were in the storehouses on the last +of November, 1696, 60,106 lb. of different kinds of dye-root, with +which a large quantity of cloth may be dyed, while a yearly supply is +delivered at the Fort from Manaar, Carrediva, &c. In Carrediva and "the +Seven Places" as they are called, much less is delivered than formerly, +because at present roots are dug up after the fields have been sown, +while formerly this used to be done before the lands were cultivated, +to the disadvantage of the owners. This practice was abandoned during +the time of Commandeur Blom, as it was considered unfair; because the +fields are already heavily taxed, and on this account the delivery +is 20 to 25 bharen [39] less than before.[28] + +The farming out of the various duties in this Commandement may +be considered as the third source of revenue to the Company in +Jaffnapatam, and next to that of the sale of elephants and the revenue +derived from the poll tax, land rents, tithes, Adigary, and Officie +Gelden mentioned before. The farming out of the said duties on the last +of February, 1696, brought to the Company the sum of Rds. 27,518 for +the period of one and a half year. The leases were extended on this +occasion with a view to bring them to a close with the close of the +Trade Accounts, which, in compliance with the latest instructions from +Batavia, must be balanced on August 31. The previous year, from March +1 to February 28, 1695-1696, the lease of the said duties amounted +to Rds. 15,641, which for 18 months would have been Rds. 23,461 1/2, +so that the Company received this year Rds. 4,056 1/2 more than last +time; but I believe that the new duty on the import of foreign cloth +has largely contributed to this difference. This was proposed by me +on January 22, 1695, and approved by the Hon. the Supreme Government +of India in their letter of December 12 of the same year. It yielded +the first year Rds. 7,100, including the stamping of native cloth with +a seal at 25 per cent., while for the foreign cloth no more than 20 +per cent. was paid. As Their Excellencies considered this difference +unfair, it has pleased them, at the earnest request of the natives, +or rather at the request of the Majoraals on behalf of the natives, in +a later letter of July 3, 1696, to consent to the native cloth being +taxed at 20 per cent. only, which must be considered in connection +with the new lease. Meantime the order from Batavia contained in +the Resolutions of the Council of India of October 4, 1694, must be +observed, where all farmers are required to pay the monthly terms +of their lease at the beginning of each month in advance. This rule +has been followed here, and it is expressly stipulated in the rent +conditions. Whether the farming out of the duty on native and foreign +cloth will amount to as much or more I cannot say; because I fear +that the present farmer has not made much profit by it, in consequence +of the export having decreased on account of the closing of the free +passage to Trincomalee and Batticaloa. The sale of these cloths depends +largely on the import of nely from the said places, and this having +been prevented the sale necessarily decreased and consequently the +farmer made less profit. The passage having been re-opened, however, +it may be expected that the sale will increase again. With a view +to ascertain the exact value of this lease, I sent orders to all +the Passes on February 27, 1696, that a monthly list should be kept +of how many stamped cloths are passed through and by whom, so that +Your Honours will be able to see next August how much cloth has been +exported by examining these lists, while you may also make an estimate +of the quantity of cloth sold here without crossing the Passes, as +the farmer obtains his duty on these. Your Honours may further read +what was reported on this subject from here to Colombo on December 16, +1696, and the reply from Colombo of January 6 of this year.[29] + +The Trade Accounts are closed now on August 31, as ordered by the +Supreme Government of India in their letter of May 3, 1695. Last +year's account shows that in this Commandement the Company made a +clear profit of Fl. 121,795.2.9. It might have been greater if more +elephants could have been obtained from the Wanni and Ponneryn, or if +we were allowed the profits on the elephants from Galle and Colombo +sold here on behalf of the Company, which are not accompanied by an +invoice, but only by a simple acknowledgment. Another reason that it +was not higher is that we had to purchase the very expensive grain +from Coromandel. Your Honours must also see that besides observing +this rule of closing the accounts in August, they are submitted to +the Council for examination, in order that it may be seen whether the +discharges are lawful and whether other matters are in agreement with +the instructions, and also whether some items could not be reduced +in future, in compliance with the order passed by Resolution in the +Council of India on September 6, 1694. These and all other orders +sent here during the last two years must be strictly observed, such +as the sending to Batavia of the old muskets, the river navigation +of ships and sloops, the reduction of native weights and measures to +Dutch pounds, the carrying over of the old credits and debits into +the new accounts, the making and use of casks of a given measure, +and the accounting for the new casks of meat, bacon, butter, and +all such orders, which cannot be all mentioned here, but which Your +Honours must look up now and again so as not to forget any and thus +be involved in difficulties. [(30)] + +The debts due to the Company at the closing of the accounts must be +entered in a separate memorandum, and submitted with the accounts. In +this memorandum the amount of the debt must be stated, with the name +of the debtor, and whether there is a prospect of the amount being +recovered or not. As shown by Their Excellencies, these outstandings +amounted at the closing of the accounts at the end of February, 1694, +to the sum of Fl. 116,426.11.19. This was reduced on my last departure +to Colombo to Fl. 31,948.9.15, as may be seen in the memorandum by the +Administrateur of January 31, 1696. I will now proceed to show that on +my present departure no more is due than the amount of Fl. 16,137.8, +in which, however, the rent of the farmers is not included, as it is +only provisional and will be paid up each month, viz.:-- + + + Fl. + + The Province of Timmoraten 376. 2.8 [40] + The Province of Pathelepally 579.10.0 + Panduamoety and Nagachitty 2,448.13.0 + Company's weavers 167.15.0 + Manuel van Anecotta, Master Dyer 9,823. 6.0 + The Caste of the Tannecares 1,650. 0.0 + The dyers at Point Pedro and Nalloer 566.14.0 + Don Philip Nellamapane 375. 0.0 + Ambelawanner Wannia 150. 0.0 + =========== + Total 16,137. 0.8 + + +With regard to the debt of the weavers, amounting to Fl. 2,616.8, +I deem it necessary here to mention that the arrears in Timmoratsche +and Patchelepally, spoken of in the memorandum by the Administrateur +of January 31, 1696, compiled by Mr. Bierman on my orders of November +30, 1695, after the closing of the accounts at the end of August, +of which those of Tandia Moety and Naga Chitty and that of the +Company's weavers which refer to the same persons, may, in my opinion, +be considered as irrecoverable. It would therefore be best if Their +Excellencies at Batavia would exempt them from the payment. This debt +dates from the time when it was the intention to induce some weavers +from the opposite coast to come here for the weaving of cloth for the +Company. This caste, called Sinias, [41] received the said amount in +cash, thread, and cotton in advance, and thus were involved in this +large debt, which having been reduced to the amount stated above, has +remained for some years exactly the same, in spite of all endeavours +made to collect it, and notwithstanding that the Paybook-keeper was +appointed to see that the materials were not stolen and the money not +wasted. It has been, however, all in vain, because these people were +so poor that they could not help stealing if they were to live, and it +seems impossible to recover the amount, which was due at first from +200 men, out of whom only 15 or 16 are left now. When they do happen +occasionally to deliver a few gingams, these are so inferior that +the soldiers who receive them at the price of good materials complain +a great deal. I think it unfair that the military should be made to +pay in this way, as the gingams are charged by the Sinias at Fl. 6 +or 6.10 a piece, while the soldiers have to accept the same at Fl. 9 +and 9.15. The same is the case with the Moeris and other cloths which +are delivered by the Sinias, or rather which are obtained from them +with much difficulty; and I have no doubt Your Honours will receive +instructions from Batavia with regard to this matter. Meanwhile they +must be dealt with in the ordinary way; but in case they are exempted +from the payment of their debt I think they ought to be sent out of +the country, not only because they are not liable to taxes or services +to the Company, but also because of the idolatry and devil-worship +which they have to a certain extent been allowed to practise, and +which acts as a poison to the other inhabitants, among whom we have +so long tried to introduce the Dutch Reformed religion. + +The debt of the dyers at Annecatte, entered under the name of Manoel of +Annecatte, dyer, which amounted at the end of August to Fl. 9,823.6, +has been since reduced by Fl. 707.10, and is still being reduced +daily, as there is sufficient work at present to keep them all busy, +of which mention has been made under the heading of Dye-roots. This +debt amounted at the end of February, 1694, to Fl. 11,920.13.6, so +that since that time one-third has been recovered. This is done by +retaining half the pay for dyeing; for when they deliver red cloth +they only receive half of their pay, and there is thus a prospect +of the whole of this debt being recovered. Care must be taken that +no one gives them any money on interest, which has been prohibited, +because it was found that selfish people, aware of the poverty of +these dyers, sometimes gave them money, not only on interest but at +a usurious rate, so that they lost also half of the pay they received +from the Company on account of those debts, and were kept in continual +poverty, which made them either despondent or too lazy to work. For +this reason an order was issued during the time of the late Commandeur +Blom that such usurers would lose all they had lent to these dyers, +as the Company would not interfere on behalf of the creditors as long +as the debt to the Company was still due. On this account also their +lands have been mortgaged to the Company, and Mr. Blom proposed in +his questions of December 22, 1693, that these should be sold. But +this will not be necessary now, and it would not be advantageous to +the Company if the weavers were thus ruined, while on the other hand +this debt may on the whole be recovered. (31) + +The Tannekares are people who made a contract with the Company during +the time of Mr. Blom by a deed bearing date June 7, 1691, in terms +of which they were to deliver two elephants without teeth in lieu +of their poll tax amounting to Fl. 269.4.17/60 and for their Oely +service. It was found, however, last August that they were in arrears +for 11 animals, which, calculated at Rds. 50 or Fl. 150 each, brings +their debts to Fl. 1,650, just as I expected. As all contracts of this +kind for the delivery of elephants are prejudicial to the Company, +I proposed on January 22, 1695, that this contract should be annulled, +stating our reasons for doing so. This proposal was submitted to Their +Excellencies at Batavia in our letter of August 12 of the same year, +and was approved by them by their letter of December 12, 1695, so that +these people are again in the same position as the other inhabitants, +and will be taxed by the Thombo-keeper for poll tax, land rent, and +Oely service from September 1, 1696. These they must be made to pay, +and they also must be made to pay up the arrears, which they are quite +capable of doing, which matter must be recommended to the attention +of the tax collector in Waddamoraatsche. + +The debt due by the dyers of Nalloer and Point Pedro, which arose +from their receiving half their pay in advance at their request, +as they were not able to pay their poll tax and land rent (which +amounted to Fl. 566.14), has been paid up since. + +The debt of Don Philip Nellamapane, which amounts to Fl. 375, arose +from the amount being lent to him for the purchase of nely in the +latter part of 1694, because there was a complaint that the Wannias, +through a failure of the crop, did not have a sufficient quantity +of grain for the maintenance of the hunters. This money was handed +to Don Gaspar Ilengenarene Mudaliyar, brother-in-law of Don Philip, +and at the request of the latter; so that really, not he, but Don +Gaspar, owes the money. He must be urged to pay up this amount, +which it would be less difficult to do if they were not so much in +arrears with their tribute, because in that case the first animals +they delivered could be taken in payment. There is no doubt, however, +that this debt will be paid if they are urged. + +The same is the case with the sum of Fl. 150 which Ambelewanne Wannia +owes, but as he has to deliver only a few elephants this small amount +can be settled the first time he delivers any elephants above his +tribute. (32) + +The Pay Accounts must, like the Trade Accounts, be closed on the +last day of August every year, in compliance with the orders of the +Honourable the Supreme Government of India contained in their letter +of August 13, 1695. They must also be audited and examined, according +to the Resolution passed in the Council of India on September 6, +1694, so that it may be seen whether all the items entered in the +Trade Accounts for payments appear also in the Pay Accounts, while +care must be taken that those who are in arrears at the close of the +books on account of advance received do not receive such payments too +liberally, against which Your Honours will have to guard, so that no +difficulties may arise and the displeasure of Their Excellencies may +not be incurred. Care must also be taken that the various instructions +for the Paybook-keeper are observed, such as those passed by Resolution +of Their Excellencies on August 27 and June 29, 1694, with regard to +the appraising, selling, and entering in the accounts of estates left +by the Company's servants, the rules for the Curators ad lites, those +with regard to the seizure of salaries by private debtors passed by +Resolution of August 5, 1696, in the Council of India, and the rules +passed by Resolution of March 20, with regard to such sums belonging +to the Company's servants as may be found outstanding on interest +after their death, namely, that these must four or six weeks after +be transferred from the Trade Accounts into the Pay Accounts to the +credit of the deceased. (33) + +The matter of the Secretariate not being conducted as it ought to +be, cannot be dealt with in full here. It was said in the letters +of November 17 and December 12, 1696, that the new Secretary, +Mr. Bout (who was sent here without any previous intimation to the +Commandeur), would see that all documents were properly registered, +bound, and preserved, but these are the least important duties +of a good Secretary. I cannot omit to recommend here especially +that a journal should be kept, in which all details are entered, +because there are many occurrences with regard to the inhabitants, +the country, the trade, elephants, &c., which it will be impossible to +find when necessary unless they appear in the letters sent to Colombo, +which, however, do not always deal very circumstancially with these +matters. It will be best therefore to keep an accurate journal, +which I found has been neglected for the last three years, surely +much against the intention of the Company. The Secretary must also +see that the Scholarchial resolutions and the notes made on them by +the Political Council are copied and preserved at the Secretariate, +another duty which has not been done for some years. I know on the +other hand that a great deal of the time of the Secretary is taken up +with the keeping of the Treasury Accounts, while there is no Chief +Clerk here to assist him with the Treasury Accounts, or to assist +the Commandeur. This was felt also by Mr. Blom, and he proposed +in his letters of February 12 and March 29, 1693, to Colombo that +the Treasury Accounts should be kept by the Paybook-keeper, which, +in my humble opinion, would be the best course, as none of the four +Onderkooplieden [42] here could be better employed for this work +than the Paybook-keeper. It must be remembered, however, that Their +Excellencies do not wish the Regulation of December 29, 1692, to be +altered or transgressed, so that these must be still observed. I would +propose a means by which the duties of the Cashier, and consequently of +the Secretary, could be much decreased, considering that the Cashier +can get no other knowledge of the condition of the general revenue +than from the Thombo-keeper who makes up the accounts, namely, that +the Thombo-keeper should act as General Accountant, as well of the +rent for leases as of the poll tax, land rent, tithes, &c., in which +case the native collectors could give their accounts to him. This, +I expect, would simplify matters, and enable the Secretary to be of +more assistance to the Commandeur. In case such arrangement should be +made, the General Accountant could keep the accounts of the revenue +specified above, which could afterwards be transferred to the accounts +of the Treasury; but Your Honours must wait for the authority to do +so, as I do not wish to take this responsibility. I must recommend +to Your Honours here to see that in future no petitions with regard +to fines are written for the inhabitants except by the Secretaries +of the Political Council or the Court of Justice, as those officers +in India act as Notaries. This has to be done because the petitions +from these rebellious people of Jaffnapatam are so numerous that the +late Mr. Blom had to forbid some of them writing such communications, +because even Toepasses and Mestices take upon themselves to indite +such letters, which pass under the name of petitions, but are often so +full of impertinent and seditious expressions that they more resemble +libels than petitions. Since neither superior nor inferior persons +are spared in these documents, it is often impossible to discover the +author. Whenever the inhabitants have any complaint to make, I think +it will be sufficient if they ask either of the two Secretaries to +draw out a petition for them in which their grievances are stated, +which may be sent to Colombo if the case cannot be decided here. In +this way it will be possible to see that the petitions are written +on stamped paper as ordered by the Company, while they will be +written with the moderation and discrimination that is necessary in +petitions. There are also brought to the Secretariate every year all +sorts of native protocols, such as those kept by the schoolmasters +at the respective churches, deeds, contracts, ola deeds of sale, +and other instruments as may have been circulated among the natives, +which it is not possible to attend to at the Dutch Secretariate. But +as I have been informed that the schoolmasters do not always observe +the Company's orders, and often issue fraudulent instruments and thus +deceive their own countrymen, combining with the Majoraals and the +Chiefs of the Aldeas, by whom a great deal of fraud is committed, +it will be necessary for the Dessave to hold an inquiry and punish +the offenders or deliver them up for punishment. For this purpose +he must read and summarize the instructions with regard to this and +other matters issued successively by Their Excellencies the Governors +of Ceylon and the subaltern Commandeurs of this Commandement, to be +found in the placaats and notices published here relating to this +Commandement. The most important of these rules must be published in +the different churches from time to time, as the people of Jaffnapatam +are much inclined to all kinds of evil practices, which has been +the reason that so many orders and regulations had to be issued by +the placaats, all which laws are the consequence of transgressions +committed. Yet it is very difficult to make these people observe +the rules so long as they find but the least encouragement given to +them by the higher authorities, as stated already. It was decided in +the Meeting of Council of October 20, 1696, that a large number of +old and useless olas which were kept at the Secretariate and were +a great encumbrance should be sorted, and the useless olas burnt +in the presence of a committee, while the Mallabaar and Portuguese +documents concerning the Thombo or description of lands were to be +placed in the custody of the Thombo-keeper. This may be seen in the +report of November 8 of the same year. In this way the Secretariate +has been cleared, and the documents concerning the Thombo put in their +proper place, where they must be kept in future; so that the different +departments may be kept separately with a view to avoid confusion. I +have also noticed on various occasions that the passports of vessels +are lost, either at the Secretariate or elsewhere. Therefore, even so +lately as last December, instructions were sent to Kayts and Point +Pedro to send all such passports here as soon as possible. These +passports, on the departure of the owners, were to be kept at the +Secretariate after renovation by endorsement, unless they were more +than six months old, in which case a new passport was to be issued. In +case Your Honours are not sufficiently acquainted with the form of +these passports and how they are to be signed as introduced by His +late Excellency Governor van Mydregt, you will find the necessary +information in the letters from Negapatam to Jaffnapatam of 1687 and +1688 and another from Colombo to Jaffnapatam bearing date April 11, +1690, in which it is stated to what class of persons passports may +be issued. The same rules must be observed in Manaar so far as this +district is concerned, in compliance with the orders contained in +the letter of November 13, 1696.(34) + +The Court of Justice has of late lost much of its prestige among the +inhabitants, because, seeing that the Bellale Mudaly Tamby, to whom +previous reference has been made, succeeded on a simple petition sent +to Colombo to escape the Court of Justice while his case was still +undecided (as may be seen from a letter from Colombo of January 6, +1696, and the reply thereto of the 26th of this month), they have an +idea that they cannot be punished here. Even people of the lowest caste +threaten that they will follow the same course whenever they think +they will not gain their object here, especially since they have seen +with what honours Mudaly Tamby was sent back and how the Commissioners +did all he desired, although his own affairs were not even sufficiently +settled yet. A great deal may be stated and proved on this subject, but +as this is not the place to do so, I will only recommend Your Honours +to uphold the Court of Justice in its dignity as much as possible, +and according to the rules and regulations laid down with regard to +it in the Statutes of Batavia and other Instructions. The principal +rule must be that every person receives speedy and prompt justice, +which for various reasons could not be done in the case of Mudaly +Tamby, and the opportunity was given for his being summoned to Colombo. + +At present the Court of Justice consists of the following persons:-- + + +The Commandeur, President (absent). +Dessave de Bitter, Vice-President. +Capt. van der Bruggen, Administrateur. +Abraham Biermans. +Lieut. Claas Isaacsz. +The Thombo-keeper, Pieter Chr. Bolscho. +The Ensign Arnoud Mom. +The Onderkoopman Joan Roos. +The Onderkoopman Jan van Groeneveld. +The Bookkeeper Jan de Wit, Secretary. + + +But it must be considered that on my departure to Mallabaar, and in +case the Dessave be commissioned to the pearl fishery, this College +will be without a President; the Onderkooplieden Bolscho and Roos +may also be away in the interior for the renovation of the Head +Thombo, and it may also happen that Lieut. Claas Isaacsz will be +appointed Lieutenant-Dessave, in which case he also would have to go +to the interior; in such case there would be only three members left +besides the complainant ex-officio and the Secretary, who would have +no power to pronounce sentence. The Lieutenant van Hovingen and the +Secretary of the Political Council could be appointed for the time, +but in that case the Court would be more a Court Martial than a Court +of Justice, consisting of three Military men and two Civil Servants, +while there would be neither a President nor a Vice-President. I +consider it best, therefore, that the sittings of the Court should +be suspended until the return of the Dessave from the pearl fishery, +unless His Excellency the Governor and the Council should give other +instructions, which Your Honours would be bound to obey. + +I also found that no law books are kept at the Court, and it would +be well, therefore, if Your Honours applied to His Excellency the +Governor and the Council to provide you with such books as they deem +most useful, because only a minority of the members possess these +books privately, and, as a rule, the Company's servants are poor +lawyers. Justice may therefore be either too severely or too leniently +administered. There are also many native customs according to which +civil matters have to be settled, as the inhabitants would consider +themselves wronged if the European laws be applied to them, and it +would be the cause of disturbances in the country. As, however, a +knowledge of these matters cannot be obtained without careful study and +experience, which not every one will take the trouble to acquire, it +would be well if a concise digest be compiled according to information +supplied by the chiefs and most impartial natives. No one could have a +better opportunity to do this than the Dessave, and such a work might +serve for the instruction of the members of the Court of Justice as +well as for new rulers arriving here, for no one is born with this +knowledge. I am surprised that no one has as yet undertaken this work. + +The advice of Mr. Laurens Pyl in his Memoir of November 7, 1679, +with regard to the Court of Justice, namely, that the greatest +precautions must be used in dealing with this false, cunning, and +deceitful race, who think little of taking a false oath when they see +any advantage for themselves in doing so, must be followed. This is +perhaps the reason that the Mudaliyars Don Philip Willewaderayen and +Don Anthony Naryna were ordered in a letter from Colombo of March 22, +1696, to take their oath at the request of the said Mudaly Tamby +only in the heathen fashion, although this seemed out of keeping +with the principles of the Christian religion (Salva Reverentio), +as these people are recognized as baptized Christians, and therefore +the taking of this oath is not practised here. The natives are also +known to be very malicious and contentious among themselves, and do +not hesitate to bring false charges against each other, sometimes for +the sole purpose of being able to say that they gained a triumph over +their opponents before the Court of Justice. They are so obstinate +in their pretended rights that they will revive cases which had been +decided during the time of the Portuguese, and insist on these being +dealt with again. I have been informed that some rules have been laid +down with regard to such cases by other Commandeurs some 6, 8, 10, +and 20 years previous, which it would be well to look up with a view +to restrain these people. They also always revive cases decided by +the Commandeurs or Dessaves whenever these are succeeded by others, +and for this reason I never consented to alter any decision by a former +Commandeur, as the party not satisfied can always appeal to the higher +court at Colombo. His Excellency the Governor and the Council desired +very properly in their letter of November 15, 1694, that no processes +decided civilly by a Commandeur as regent should be brought in appeal +before the Court of Justice here, because the same Commandeur acts in +that College as President. Such cases must therefore be referred to +Colombo, which is the proper course. Care must also be taken that all +documents concerning each case are preserved, registered, and submitted +by the Secretary. I say this because I found that this was shamefully +neglected during my residence here in the years 1691 and 1692, when +several cases had been decided and sentences pronounced, of which not +a single document was preserved, still less the notes or copies made. + +Another matter to be observed is that contained in the Resolutions +of the Council of India of June 14, 1694, where the amounts paid to +the soldiers and sailors are ordered not to exceed the balance due +to them above what is paid for them monthly in the Fatherland. I +also noticed that at present 6 Lascoreens and 7 Caffirs are paid +as being employed by the Fiscaal, while formerly during the time +of the late Fiscaal Joan de Ridder, who was of the rank of Koopman, +not more than 5 Lascoreens and 6 Caffirs were ever paid for. I do not +know why the number has been increased, and this greater expense is +imposed upon the Company. No more than the former number are to be +employed in future. This number has sufficed for so many years under +the former Fiscaal, and as the Fiscaal has no authority to arrest any +natives without the knowledge of the Commandeur or the Dessave, it +will still suffice. It was during the time of the late Onderkoopman +Lengele, when the word "independent" carried much weight, that the +staff of native servants was increased, although for the service of +the whole College of the Political Council not more than 4 Lascoreens +are employed, although its duties are far more numerous than those of +the Fiscaal. I consider that the number of native servants should be +limited to that strictly necessary, so that it may not be said that +they are kept for show or for private purposes.[35] + +The Company has endeavoured at great expense, from the time it took +possession of this Island, to introduce the religion of the True +Reformed Christian Church among this perverse nation. For this purpose +there have been maintained during the last 38 years 35 churches and +3 or 4 clergymen, but how far this has been accepted by the people +of Jaffnapatam I will leave for my successors to judge, rather than +express my opinion on the subject here. It is a well-known fact that +in the year 1693 nearly all the churches in this part of the country +were found stocked with heathen books, besides the catechisms and +Christian prayer books. It is remarkable that this should have +occurred after His late Excellency Governor van Mydregt in 1689 +had caused all Roman Catholic churches and secret convents to be +dismantled and abolished, and instead of them founded a Seminary or +Training School for the propagation of the true religion, incurring +great expenses for this purpose. I heard only lately that, while I +was in Colombo and the Dessave in Negapatam, a certain Lascoreen, +with the knowledge of the schoolmasters of the church in Warrany, had +been teaching the children the most wicked fables one could think of, +and that these schoolmasters had been summoned before the Court of +Justice here and caned and the books burnt. But on my return I found +to my surprise that these schoolmasters had not been dismissed, and +that neither at the Political Council nor at the Court of Justice +had any notes been made of this occurrence, and still less a record +made as to how the case had been decided. The masters were therefore +on my orders summoned again before the meeting of the Scholarchen, +by which they were suspended until such time as the Lascoreen should +be arrested. I have not succeeded in laying hands on this Lascoreen, +but Your Honours must make every endeavour, after my departure, to +trace him out; because he may perhaps imagine that the matter has +been forgotten. Such occurrences as these are not new in Warrany; +because the idolatry committed there in 1679 will be known to some +of you. On that occasion the authors were arrested by the Company +through the assistance of the Brahmin Timmersa Nayk, notwithstanding he +himself was a heathen, as may be seen from the public acknowledgment +granted to him by His Excellency Laurens Pyl, November 7, 1679. I +therefore think that the Wannias are at the bottom of all this +idolatry, not only because they have alliances with the Bellales all +over the country, but especially because their adherents are to be +found in Warrany and also in the whole Province of Patchelepalle, +where half the inhabitants are dependent on them. This was seen at +the time the Wannias marched about here in Jaffnapatam in triumph, +and almost posed as rulers here. We may be assured that they are +the greatest devil-worshippers that could be found, for they have +never yet admitted a European into their houses, for fear of their +idolatry being discovered, while for the sake of appearance they +allow themselves to be married and baptized by our ministers. +For instance, it is a well-known fact that Don Philip Nellamapane +applied to His late Excellency van Mydregt that one of his sons might +be admitted into the Seminary, with a view of getting into his good +graces; while no sooner had His Excellency left this than the son +was recalled under some false pretext. In 1696, when this boy was in +Negapatam with the Dessave de Bitter, he was caught making offerings +in the temples, wearing disguise at the time. It could not be expected +that such a boy, of no more than ten or twelve years old, should do +this if he had not been taught or ordered by his parents to do so +or had seen them doing the same, especially as he was being taught +another religion in the Seminary. I could relate many such instances, +but as this is not the place to do so, this may serve as an example +to put you on your guard. It is only known to God, who searches the +hearts and minds of men, what the reason is that our religion is not +more readily accepted by this nation: whether it is because the time +for their conversion has not yet arrived, or whether for any other +reason, I will leave to the Omniscient Lord. You might read what has +been written by His Excellency van Mydregt in his proposal to the +reverend brethren the clergy and the Consistory here on January 11, +1690, with regard to the promotion of religion and the building of +a Seminary. I could refer to many other documents bearing on this +subject, but I will only quote here the lessons contained in the +Instructions of the late Commandeur Paviljoen of December 19, 1665, +where he urges that the reverend brethren the clergy must be upheld and +supported by the Political Council in the performance of their august +duties, and that they must be provided with all necessary comforts; +so that they may not lose their zeal, but may carry out their work +with pleasure and diligence. On the other hand care must be taken +that no infringement of the jurisdiction of the Political Council +takes place, and on this subject it would be well for Your Honours +to read the last letter from Batavia of July 3,1696, with regard to +the words Sjuttan Peria Padrie and other such matters concerning the +Political Council as well as the clergy. (36) + +With regard to the Seminary or training school for native children +founded in the year 1690 by His late Excellency van Mydregt, as another +evidence of the anxiety of the Company to propagate the True and Holy +Gospel among this blind nation for the salvation of their souls, +I will state here chiefly that Your Honours may follow the rules +and regulations compiled by His Excellency, as also those sent to +Jaffnapatam on the 16th of the same month. Twice a year the pupils +must be examined in the presence of the Scholarchen (those of the +Seminary as well as of the other churches) and of the clergy and the +rector. In this college the Commandeur is to act as President, but, as +I am to depart to Mallabaar, this office must be filled by the Dessave, +in compliance with the orders contained in the letters from Colombo +of April 4, 1696. The reports of these examinations must be entered +in the minute book kept by the Scriba, Jan de Crouse. These minutes +must be signed by the President and the other curators, while Your +Honours will be able to give further instructions and directions as +to how they are to be kept. During my absence the examination must be +held in the presence of the Dessave, and the Administrateur Michiels +Biermans and the Thombo-keeper Pieter Bolscho as Scholarchen of the +Seminary, the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz and the Onderkoopman Joan Roos +as Scholarchen of the native churches, the reverend Adrianus Henricus +de Mey, acting Rector, and three other clergymen. + +It must be remembered, however, that this is only with regard to +examinations and not with regard to the framing of resolutions, which +so far has been left to the two Scholarchen and the President of the +Seminary. These, as special curators and directors, have received +higher authority from His Excellency the Governor and the Council, +with the understanding, however, that they observe the rules given +by His Excellency and the Council both with regard to the rector and +the children, in their letters of April 4 and June 13, 1696, and the +Resolutions framed by the curators of June 27 and October 21, 1695, +which were approved in Colombo. Whereas the school had been so far +maintained out of a fund set apart for this purpose, in compliance +with the orders of His Excellency, special accounts being kept of +the expenditure, it has now pleased the Council of India to decide +by Resolution of October 4, 1694, that only the cost of erection +of this magnificent building, which amounted to Rds. 5,274, should +be paid out of the said fund. This debt having been paid, orders +were received in a letter from Their Excellencies of June 3, 1696, +that the institution is to be maintained out of the Company's funds, +special accounts of the expenditure being kept and sent yearly, both +to the Fatherland and to Batavia. At the closing of the accounts +last August the accounts of the Seminary as well as the amount due +to it were transferred to the Company's accounts. The capital then +was still Rds. 17,141, made up as follows:-- + + + Rds. 10,341 entered at the Chief Counting-house in Colombo. + Rds. 1,200 cash paid by the Treasurer of the Seminary into the + Company's Treasury, December 1, 1696. + Rds. 5,600 on account of church fines. + + +The latter was on December 1, 1690, on the foundation of the Seminary, +granted to that institution, and must now again, as before, be +placed by the Cashier on interest and a special account kept thereof; +because out of this fund the repairs to the churches and schools and +the expenses incurred in the visits of the clergy and the Scholarchen +have to be paid. Other items of revenue which had been appropriated +for the foundation of the Seminary, such as the farming out of +the fishery, &c., must be entered again in the Company's accounts, +as well as the revenue derived from the sale of lands, and that of +the two elephants allowed yearly to the Seminary. The fines levied +occasionally by the Dessave on the natives for offences committed +must be entered in the accounts of the Deaconate or of that of the +church fines, for whichever purpose they are most required. + +The Sicos [43] money must again be expended in the fortifications, +as it used to be done before the building of the Training School. The +income of the Seminary consisted of these six items, besides the +interest paid on the capital. This, I think, is all I need say on +the subject for Your Honours' information. I will only add that I +hope and pray that the Lord may more and more bless this Christian +design and the religious zeal of the Company.(37) + +The Scholarchen Commission is a college of civil and ecclesiastical +officers, which for good reasons was introduced into this part of +the country from the very beginning of our rule. Their meetings are +usually held on the first Tuesday of every month, and at these is +decided what is necessary to be done for the advantage of the church, +such as the discharge and appointment of schoolmasters and merinhos, +[44] &c. It is here also that the periodical visits of the brethren of +the clergy to the different parishes are arranged. The applications of +natives who wish to enter into matrimony are also addressed to this +college. All the decisions are entered monthly in the resolutions, +which are submitted to the Political Council. This is done as I had +an idea that things were not as they ought to be with regard to the +visitation of churches and inspection of schools, and that the rules +made to that effect had come to be disregarded. This was a bad example, +and it may be seen from the Scholarchial Resolution Book of 1695 and +of the beginning of 1696, what difficulty I had in reintroducing these +rules. I succeeded at last so far in this matter that the visits of +the brethren of the clergy were properly divided and the time for them +appointed. This may be seen from the replies of the Political Council +to the Scholarchial Resolutions of January 14 and February 2, 1696. + +On my return from Ceylon I found inserted in the Scholarchial +Resolution Book a petition from two of the clergymen which had been +clandestinely sent to Colombo, in which they did not hesitate to +complain of the orders issued with regard to the visits referred to, +and, although these orders had been approved by His Excellency the +Governor and the Council, as stated above, the request made in this +clandestine petition was granted on March 6, 1696, and the petition +returned to Jaffnapatam with a letter signed on behalf of the Company +on March 14 following. It is true I also found an order from Colombo, +bearing date April 4 following, to the effect that no petitions should +be sent in future except through the Government here, which is in +accordance with the rules observed all over India, but the letter +from Colombo of November 17, received here, and the letter sent from +here to Colombo on December 12, prove that the rule was disregarded +almost as soon as it was made. On this account I could not reply +to the resolutions of the Scholarchen, as the petition, contrary to +those rules, was inserted among them. I think that the respect due +to a ruler in the service of the Company should not be sacrificed to +the private opposition of persons who consider that the orders issued +are to their disadvantage, and who rely on the success of private +petitions sent clandestinely which are publicly granted. In order not +to expose myself to such an indignity for the second time I left the +resolutions unanswered, and it will be necessary for Your Honours to +call a meeting of the Political Council to consider these resolutions, +to prevent the work among the natives being neglected. The College +of the Scholarchen consists at present of the following persons:-- + + +The Dessave de Bitter, President. +The Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz, Scholarch. +The Onderkoopman P. Chr. Bolscho, Scholarch. +The Onderkoopman Joan Roos, Scholarch. +Adrianus Henricus de Mey, Clergyman. +Joannes Roman, Clergyman. +Philippus de Vriest, Clergyman. +Thomas van Symey, Clergyman. +The Assistant Godfried Abraham, Scriba. + + +I am obliged to mention here also for Your Honours' information that I +have noticed that the brethren of the clergy, after having succeeded +by means of their petition to get the visits arranged according to +their wish, usually apply for assistance, such as attendants, coolies, +cayoppen, &c., as soon as the time for their visits arrive, that is to +say, when it is their turn to go to such places as have the reputation +of furnishing good mutton, fowls, butter, &c.; but when they have to +visit the poorer districts, such as Patchelepalle, the boundaries of +the Wanny, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa, they seldom give notice of the +arrival of the time, and some even go to the length of refusing to go +until they are commanded to depart. From this an idea may be formed of +the nature of their love for the work of propagating religion. Some +also take their wives with them on their visits of inspection to +the churches and schools, which is certainly not right as regards +the natives, because they have to bear the expense. With regard to +the regulations concerning the churches and schools, I think these +are so well known to Your Honours that it would be superfluous for +me to quote any documents here. I will therefore only recommend the +strict observation of all these rules, and also of those made by His +Excellency Mr. van Mydregt of November 29, 1690, and those of Mr. Blom +of October 20, with regard to the visits of the clergy to the churches +and the instructions for the Scholarchen in Ceylon generally by His +Excellency the Governor and the Council of December 25, 1663, and +approved by the Council of India with a few alterations in March, 1667. + +The Consistory consists at present of the four ministers mentioned +above, besides:-- + + +Joan Roos, Elder. +Hendrik Warnar, Elder. +Joan Swinas, Deacon. +Jacob Jansz, Deacon. +Domenicus Hartkamp, Deacon. +Jan de Wit, Deacon. + + +To these is added as Commissaris Politicus, the Administrateur Abraham +Michielsz Biermans, in compliance with the orders of December 27, 1643, +issued by His late Excellency the Governor General Antony van Diemen +and the Council of India at Batavia. Further information relating +to the churches may be found in the resolutions of the Political +Council and the College of the Scholarchen of Ceylon from March 13, +1668, to April 3 following. I think that in these documents will be +found all measures calculated to advance the prosperity of the church +in Jaffnapatam, and to these may be added the instructions for the +clergy passed at the meeting of January 11, 1651.(38) + +The churches and the buildings attached to the churches are in many +places greatly decayed. I found to my regret that some churches +look more like stables than buildings where the Word of God is to be +propagated among the Mallabaars. It is evident that for some years +very little has been done in regard to this matter, and as this is a +work particularly within the province of the Dessave, I have no doubt +that he will take the necessary measures to remedy the evil; so that +the natives may not be led to think that even their rulers do not have +much esteem for the True Religion. It would be well for the Dessave +to go on circuit and himself inspect all the churches. Until he can +do so he may be guided by the reports with regard to these buildings +made by Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz on March 19 and April 4, 1696. He +must also be aware that the schoolmasters and merinhos have neglected +the gardens attached to the houses, which contain many fruit trees and +formerly yielded very good fruit, especially grapes, which served for +the refreshment of the clergymen and Scholarchen on their visits.(39) + +The Civil Court or Land Raad has been instituted on account of the +large population, and because of the difficulty of settling their +disagreements, which cannot always be done by the Commandeur or the +Court of Justice, nor by the Dessave, because his jurisdiction is +limited to the amount of 100 Pordaus. [45] The sessions held every +Wednesday must not be omitted again, as happened during my absence +in Colombo on account of the indisposition of the President. This +Court consists at present of the following persons:-- + + +Abraham Michielsz Biermans, Administrateur. President. +Jan Fransz, Vryburger, Vice-President. +Arnoud Mom, Ensign. +Jan Lodewyk Stumphuis, Paymaster. +Lucas de Lange, Vryburger. +Jan de Wit, Bookkeeper. +Louis Verwyk, Vryburger. + +J. L. Stumphuis, mentioned above, Secretary. + + +The native members are Don Louis Poeder and Don Denis Nitsingeraye. + +The instructions issued for the guidance of the Land Raad may be found +with the documents relating to this college of 1661, in which are also +contained the various Ordinances relating to the official Secretaries +in this Commandement, all which must be strictly observed. As there is +no proper place for the assembly of the Land Raad nor for the meeting +of the Scholarchen, and as both have been held so far in the front room +of the house of the Dessave, where there is no privacy for either, +it will be necessary to make proper provision for this. The best +place would be in the town behind the orphanage, where the Company +has a large plot of land and could acquire still more if a certain +foul pool be filled up as ordered by His Excellency van Mydregt. A +building ought to be put up about 80 or 84 feet by 30 feet, with a +gallery in the centre of about 10 or 12 feet, so that two large rooms +could be obtained, one on either side of the gallery, the one for the +assembly of the Land Raad and the other for that of the Scholarchen. It +would be best to have the whole of the ground raised about 5 or 6 +feet to keep it as dry as possible during the rainy season, while +at the entrance, in front of the gallery, a flight of stone steps +would be required. In order, however, that it may not seem as if I am +unaware of the order contained in the letter from Their Excellencies +of November 23, 1695, where the erection of no public building is +permitted without authority from Batavia, except at the private cost +of the builder, I wish to state here particularly that I have merely +stated the above by way of advice, and that Your Honours must wait for +orders from Batavia for the erection of such a building. I imagine +that Their Excellencies will give their consent when they consider +that masonry work costs the Company but very little in Jaffnapatam, +as may be seen in the expenditure on the fortifications, which was +met entirely by the chicos or fines, imposed on those who failed to +attend for the Oely service. Lime, stone, cooly labour, and timber +are obtained free, except palmyra rafters, which, however, are not +expensive. The chief cost consists in the wages for masonry work and +the iron, so that in respect of building Jaffnapatam has an advantage +over other places. Further instructions must however be awaited, as +none of the Company's servants is authorized to dispense with them.(40) + +The Weesmeesteren (guardians of the orphans) will find the regulations +for their guidance in the Statutes of Batavia, which were published +on July 1, 1642, [46] by His Excellency the Governor-General Antonis +van Diemen and the Council of India by public placaat. This college +consists at present of the following persons:-- + + +Pieter Chr. Bolscho, President. +Lucas Langer, Vice-President. +Joan Roos, Onderkoopman. +Gerrit van Hovingen, Lieutenant. +Johannes Huysman, Boekhouder. +Jan Baptist Verdonk, Vryburger. +Jan de Wit, Secretary. + + +As the Hon. the Government of India has been pleased to send +to Ceylon by letter of May 3, 1695, a special Ordinance for the +Orphan Chamber and its officials with regard to their salaries, +I consider it necessary to remind you of it here and to recommend +its strict observance, as well also of the resolution of March 20, +1696, whereby the Orphan Chamber is instructed that all such money +as is placed under their administration which is derived from the +estates of deceased persons who had invested money on interest with +the Company, and whose heirs were not living in the same place, must +be remitted to the Orphan Chamber at Batavia with the interest due +within a month or six weeks.(41) + +The Commissioners of Marriage Causes will also find their instructions +in the Statutes of Batavia, mentioned above, which must be carefully +observed. Nothing need be said with regard to this College, but that +it consists of the following persons:-- + + +Claas Isaacsz, Lieutenant, President. +Lucas Langer, Vryburger, Vice-President. +Joan Roos, Onderkoopman. +Jan van Bruggen, Secretary.[42] + + +The officers of the Burgery, [47] the Pennisten, [48] and the +Ambachtsgezellen [49] will likewise find their instructions and +regulations in the Statutes of Batavia, and apply them as far as +applicable.[43] + +The Superintendent of the Fire Brigade and the Wardens of the Town +(Brand and Wyk Meesteren) have their orders and distribution of work +publicly assigned to them by the Regulation of November 8, 1691, +upon which I need not remark anything, except that the following +persons are the present members of this body:-- + + +Jan van Croenevelt, Fiscaal, President. +Jan Baptist Verdonk, Vryburger, Vice-President. +Jan van der Bruggen, Assistant. +Lucas de Langer, Vryburger. +Jacobus Aubert, Schoolmaster. +Jan de Wit, Secretary. [44] + + +The deacons, as caretakers of the poor, have been mentioned already +under the heading of the Consistory. During the last five and half +years they have spent Rds. 1,145.3.7 more than they received. As I +apprehended this would cause inconvenience, I proposed in my letter +of December 1, 1696, to Colombo that the Poor House should be endowed +with the Sicos money for the year 1695, which otherwise would have +been granted to the Seminary, which did not need it then, as it had +received more than it required. Meantime orders were received from +Batavia that the funds of the said Seminary should be transferred +to the Company, so that the Sicos money could not be disposed of in +that way. As the deficit is chiefly due to the purchase, alteration, +and repairing of an orphanage and the maintenance of the children, +as may be seen from the letters to Colombo of December 12 and 17, +1696, to which expenditure the Deaconate had not been subject before +the year 1690, other means will have to be considered to increase +its funds in order to prevent the Deaconate from getting into further +arrears. It would be well therefore if Your Honours would carefully +read the Instructions of His late Excellency van Mydregt of November +29, 1690, and ascertain whether alimentation given to the poor by +the Deaconate has been well distributed and whether it really was of +the nature of alms and alimentation as it should be. A report of the +result of your inquiry should be sent to His Excellency the Governor +and the Council of Colombo. You might also state therein whether the +orphanage has not been sufficiently enlarged yet, for it seems to me +that the expenditure is too great for only 14 children, as there are +at present. It might also be considered whether the Company could not +find some source of income for the Deaconate in case this orphanage +is not quite completed without further expenditure, and care must be +taken that the deacons strictly observe the rules laid down for them +in the Regulation of His Excellency the Governor and the Council of +Ceylon of January 2, 1666. The present matron, Catharina Cornelisz, +widow of the late Krankbezoeker Dupree, must be directed to follow +the rules laid down for her by the Governor here on November 4, 1694, +and approved in Colombo. That all the inferior colleges mentioned +here successively have to be renewed yearly by the Political Council +is such a well-known matter that I do not think it would escape +your attention; but, as approbation from Colombo has to be obtained +for the changes made they have to be considered early, so that the +approbation may be received here in time. The usual date is June 23, +the day of the conquest of this territory, but this date has been +altered again to June 13, 1696, by His Excellency the Governor and +the Council of Colombo.[45] + +The assessment of all measures and weights must likewise be renewed +every year, in the presence of the Fiscaal and Commissioners; +because the deceitful nature of these inhabitants is so great that +they seem not to be able to help cheating each other. The proceeds +of this marking, which usually amounts to Rds. 70 or 80, are for the +largest part given to some deserving person as a subsistence. On my +arrival here I found that it had been granted to the Vryburger Jurrian +Verwyk, who is an old man and almost unable to serve as an assayer. The +post has, however, been left to him, and his son-in-law Jan Fransz, +also a Vryburger, has been appointed his assistant. The last time +the proceeds amounted to 80 rds. 3 fannums, 8 tammekassen and 2 1/2 +duyten, as may be seen from the report of the Commissioners bearing +date December 13, 1696. This amount has been disposed of as follows:-- + + + For the Assizer Rds. 60.0.0.0 + For the assistant to the Assizer " 6.0.0.0 + Balance to the Company's account " 14.3.8.2 1/2 + ============ + Total Rds. 80.3.8.2 1/2 + + +It must be seen to that the Assizer, having been sworn, observes +his instructions as extracted from the Statutes of Batavia, as made +applicable to the customs of this country by the Government here on +March 3, 1666. + +In compliance with orders from Batavia contained in the letter of June +24, 1696, sums on interest may not be deposited with the Company here, +as may be seen also from a letter sent from here to Batavia on August +18 following, where it is stated that all money deposited thus must +be refunded. This order has been carried out, and the only deposits +retained are those of the Orphan Chamber, the Deaconate, the Seminary, +and the Widows' fund, for which permission had been obtained by letter +of December 15 of the same year. As the Seminary no longer possesses +any fund of its own, no deposit on that account is now left with +the Company. Your Honours must see that no other sums on interest +are accepted in deposit, as this Commandement has more money than +is necessary for its expenditure and even to assist other stations, +such as Trincomalee, &c., for which yearly Rds. 16,000 to 18,000 +are required, and this notwithstanding that Coromandel receives the +proceeds from the sale of elephants here, while we receive only the +money drafts.[46] + +No money drafts are to be passed here on behalf of private persons, +whether Company's servants or otherwise, in any of the outstations, +but in case any person wishes to remit money to Batavia, this may be +done only after permission and consent obtained from His Excellency +the Governor at Colombo. When this is obtained, the draft is prepared +at Colombo and only signed here by the Treasurer on receipt of the +amount. This is specially mentioned here in order that Your Honours may +also remember in such cases the Instructions sent by the Honourable the +Government of India in the letters of May 3, 1695, and June 3, 1696, +in the former of which it is stated that no copper coin, and in the +latter that Pagodas are to be received here on behalf of the Company +for such drafts, each Pagoda being counted at Rds. 2 in Batavia.[47] + +The golden Pagoda is a coin which was never or seldom known to be +forged, at least so long as the King of Golconda or the King of the +Carnatic was sovereign in Coromandel. But the present war, which has +raged for the last ten years in that country, seems to have taken away +to some extent the fear of evil and the disgrace which follows it, +and to have given opportunity to some to employ cunning in the pursuit +of gain. It has thus happened that on the coast beyond Porto Novo, +in the domain of these lords of the woods (Boschheeren) or Paligares, +Pagodas have been made which, although not forged, are yet inferior +in quality; while the King of Sinsi Rama Ragie is so much occupied +with the present war against the Mogul, that he has no time to pay +attention to the doings of these Paligares. According to a statement +made by His Excellency the Governor Laurens Pyl and the Council of +Negapatam in their letter of November 4, 1695, five different kinds +of such inferior Pagodas have been received, valued at 7 3/8, 7 1/8, +7 5/8, 7 7/8, and 8 3/4 of unwrought gold. A notice was published +therefore on November 18, following, to warn the people against the +acceptance of such Pagodas, and prohibiting their introduction into +this country. When the Company's Treasury was verified by a Committee, +1,042 of these Pagodas were found. Intimation was sent to Colombo on +December 31, 1695. The Treasurer informed me when I was in Colombo +that he had sent them to Trincomalee, and as no complaints have been +received, it seems that the Sinhalese in that quarter did not know +how to distinguish them from the current Pagodas. As I heard that +the inferior Pagodas had been already introduced here, while it was +impossible to get rid of them, as many of the people of Jaffnapatam +and the merchants made a profit on them by obtaining them at a lower +rate in Coromandel and passing them here to ignorant people at the +full value, a banker from Negapatam able to distinguish the good from +the inferior coins has been asked to test all Pagodas, so that the +Company may not suffer a loss. But in spite of this I receive daily +complaints from Company's servants, including soldiers and sailors, +that they always have to suffer loss on the Pagodas received from +the Company in payment of their wages, when they present them at the +bazaar; while the chetties and bankers will never give them 24 fanums +for a Pagoda. This matter looks very suspicious, and may have an evil +influence on the Company's servants, because it is possible that the +chetties have agreed among themselves never to pay the full value +for Pagodas, whether they are good or bad. It is also possible that +the Company's cashier or banker is in collusion with the chetties, +or perhaps there is some reason for this which I am not able to +make out. However this may be, Your Honours must try to obtain as +much information as possible on this subject and report on it to +His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo. All inferior +Pagodas found in the Company's Treasury will have to be made good by +the cashier at Coromandel, as it was his business to see that none +were accepted. With a view to prevent discontent among the Company's +servants the tax collectors must be made to pay only in copper and +silver coin for the poll tax and land rent, and out of this the +soldiers, sailors, and the lower grades of officials must be paid, +as I had already arranged before I left. I think that they can easily +do this, as they have to collect the amount in small instalments from +all classes of persons. The poor people do not pay in Pagodas, and the +collectors might make a profit by changing the small coin for Pagodas, +and this order will be a safeguard against loss both to the Company +and its servants. It would be well if Your Honours could find a means +of preventing the Pagodas being introduced and to discard those that +are in circulation already, which I have so far not been able to +do. Perhaps on some occasion you might find a suitable means.[48] + +The demands received here from out-stations in this Commandement must +be met as far as possible, because it is a rule with the Company that +one district must accommodate another, which, I suppose, will be +the practice everywhere. Since His Excellency the Governor and the +Council of Colombo have authorized Your Honours in their letter of +June 13,1696, to draw directly from Coromandel the goods required from +those places for the use of this Commandement, Your Honours must avail +yourselves of this kind permission, which is in agreement with the +intention of the late Commissioner van Mydregt, who did not wish that +the order should pass through various hands. Care must be taken to send +the orders in due time, so that the supplies may not run out of stock +when required for the garrisons. The articles ordered from Jaffnapatam +for Manaar must be sent only in instalments, and no articles must be +sent but those that are really required, as instructed; because it +has occurred more than once that goods were ordered which remained +in the warehouses, because they could not be sold, and which, when +going bad, had to be returned here and sold by public auction, to +the prejudice of the Company. To give an idea of the small sale in +Manaar, I will just state here that last year various provisions and +other articles from the Company's warehouses were sent to the amount +of Fl. 1,261.16.6--cost price--which were sold there at Fl. 2,037, +so that only a profit of Fl. 775.3.10 was made, which did not include +any merchandise, but only articles for consumption and use.[49] + +The Company's chaloups [50] and other vessels kept here for the +service of the Company are the following:-- + + + The chaloup "Kennemerland." + Do. "'t Wapen van Friesland." + Do. "Jaffnapatam." + The small chaloup "Manaar." + Do. "Hammenhiel." + Do. "Het Vissertje." + The ponton "De Hoop." + Do. "De Last Drager." + Do. "De Os." + + +Further, 14 tonys [51] and manschouwers, [52] viz.:-- + + + 4 tonys for service in the Fort. + 1 tony in Isle de Vacoa. + 1 do. in the islands "De Twee Gebroeders." + 1 do. at Point Pedro. + 1 do. at Kayts for the Waterfort. + + +Three manschouwers for the three largest chaloups, one manschouwer for +the ponton "De Hoop," one manschouwer for the ferry at Colombogamme, +one manschouwer for the ferry between the island Leiden and the fort +Kayts or Hammenhiel. + +The chaloups "Kennemerland" and "Friesland" are used mostly for the +passage between Coromandel and Jaffnapatam, and to and fro between +Jaffnapatam and Manaar, because they sink too deep to pass the river +of Manaar to be used on the west coast of Ceylon between Colombo and +Manaar. They are therefore employed during the northern monsoon to +fetch from Manaar such articles as have been brought there from Colombo +for this Commandement, and also to transport such things as are to +be sent from here to Colombo and Manaar, &c. They also serve during +the southern monsoon to bring here from Negapatam nely, cotton goods, +coast iron, &c., and they take back palmyra wood, laths, jagerbollen, +[53] coral stone, also palmyra wood for Trincomalee, and corsingos, +oil, cayro, [54] &c. The sloop "Jaffnapatam" has been built more +for convenience, and conveys usually important advices and money, as +also the Company's servants. As this vessel can be made to navigate +the Manaar river, it is also used as a cruiser at the pearl banks, +during the pearl fishery. It is employed between Colombo, Manaar, +Jaffnapatam, Negapatam, and Trincomalee, wherever required. The small +sloops "Manaar" and "De Visser," which are so small that they might +sooner be called boats than sloops, are on account of their small +size usually employed between Manaar and Jaffnapatam, and also for +inland navigation between the Passes and Kayts for the transport of +soldiers, money, dye-roots from The Islands, timber from the borders +of the Wanni, horses from The Islands; while they are also useful +for the conveyance of urgent advices and may be used also during the +pearl fishery. The sloop "Hammenhiel," being still smaller than the +two former, is only used for convenience of the garrison at Kayts, +the fort being surrounded by water. This and a tony are used to +bring the people across, and also to fetch drinking water and fuel +from the "Barren Island." The three pontons are very useful here, +as they have daily to bring fuel and lime for this Castle, and they +are also used for the unloading of the sloops at Kayts, where they +bring charcoal and caddegans, [55] and fetch lunt from the Passes, +and palmyra wood from the inner harbours for this place as well +as for Manaar and Colombo. They also bring coral stone from Kayts, +and have to transport the nely and other provisions to the redoubts +on the borders of the Wanni, so that they need never be unemployed +if there is only a sufficient number of carreas or fishermen for the +crew. At present there are 72 carreas who have to perform oely service +on board of these vessels or on the four tonies mentioned above. (50) + +In order that these vessels may be preserved for many years, it +is necessary that they be keelhauled at least twice a year, and +rubbed with lime and margosa oil to prevent worms from attacking +them, which may be easily done by taking them all in turn. It must +also be remembered to apply to His Excellency the Governor and the +Council for a sufficient quantity of pitch, tar, sail cloth, paint, +and linseed oil, because I have no doubt that it will be an advantage +to the Company if the said vessels are kept constantly in repair. As +stated under the heading of the felling of timber, no suitable wood +is found in the Wanni for the parts of the vessels that remain under +water, and therefore no less than 150 or 200 kiate or angely boards of +2 1/2, 2, and 1 1/2 inches thickness are required yearly here for this +purpose. His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo have +promised to send this yearly, in answer to the request from Jaffnapatam +of February 17, 1692, and since this timber has to be obtained from +Mallabaar I will see whether I cannot send it directly by a private +vessel in case it cannot be obtained from Colombo. Application must be +made for Dutch sailors from Colombo to man the said sloops, which are +at present partly manned by natives for want of Europeans. According to +the latest regulation, 95 sailors are allowed for this Commandement, +while at present we have not even half that number, as only 46 are +employed, which causes much inconvenience in the service. + +The fortifications of the Castle have now for a few years been +complete, except the moat, which is being dug and has advanced to the +peculiar stratum of rocks which is found only in this country. All +matters relating to this subject are to be found in the Compendiums +for 1693, 1694, and 1695. Supposing that the moat could be dug to the +proper depth without danger to the fort, it could not be done in less +than a few years, and it cannot very well be accomplished with the +services of the ordinary oeliaars, so that other means will have to be +considered. If, on the other hand, the moat cannot be deepened without +danger to the foundations of the fort, as stated in the Compendium +for 1694, it is apparent that the project ought to be abandoned. In +that case the fort must be secured in some other way. The most natural +means which suggests itself is to raise the wall on all sides except +on the river side by 6 or 8 feet, but this is not quite possible, +because the foundation under the curtains of the fortification, the +faces of the bastion, and the flanks have been built too narrow, +so that only a parapet of about 11 feet is left, which is already +too small, while if the parapet were extended inward there would not +be sufficient space for the canons and the military. The best plan +would therefore be to cut away the hills that are found between the +Castle and the town. The earth might be thrown into the tank found +eastward of the Castle, while part of it might be utilized to fill +up another tank in the town behind the orphanage. This was the plan +of His Excellency van Mydregt, although it was never put down in +writing. Meantime care must be taken that the slaves and other native +servants of persons residing in the Castle do not through laziness +throw the dirt which they are supposed to carry away from the fort on +the opposite bank of the moat, and thus raise a space which the Company +would much rather lower, and gradually and imperceptibly prepare a +suitable place for the battery of an enemy. I have had notices put +up against this practice, under date July 18, 1695, and these must be +maintained and the offenders prosecuted. Considering the situation of +the Castle and the present appearance of the moat, I think that the +latter is already sufficiently deep if always four or five feet water +be kept in it. In order to do this two banks would have to be built, +as the moat has communication in two places with the river, while the +river also touches the fort at two points. This being done I think +the moat could be kept full of water by two or three water mills +driven by wind and pumps, especially during the south-west monsoon +or the dry season, when an attack would be most likely to occur, +and there is always plenty of wind to keep these mills going both +by night and day. A sluice would be required in the middle of these +banks so that the water may be let out whenever it became offensive +by the river running dry, to be filled again when the water rose. It +would have to be first ascertained whether the banks could really +be built in such a way that they would entirely stop the water in +the moat, because they would have to be built on one side against +the foundations of the fort, which I have been told consist of large +irregular rocks. An experiment could be made with a small mill of the +kind used in Holland in the ditches along bleaching fields. They are +quite inexpensive and easily erected and not difficult to repair, +as they turn on a dovetail. The late Commandeur Anthony Paviljoen +also appears to have thought of this plan even before this Castle was +built, when the Portuguese fort was occupied by the Company, as may +be seen from his instructions of December 19, 1665. [56] This would, +in my opinion, be the course to follow during the south-west monsoon, +while during the north-east monsoon there is usually so much rain that +neither the salt river nor the water mills would be required, while +moreover during that time there is little danger of an attack. These +three plans being adopted, the banks of the moat could be protected by +a wall of coral stone to prevent the earth being washed away by the +water, as the present rocky bed of the moat is sufficiently strong +to serve as a foundation for it. The moat has already been dug to +its proper breadth, which is 10 roods. + +In my opinion there are two other defects in this Castle: the one +is as regards the embrazures, the other is in the new horse stable +and carpenters' yard, which are on the south side just outside the +opposite bank of the moat. I think these ought to be altered, for +the reasons stated in our letter to Colombo of November 30, 1695. I +was however opposed by the Constable-Major Toorse in his letter of +December 16 next, and his proposal was approved in Batavia by letter +of July 3 following. This work will therefore have to remain as it is, +although it appears that we did not explain ourselves sufficiently; +because Their Excellencies seem to think that this yard and stable +were within the knowledge of His Excellency van Mydregt. It is true +that the plan for them was submitted to His Excellency, as may be seen +from the point submitted by the late Mr. Blom on February 17, 1692, +and April 29, 1691, but no answer was ever received with regard to +this matter, on account of the death of His Excellency van Mydregt, +[57] and I have an idea that they were not at all according to his +wish. However, the yard and stable will have to remain, and with +regard to the embrazures the directions of the Constable-Major must +be followed. + +If it be recommended that the deepening of the moat is possible +without danger to the fort, and if the plan of the water mills and +banks be not approved, so that a dry moat would have to suffice, +I think the outer wall might be completed and the ground between +the rocks be sown with a certain kind of thorn called in Mallabaar +Oldeaalwelam and in Dutch Hane sporen (cock spurs), on account of +their resemblance to such spurs in shape and stiffness. This would +form a covering of natural caltrops, because these thorns are so sharp +that they will penetrate even the soles of shoes, which, besides, +all soldiers in this country do not wear. Another advantage in these +thorns is that they do not easily take fire and do not grow higher +than 2 or 2 1/2 feet above the ground, while the plants grow in quite +a tangled mass. I thought it might be of some use to mention this here. + +The present bridge of the fort is built of palmyra wood, as I found +on my arrival from Batavia; but as the stone pillars have already +been erected for the construction of a drawbridge, this work must be +completed as soon as the timber that I ordered from the Wanni for this +purpose arrives. In the carpenters' yard some timber will be found that +was prepared three years ago for the frame of this drawbridge, which, +perhaps, could yet be utilized if it has been well preserved. This +work will have to be hurried on, for the present bridge is dangerous +for anything heavy to pass over it, such as elephants, &c. It will +also be much better to have a drawbridge for the fortification. The +bridge must be built as broad as the space between the pillars and +the opposite catches will permit, and it must have a strong wooden +railing on either side, which may be preserved for many years by +the application of pitch and tar, while iron is soon wasted in this +country unless one always has a large quantity of paint and linseed +oil. Yet, an iron railing is more ornamental, so I leave this matter +to Your Honours.[51] + +The fortress Hammenhiel is in good condition, but the sand bank +upon which it is built has been undermined by the last storm in the +beginning of December during the north-east monsoon. The damage must +be remedied with stones. In this fortress a reservoir paved with +Dutch bricks has been built to collect and preserve the rain water, +but it has been built so high that it reaches above the parapets +and may thus be easily ruined by an enemy, as I have pointed out in +my letter to Colombo of September 8, 1694. As this is a new work it +will have to remain as present, until such time as alterations can +be made. The ramparts of this fortress, which are hollow, have been +roofed with beams, over which a floor of stone and chunam has been +laid, with a view to the space below being utilized for the storing +of provisions and ammunition. This is a mistake, as the beams are +liable to decay and the floor has to support the weight of the canon, +so that there would be danger in turning the guns round for fear of +the floor breaking down. So far back as the time of Commandeur Blom +a beginning was made to replace this roof by an entire stone vault, +which is an important work. The gate of the fortress, which is still +covered with beams, must also be vaulted.[52] + +Ponneryn and the passes Pyl, Elephant, and Buschutter only +require a stone water tank, but they must not be as high as that of +Hammenhiel. Dutch bricks were applied for from Jaffnapatam on February +17, 1692, and His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo +promised to send them here as soon as they should arrive from the +Fatherland, so that Your Honours must wait for these. Ponneryn is +not so much in want of a reservoir, as it has a well with fairly good +drink water.[53] + +The work that demands the chief attention in Manaar is the deepening +of the moat, as the fortifications, dwelling houses, and stores are +completed. But since this work has to be chiefly carried out by the +Company's slaves, it will take some time to complete it. There are +also several elevations near the fort which will have to be reduced, +so that they may not at any time become a source of danger. During +my circuit on two or three occasions the Opperhoofd and the Council +at Manaar applied for lime to be sent from here, as no more coral +stone for the burning of lime was to be found there. This takes +away the Company's sloops from their usual employment, and the +officials have been informed that they must get the lime made +from the pearl shells which are found in abundance in the bay of +Condaatje as remains of the fishery. It makes very good lime, and +the forests in the neighbourhood provide the fuel, and the lime can +then be brought to Manaar in pontons and tonys. Information on this +subject may be found in the correspondence between this station and +Jaffnapatam. Care must be taken that the lime of the pearl shells +is used for nothing but the little work that has yet to be done in +the fort, such as the pavements for the canons and the floors of the +galleries in the dwelling houses. The Opperhoofd and other officers +who up to now have been living outside the fort must now move into +it, as there are many reasons why it is undesirable that they should +reside outside--a practice, besides, which is against the Company's +rules with regard to military stations in India. (54) + +Provisions and ammunition of war are matters of foremost consideration +if we desire to have our minds at ease with regard to these stations, +for the one is necessary for the maintenance of the garrison and the +officials, while the other is the instrument of defence. These two +things ought at all times to be well provided. His late Excellency +van Mydregt for this reason very wisely ordered that every station +should be stocked with provisions for two years, as may be seen in +the letter sent from Negapatam bearing date March 17, 1688. This is +with regard to the Castle, but as regards the outstations it will be +sufficient if they are provided with rice for six or eight months. On +account of the great expense the Castle has not of late been provided +for two years, but this will soon be changed now that the passage to +Trincomalee and Batticaloa has been opened, even if the scarcity in +Coromandel should continue, or if the Theuver should still persist in +his prohibition of the importation of nely from Tondy. I have heard, +however, that this veto has been withdrawn, and that vessels with this +grain will soon arrive here. If this rumour be true and if a good +deal of rice is sent here from Cotjaar, Tammelegan, and Batticaloa, +a large quantity of it might be purchased on behalf of the Company +with authority of His Excellency the Governor and the Council of +Colombo, which might be obtained by means of our sloops. Perhaps +also the people of Jaffnapatam who come here with their grain may be +prevailed upon to deliver it to the Company at 50 per cent. or so +less, as may be agreed upon. This they owe to their lawful lords, +since the Company has to spend so much in governing and protecting +them. Sanction to this measure was granted by His Excellency van +Mydregt in his letter from Negapatam to Jaffnapatam of June 12, 1688, +which may be looked up. If a calculation be made of the quantity of +provisions required for two years, I think it would be found that it +is no less than 300 lasts of rice a year. This includes provisions +for the garrison and those who would have to come into the fort in +case of a siege, so that 600 lasts would be required for two years, +a last being equal to 3,000 lb. or 75 Ceylon parras, thus in all +45,000 parras. At the rate of one parra per month for each person, +1,875 people could be maintained for two years with this store of +rice. This would be about the number of people the Company would +have to provide for in case of necessity, considering that there are +according to the latest regulations 600 Company's servants, while +there are according to the latest enumeration 1,212 women, children, +and slaves in the town, making a total of 1,812 persons who have to be +fed; so that the above calculation is fairly correct. Sometimes also +Manaar will have to be provided, because Mantotte does not yield a +sufficient quantity of nely to supply that fort for two years. This +must also be included in the calculation, and if Your Honours are +well provided in this manner you will be in a position to assist some +of the married soldiers, the orphanage, and the poor house with rice +from the Company's stores in times of scarcity, and will be able to +prevent the sale in rice being monopolized again. It was the intention +of His Excellency van Mydregt that at such times the Company's stores +should be opened and the rice sold below the bazaar price. Care must +be taken that this favour is not abused, because it has happened +that some of the Company's servants sent natives on their behalf, +who then sold the rice in small quantities at the market price. This +was mentioned in our letter to Colombo of October 1 and December 12, +1695. The Company can hardly have too much rice in store, for it can +always be disposed of with profit when necessary, and therefore I think +600 lasts need not be the limit, so long as there is a sufficient +number of vessels available to bring it. But as rice alone will not +suffice, other things, such as salt, pepper, bacon, meat, &c., must +also be considered. Salt may be obtained in sufficient quantities +in this Commandement, but pepper has to be obtained from Colombo, +and therefore this spice must never be sold or issued from the store +houses until the new supply arrives, keeping always 3,000 or 4,000 +lb. in store. Bacon and meat also have to be obtained from Colombo, +and His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo were kind +enough to send us on my verbal request ten kegs of each from Galle +last August by the ship "Nederland." But I find that it has become +stale already, and it must be changed for new as soon as possible, +with authority of His Excellency and the Council, in order that it may +not go further bad. In compliance with the orders of His Excellency +van Mydregt in his letter of November 23, 1687, the old meat and +bacon must be returned to Colombo, and a new supply sent here every +three or four years, the stale meat being supplied in Colombo to +some of the Company's vessels. But considering that His Excellency +the Governor and the Council of Colombo are not always in a position +to supply Jaffnapatam with a sufficient quantity of meat and bacon, +as there are so many other stations in Ceylon to be provided for, +it would be well to keep in mind the advice of the late Mr. Paviljoen +that in emergencies 1,000 or 1,200 cattle could be captured and kept +within the fort, where they could be made to graze on the large plain, +while as much straw from the nely would have to be collected as could +be got together to feed these animals as long as possible. This +small loss the inhabitants would have to bear, as the Company has to +protect them and their lands, and if we are victorious a recompense +could be made afterwards. I would also advise that as much carrawaat +[58] as could be found in the quarters of the Carreas, Palwelys, +[59] and other fishermen should be brought into the fort; because +this dried fish makes a very good and durable provision, except +for the smell. The provision of arrack must also not be forgotten, +because used moderately this drink does as much good to our people as +it does harm when taken in large quantities. As I have heard so many +complaints about the arrack here, as well as in Trincomalee, at the +pearl fishery, at Coromandel, &c., it is apparent that the Company is +not properly served in this respect. On this account also some arrack +was returned from Negapatam and the Bay of Condaatje. Henceforth +no arrack must be accepted which has not been tested by experts, +neither for storing in the warehouses nor for sending to the different +stations, because at present I cannot say whether it is adulterated by +the people who deliver it to the Company or by those who receive it +in the stores, or even by those who transport it in the sloops. With +regard to the munitions of war, I think nothing need be stated here, +but that there is a sufficient stock of it, because by the last stock +taking on August 31, 1696, it appears that there is a sufficient +store of canons, gun-carriages, gunpowder, round and long grenades, +instruments for storming, filled fire bombs, caseshot-bags, martavandes +for the keeping of gunpowder, and everything that pertains to the +artillery. The Arsenal is likewise sufficiently provided with guns, +muskets, bullets, native side muskets, &c. I would only recommend that +Your Honours would continue to have ramrods made for all the musket +barrels which are still lying there, suitable timber for which may be +found in the Wanni. It is from there also that the boards are obtained +for gun-carriages. And as I found that some had not been completed, +I think this work ought to be continued, so that they may be ready +when wanted. No doubt His Excellency the Governor and the Council of +Colombo will be willing to send a sufficient quantity of pitch and +tar for the preservation both of the sloops and the gun-carriages, +which otherwise will soon decay during the heavy rains which we have +here in India. Although the Arsenal is at present well provided with +guns and muskets, it is possible that half of them may be found unfit +for use. I have therefore given orders to examine them all carefully, +so that those that are unfit may be sent to Colombo and from there to +the Fatherland, and new ones returned. Water and fuel are also two of +the most important things to think of for the defence of a fortress, +and I had therefore a large room built behind the smith's shop where +fuel could be stored away. This room must be stocked and closed, and +no fuel issued from it to any one. Those who receive firewood from +the Company may be supplied from that which is daily brought from the +forest. With regard to the water which is found within this Castle, +it is drinkable in cases of emergency, especially in some of the +wells found there.[55] + +The military and garrison would be sufficiently strong if the full +number of Europeans allowed for this Commandement by the latest +Batavian regulation of December 29, 1692, could be obtained, which +could not be considered too strong for a Commandement numbering +608 men in all, including those for commercial, civil, judicial, +ecclesiastical, naval, and military services. At present we have only +the following number of persons in the Company's service, who have +to be classified, as they are of different colour and descent, viz.:-- + + + Europeans. Mestises. Toepasses. Total. + In the Castle 287 56 7 350 + In Manaar 52 2 9 63 + In Hammenhiel 21 4 1 26 + In Ponneryn 1 1 21 23 + In the redoubts the + "Pyl," "Beschutter," + and "Elephant" 11 3 45 59 + For various services, + also in the Island, + for surveying, wood + felling, &c. 13 10 2 25 + === === === === + Total 385 76 85 546 + + +In the number of Europeans is included, as stated above, all manner +of Company's servants employed in the Trade, Church, Navigation, +Military Duties, &c., all of which together number 385 men. The 76 +mestises and the 85 toepasses will therefore have to be retained until +this Commandement can have its full number of Europeans, and it would +be well if Your Honours would continue to engage a few more toepasses +when they offer themselves, because the Passes are hardly sufficiently +guarded; about which matter communication has been made in our letter +to Colombo of March 5, 1695. Your Honours must also keep in mind the +recommendation of His Excellency van Mydregt in his letter of March +27, 1688, wherein he suggests that a close watch should be kept on +the Wannias, as they are not to be trusted in a case of treason on +the part of the Sinhalese; and on this account the advanced guards +must be always well provided with ammunition and provisions, while +discipline and drill must be well attended to, so that as far as lies +in our power we may be prepared for emergencies. + +I have been rather prolix in treating of the fortifications and all +that pertains thereto, not so much because I am ignorant of the fact +that the Company's power in India depends more on her naval force +than on her fortresses, but because I consider that since the latter +are in our possession it is our duty to preserve them, as otherwise +the large amount expended on them at the beginning of the Government +in Ceylon would have been spent in vain.[56] + +The public works are carried out here without expenditure to the +Company by the Oeliaars, because, as stated before, no cooly wages +are paid here, payment being made only to the native artisans, such +as smiths, carpenters, and masons. The number of men employed is +daily entered in a book by one of the Pennisten of the Comptoirs, +which he has to hand over in the evening to the person whose turn +it will be the next day to do this work. Care must be taken that +these assistants personally see and count the men, and the payments +must be made according to their list and not according to those of +the Dutch foremen or the native Cannecappuls. This is in compliance +with the orders from Batavia. The foremen of the carpenters' yard, +the smiths' shop, the gunpowder mill, and the masonry works must +also every evening, at sunset, bring in their reports with regard to +the progress of the work. This is to be done by the sergeant Hendrik +Rademaker, who, for some years, has been acting as overseer of the +Oeliaars. The Oeliaars are changed on Mondays and Thursdays, each +of them working only for three days at a time, which suffices for +three months, as they owe twelve days of service in the year. Those +who have performed their labour receive an ola from the Cannecappul, +which is called a Sito, and is marked with a steel stamp thus: I-VOC, +which serves them as a receipt. The names of those who fail to appear +are written down by the Cannecappul and by the Majoraal, and they +have to pay a fine which is called sicos. [60] The stamp is in the +custody of the Chief, who also arranges and divides the work among +the Oeliaars. He must see that the sergeant does not allow any of +the coolies to depart before the three days have expired, and making +a profit for himself and causing loss to the Company. Care must also +be taken that no more than 18 persons are employed as Pandarepulles +or native cooly drivers, who are each in charge of 16 to 30 men, +whom they have to keep to their work. These 18 Pandarepulles must be +appointed by written documents, otherwise the sergeant appoints such +officers on his own authority and thus also makes a profit. Then +also it must be seen that the materials, such as timber, bricks, +lime, &c., are not taken to other places than they have been ordered +for by the person in authority, for all these are tricks to which +the Company is subject on the part of the overseers when they see +that no regard is taken of their doings. The principal of the public +works at present in progress is the building of the church within the +fort, [61] which has advanced to 8 feet above the ground, and may be +completed during the southern season, if there is only a sufficient +quantity of bricks. According to my calculation about 1,000,000 more +will be required, which is a large quantity, but will not cost more +than 3 fannums per thousand, and even this expense does not fall to +the Company, but may be found out of the sicos or fines. The Dessave +has the best opportunity for seeing that the work at the brickworks +at Iroewale is pushed on as quickly as possible, so that there may +be no waiting for bricks or tiles, which are also baked there and +paid at the rate of 3 1/2 fannums a thousand. I consider it a shame +that in a country where the cost of building is so small, and where +religion is to be promoted, there should not even be a church in +the fort, a state of things that has existed these last four years, +during which the warehouses had to be used for this purpose, while +many old and infirm people could not attend the services because of +the inconvenience of the steps that lead to them. It would have been +better if the old Portuguese church had not been broken down before +the building of the new church was commenced, because an old proverb +says: "That one must not cast away old shoes till one has got new +ones." [62] However, for the present we must row with the oars we +possess, until the new church is completed, the plan for which is in +the hands of the surveyor Martinus Leusekam. The sergeant in the Wanni, +Harmen Claasz, had already on my orders felled the necessary beams, +and now the rafters must be thought of, which would be best made +of palmyra wood, if they could be obtained sufficiently long. The +timber for the pulpit I hope to send from Mallabaar, but as ebony is +also found in the Wanni, some trees might be felled also there and be +brought down here without expenditure to the Company. As may be seen +in the answers to the questions from Jaffnapatam of March 12, 1691, +and February 17, 1692, authority for the building of this church was +obtained long ago. The only other works required within the Castle +at present are the barracks for the married soldiers; which may be +found indicated in the map, and the rebuilding of the four dwelling +houses yet remaining of the Portuguese buildings which are old and +decayed. They are no longer worth repairing, and it would be best +if they were broken down and new and better houses built on their +site. But before this is done it will be necessary to rebuild the +Armoury, which fell into ruins last December. This building also +remained from the Portuguese. Some new tiles are also required for +the Company's building at Anecatte where the red-dyeing is done, +the cross-beams of which building I had renewed. Likewise a number +of tiles is required for the new warehouses in the island Leyden, +which have been built there in compliance with the orders of His +late Excellency van Mydregt. This was when it was intended to provide +Ceylon with grain from Tansjouwer, [63] which was to be laid up there +before the northern season. These warehouses may yet come in useful +if the Moorish trade flourishes.[57] + +The horse stable within the fort has been built in a bad place, +and is very close and unhealthy; so that the animals die one after +another. It would therefore be better if the stable referred to +under the heading of "fortification" and situated outside the fort be +used. If this is done it must be provided with the necessary cribs, +&c., and not more than seven horses have been allowed by the last +regulation. The supervision of the stable has been entrusted for some +time to the Captain Jan van der Bruggen, but I could not approve of +this, and consider it better that this supervision be also left to +the chief person in authority, the more so as the said Captain has +been troubled for the last five years with gout and gravel; so that +he has often to remain at home for weeks, while, even when he is well, +it is impossible for him to go about much, in consequence of weakness +arising from the pain. For this reason he cannot properly supervise +the stable; and this is not the first time he is excused from his +duty, as it was done also during the time of Commandeur Cornelis van +der Duyn, who also considered that it was more in the interest of +the Company that this and other duties should be performed by the +chief instead of by private persons. The Dessave is best aware if +the hides of the stags and elks sent to this stable from the Wanny +and the Passes are properly utilized for saddles, carriages, &c., +in the said stable, and also in the Arsenal for cartridge cases, +bandoleers, sword-belts, &c.[58] + +The hospital was built too low, so that the patients had to lie in +damp places during the northern monsoon. I therefore had the floor +raised, in view of the fact that this is a place where the Company +shows its sympathy with its suffering servants and wishes them to have +every comfort. For this reason also regents are appointed to see that +nothing wrong is done by the doctor or the steward. For some time this +supervision was entrusted to Captain Jan van der Bruggen, but for the +reason stated above I cannot approve of the arrangement any longer, +while moreover, his daughter is the wife of the Chief Surgeon Hendrick +Warnar, who has a very large family, and suspicious people might try to +find fault with the arrangement. The supervision of the hospital must +therefore be entrusted every alternate month to the Administrateur +Biermans and the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz, as it is against the +principles of the Company to entrust such work to one person only.[59] + +The Company's slaves here are few in number, consisting of 82 +individuals, including men, boys, women, and children. But no more are +required, as the Oeliaars perform many of the duties for which slaves +would be otherwise required. They are employed in the stable, the +warehouses, the arsenal, the hospital, and with the shipbuilders and +masons. The only pay they receive is 3 fannums and a parra of rice per +month, except some of the masons. This payment is sufficient for some +of them, but not for all, as there are some employed in masonry work +who do their work as well as any of the natives, and, as they have to +maintain a wife and children, the master mason has often recommended +higher pay for them. There is one among the masons who receives +6 fannums a month, another gets 4, and two others 3 fannums. This +might be raised from 6 to 10, from 4 to 8, and from 3 to 6 fannums +respectively, so that these poor people may not be discouraged; and on +the other hand increased pay often produces increased labour, and thus +the Company would perhaps not lose by the extra expense. The matter +must, however, be submitted to His Excellency the Governor, as also +the request of one of the masons that his daughter may be emancipated, +in order to marry a native who has proposed to her. The father offers +in her place as a slave another young and capable woman. There is also +another application for emancipation from a dyer who is now, he says, +60 years of age. The Company would lose nothing in granting this +request, because all he delivers is two or three pieces of ordinary +chintz a year. All these matters must be submitted to His Excellency +the Governor and the Council.[60] + +Having now treated of the Wanny, of the lands of Ponneryn and Mantotte +within the Province of Jaffnapatam, and of the fort, we must see what +is to be said with regard to the seacoast, and also if any important +matter has been forgotten. + +Manaar is the last island on this side, and the banks and islets near +it form together what is called "Adam's Bridge," which closes the +passage between Ceylon and Coromandel. This island also protects +Jaffnapatam on the south, as no vessel could come here without +passing Manaar. The passage through the river is so inconvenient on +account of its shallowness that no vessel can pass without being first +unloaded. Therefore no vessel is able to pass nor any smuggling take +place without its being known in Manaar. It is on this account that +an order was issued by His Excellency the Governor and the Council +in their letter of March 5, 1695, to Jaffnapatam, to the effect that +no smuggled areca-nut from Colombo or Calpentyn must be allowed to +pass there. This was when the trade in these waters was re-opened +for private enterprise from Coromandel, and the order was conveyed +by us to Manaar by letter of March 11. A close watch must be kept, +but so long as the passage of Ramacoil or Lembe in the domain of the +Teuver is so well known by some people as it is said to be, it is +not likely that attempts at smuggling would be made in Manaar.[61] + +Manaar not only protects Jaffnapatam, but it also yields to the +Company the profits of Mantotte, Moesely, and Setticoulang, and of +the capture of elephants. The latter might be more if not for the +death of the animals, as, for instance, last year, when not a single +animal delivered by the hunters survived. The hunters must therefore +be encouraged to bring as many as possible.[62] + +About 50 or 60 bharen of dye-roots are also yearly obtained from +Manaar, which cultivation must also be attended to, in order that +the Company may be in a position to deliver the red cloths ordered +from this Commandement.[63] + +Some revenue is also obtained from taxes and rents. These are yearly +sold to the highest bidder. Last year they were sold for 1 1/2 year, +like those in Jaffnapatam. The amount received was Rds. 2,268, as also +Rds. 879.7.8 for poll tax and land rent in Manaar. The tithes of the +harvest in Mantotte are paid in grain, which is usually issued to the +Company's servants. This amounted on the last occasion to 1,562 1/2 +paras of rice. The tax in cooking butter in Mantotte is also paid +in kind and likewise issued to the Company's servants. Besides, +there are 3,000 or 4,000 paras of salt and 10,000 or 12,000 coils +of straw or bark lunt which the inhabitants of the opposite lands +have to deliver, as also chanks from the divers; but these do not +amount to much, for, in 1695, were dived five kinds of cauries to +the amount of 204 5/8 paras, and in 1696 only 94 7/8 paras; so that +the amount for two years was only 299 1/2 paras of cauries. For this +reason I submitted on May 10, 1695, to His Excellency the Governor +and the Council, a proposal from the Moor Perietamby, who offered to +pay the Company yearly Rds. 8,000 for the license to dive for chanks +between Manaar and Calpentyn. This was refused by the reply received +from Colombo on the 17th of the same month.[64] + +From the Instructions to Commandeur Blom sent from Colombo on February +17, 1692, it may be seen what prices are paid to the divers for the +chanks, mentioned already under the subject of the Moorish trade, +so that it is not necessary to enter into detail on the subject here. + +I think that I have now sufficiently explained all matters relating to +this station, and would refer for further information to the report +compiled by Mr. Blom for Governor van Mydregt, which is kept here at +the Secretariate, [64] as also the answers thereto of September 13 and +October 7, 1690. There are also the Instructions left by Mr. Jorephaas +Vosch for the Opperkoopman Jan de Vogel, bearing date August 30, 1666, +[65] which may also be read, but I think that I have mentioned all +the most important matters with regard to Manaar appearing therein. + +The pearl fishery is an extraordinary enterprise, the success of +which depends on various circumstances; as there are various causes +by which the banks or the oysters may be destroyed. It would take too +long to mention here all that may be said on the subject, and as it +would be tiresome to read it all, I will merely state here that the +usual place for the fishery is near Aripo in the Bay of Condaatje, +where the banks lie, and if no untoward events take place, a fishery +may be held for several years in succession; because the whole bay +is covered with different banks, the oysters of which will become +successively matured. But sometimes they are washed away and completely +destroyed within a very short time. The banks are to be inspected in +November by a Commission sent for this purpose, who come in tonys from +Jaffnapatam, Manaar, and Madura, and with them also some Patangatyns +and other native chiefs who understand this work. The chief points to +be considered when a pearl fishery has been authorized are the lodgings +for the Commissioners appointed in Colombo; the inclosure of the tanks +in Mantotte with banks for obtaining good drinking water; the supply +of poultry, butter, oil, rice, sheep, cattle, &c., for provisions; +Lascoreens and servants; military men, if they can be spared from +the garrison, &c. The fishery usually takes place in the months of +March, April, and May. I will not enter into detail on this matter, +as it would not be in agreement with the nature of these instructions; +while the Commissioners will be able to find ample information in the +various documents of the years 1666 and 1667, but especially in those +of 1694, 1695, and 1696, including reports, journals, and letters, in +case they have not gained sufficient experience yet. These documents +relate to the fishery, the collection of the Company's duties, the +purchase and valuation of pearls, &c. I will therefore only state +here the successive profits derived from the pearl fishery by the +Company, viz.:-- + + + Rds. Fl. + + 1666 19,655 91/980 58,965.11. 6 + 1667 24,641 461/968 73,924. 8.13 + 1694 21,019 19/60 63,057.13. 0 + 1695 24,708 11/12 74,126.15. 0 + 1696 25,327 43/60 75,983. 3. 0 + ======= ======= ============= + Total 115,352 499/960 346,057.11. 3 [66] + + +This is a considerable amount, and it is expected, according to the +reports of the Commissioners, that the fishery now authorized for +December 31, 1697, will yield still greater profits. I have already +given orders for the repair of the banks of the tanks in Mantotte, +which were damaged during the last storm, in order that there may +be no want of drinking water, which is one of the most important +points. Whether the prohibition to export coconuts from this Province +applies also to the pearl fishery is a matter to be submitted to +His Excellency the Governor and the Council; because many people use +this fruit as food. This subject has been already dealt with under +the head of Coconuts.[65] + +The inhabited little islands are considered as the fifth Province +of the Commandement, the others being Walligammo, Waddemoraatsche, +Timmeraatsche, and Patchelepalle. Taxes, &c., are levied in these +islands in the same way as in the other Provinces, the revenue +amounting last time to Rds. 2,767.2.5 1/2, viz.:-- + + + Rds. + + Land rent 1,190.11.3 + Tithes 712. 8.6 1/4 + Poll tax 605. 1.0 + Adigary 173. 9.0 + Officie 162. 5.8 3/4 + -------------- + Total 2,844.11.8 + + Deducted as salaries for the Collector, + Majoraal, Cayals, &c. 77. 9.2 1/4 + ============== + Total 2,767. 2.5 1/2 [67] + + +The islands are named as follows:-- + +Carredive, called by us Amsterdam; Tamiedive, Leyden; Pongedive, +Middleburg; Nerendive, Delft; Neynadive, Haarlem; Aneledive, Rotterdam; +Remedive, "de Twee Gebroeders," or Hoorn and Enkhuisen. + +Besides the revenue stated above, Carredive yields the best dye-roots +in this Commandement, although the quantity is no more than 10 or +12 bharen a year. The dye-roots from Delft are just as good, but it +yields only 4 or 5 bharen a year. Salt, lime, and coral stone are +also obtained from these islands, but particulars with regard to these +matters have been stated at length in the report by the late Commandeur +Blom to His late Excellency van Mydregt, to which I would refer. [66] + +Horse-breeding is an enterprise of which much was expected, but so far +the Company has not made much profit by it. Yet there is no reason +to despair, and better results may be hoped for. Your Honours must +remember that formerly in the islands Delft, Hoorn, and Enkhuizen all +kinds of horses were bred together; so that but few good animals were +obtained. In 1690 and 1691 orders were given to shoot all horses that +were too small or defective, and to capture the rest and send them to +Colombo and Coromandel. The latter were sold at Negapatam by public +auction, while the rest were given to soldiers on the opposite coast +in the Company's service, who used the animals so badly that they were +soon unfit for work. In this way the islands have become destitute +of horses, and the only thing to be done was to send there some good +mares and two or three Persian stallions for breeding purposes. So +far no good horses could be obtained, because a foal has to be 4 or +3 1/2 years old before it is fit for use. It is only since 1692, +1693, and 1694 that we had good stallions, and this accounts for +the fact that no foals have yet been obtained. The deficit is at +present Fl. 8,982.9, so that it would seem as if expenditure and +trouble are the only results to be expected from this enterprise; +but it must be remembered that at present there are on the island of +Delft alone about 400 or 500 foals of 1, 1 1/2, 2, and 2 1/2 years +old, while there are also a number of horses on the island "de Twee +Gebroeders." The expenditure was incurred mostly in the purchase of the +Persian stallions, and this expenditure has not been in vain, because +we possess now more than 400 horses, each of which will be worth about +a hundred guilders, so that the whole number will be worth about 40,000 +guilders. In compliance with the orders by His Excellency van Mydregt +of November 29, 1690, these animals must be sold at Coromandel on +account of this Commandement, and the valuation of the horses may be +determined from the fact that the Prince of Tansjour has accepted one +or two of them in lieu of the recognition which the Company owes him +yearly for two Arabian horses. For this reason and in compliance with +the said orders the first horses captured must be sent to Negapatam, +so that the account in respect of horse-breeding may be balanced. As +the stallions kept on the islands have become too old, application +has been made for younger animals, and also for five or six mares +from Java, which have been granted by His Excellency the Governor +and the Council in their letter of April 29, 1695. Your Honours are +further advised not to sell any horses from the island of Delft for +less than Rds. 25 and from the islands "de Twee Gebroeders" for less +than Rds. 35 to the Company's servants, as they fetch more than that +at the public auctions in Negapatam. Even this is a favour to them; +but I noticed that the horses from Delft have been sold at 15 and +those from Hoorn and Enkhuisen at Rds. 20, which I think cannot be +done in future, since the destruction of the defective animals has +improved the race. I hope that this will clear up the passage with +regard to the horse-breeding in the letter from Batavia to Ceylon of +July 3, 1696, as also that Their Excellencies may be satisfied with +the result. I think expectations were raised too high at first; as +the real advantage could only be known in course of time; while, on +the other hand, the capital expended must be looked upon as standing +out on interest.[67] + +The Passes of this Commandement are various, but all are guarded in +such a way that no goods can be brought in or taken out without a +license, nor are people able to go through without a passport. At +Kayts and Point Pedro passports are issued in the usual way to +those who come or go by sea; while to those who travel by land an +Acte of Permission is issued, which is written in Mallabaar on ola, +and is called Cayoppe. These are issued both by the Dessave and by +the Commandeur, but as so many thousands of people come and go, and +the signing of these Cayoppes occupies so much of the time of the +Commandeurs, a steel stamp is used now by the Dessave to mark these +also. I have followed the same practice, and used a seal with the +letters H. Z., [68] which I handed over shortly before my departure for +Colombo in February, 1696, to the Political Council, together with the +seal for the oely service, with instructions that these seals were to +be used just as if I were still on the spot, because the Dessave was +absent at the pearl fishery, and I was commissioned by the Supreme +Government of India to proceed to Mallabaar without being formally +relieved of my office in this Commandement. On my return from Colombo +in August I found that this order had not been carried out, but that +the Captain Jan van der Bruggen had thought it well to have another +seal specially made, with the monogram VOC, not only suppressing my +order given to him in full Council, but also having a new seal made, +which was beyond his authority and seemed to me quite out of place. I +cannot account for his extraordinary conduct in any other way than by +supposing that he desired to confirm the rumour which had been spread +among the natives and Europeans during the time of the Commissioners +Messrs. Jan van Keulen and Pieter Petitfilz, that I would never return +to this Commandement to rule, and thus by suppressing my seal to give +public confirmation to this rumour, and so make it appear to the world +that it was no longer legal. I therefore order again that this seal is +not to be suppressed, but used for the stamping of the Cayoppes at the +Passes in case the Dessave should be absent from this Commandement, +it being his province alone to issue and sign such olas. This order +is to be carried out as long as no contrary orders are received from +higher authorities. + +Colomboture and Catsay are two Passes on the inner boundary of this +Commandement at the river leading to Ponneryn and the Wanny, and +in order to prevent any one passing without a passport a guard is +stationed there. The duties on goods are also collected there, being +leased out, but they do not amount to much. These Passes, however, +must be properly guarded, and care taken that the people stationed +there submit their reports regularly. One of these may be found in +a letter from here to Colombo of December 12 last. + +Ponneryn, a good redoubt, serves as a place from where to watch the +doings of the Wannias and to protect the inhabitants from invasions. It +is garrisoned by Toepasses under the command of a Dutch Sergeant. + +The Passes Pyl, Elephant, and Beschutter serve chiefly to close this +Province against the Wannias and to protect the inhabitants from +invasions of the Sinhalese, and also to prevent persons passing in +or out without a passport, or goods being taken in or out without a +license, as also to prevent the theft of slaves and the incursions of +elephants and other wild animals into the Provinces. A difficulty is +that the earth mounds are not close together, so that notwithstanding +the continual patrol of the militia, now and again a person passes +through unnoticed. Means of drawing these redoubts together, or at +least of making a trench to prevent persons or goods from passing +without a license, have often been considered. Some have proposed +a hedge of palmyra trees, others a fence of thorns, others a moat, +others again a wall, because at this point the Commandement measures +only two miles in breadth. But none of these proposals have been +adopted all these years, as stated in our letter of August 24, 1695, +to Batavia. Their Excellencies replied in their letter of July 3, +1696, that this is a good work, but as it is entirely to the advantage +of the inhabitants it must be carried out without expense to the +Company. This, in my humble opinion, is quite fair, and the Dessave, +whom this matter principally concerns, will have to consider in what +way such a trench as proposed could be made. The yearly Compendium +will give much information on this subject, and will show what defects +and obstacles have been met with. It has been stated already how the +Passes are garrisoned, and they are commanded by an Ensign according +to the regulations. + +Point Pedro, on the outer boundary of this Commandement, has resident +only one Corporal and four Lascoreens, who are chiefly employed in +the sending and receiving of letters to and from Coromandel and +Trincomalee, in the loading of palmyra wood and other goods sent +from there to the said two places, and in the search of departing +and arriving private vessels, and the receipt of passports. These men +also supervise the Oeliaars who have to work at the church which was +commenced during the time of Commandeur Blom, and also those who have +to burn lime or break coral stone from the old Portuguese fortress. + +The fortress Kayts or Hammenhiel serves on the north, like Manaar +in the south, to guard the passage by water to this Castle, and +also serves the same purposes as Point Pedro, viz., the searching of +private vessels, &c. Next to this fort is the island Leyden, where is +stationed at present the Assistant Jacob Verhagen, who performs the +same duties as the Corporal at Point Pedro, which may be found stated +more in detail in the Instructions of January 4, 1696, compiled and +issued by me for the said Assistant. The Ensign at the Passes received +his instructions from Commandeur Blom, all of which must be followed. + +As the Dessave is Commander over the military scattered in the +country, and therefore also over those stationed at the said Passes +and stations, it will chiefly be his duty to see that they are +properly guarded so far as the small garrison here will permit, +and also that they are provided with sufficient ammunition and +provisions. The latter consist mostly of grain, oil, pepper, and +arrack. This is mostly meant for Hammenhiel, as the other places can +always be provided from the land side, but rice and ammunition must be +always kept in store. Hammenhiel must be specially garrisoned during +the southern monsoon, and be manned as much as possible by Dutchmen, +who, if possible, must be transferred every three months, because many +of these places are very unhealthy and others exceedingly lonesome, +for which reasons it is not good to keep the people very long in one +place. The chief officers are transferred every six months, which also +must not be neglected, as it is a good rule in more than one respect. + +Aripo, Elipoecarrewe, and Palmeraincattoe were formerly fortresses +garrisoned like the others, but since the revolution of the Sinhalese +and the Wannias of 1675, under the Dessave Tinnekon, these have +become unnecessary and are only guarded now by Lascoreens, who are +mostly kept on for the transport of letters between Colombo, Manaar, +and Jaffnapatam.[68] + +Water tanks are here very necessary, because the country has no fresh +water rivers, and the water for the cultivation of lands is that which +is collected during the rainfall. Some wealthy and influential natives +contrived to take possession of the tanks during the time the Company +sold lands, with a view of thus having power over their neighbours +and of forcing them to deliver up to them a large proportion of their +harvests. They had to do this if they wished to obtain water for +the cultivation of their fields, and were compelled thus to buy at +high price that which comes as a blessing from the Lord to all men, +plants, and animals in general. His Excellency Laurens Pyl, then +Governor of Ceylon, issued an order in June, 1687, on his visit to +this Commandement, that for these reasons no tanks should be private +property, but should be left for common use, the owners being paid +by those who require to water their fields as much as they could +prove to have spent on these tanks. I found that this good order +has not been carried out, because the family of Sangere Pulle alone +possesses at present three such tanks, one of which is the property +of Moddely Tamby. Before my departure to Colombo I had ordered that +it should be given over to the surrounding landowners, who at once +offered to pay the required amount, but I heard on my return that +the conveyance had not been made yet by that unbearably proud and +obstinate Bellale caste, they being encouraged by the way their patron +Moddely Tamby had been favoured in Colombo, and the Commandeur is +not even recognized and his orders are passed by. Your Honours must +therefore see that my instructions with regard to these tanks are +carried out, and that they are paid for by those interested, or that +they are otherwise confiscated, in compliance with the Instructions +of 1687 mentioned above, which Instructions may be found among the +papers in the Mallabaar language kept by the schoolmasters of the +parishes. Considering that many of the Instructions are preserved in +the native language only, they ought to be collected and translated +into our Dutch language.[69] + +The public roads must be maintained at a certain breadth, and the +natives are obliged to keep them in order. But their meanness and +impudence is so great that they have gradually, year by year, extended +the fences along their lands on to these roads, thus encroaching +upon the high road. They see more and more that land is valuable on +account of the harvests, and therefore do not leave a foot of ground +uncultivated when the time of the rainy season is near. This is quite +different from formerly; so much so, that the lands are worth not +only thrice but about four or five times as much as formerly. This +may be seen when the lands are sold by public auction, and it may +be also considered whether the people of Jaffnapatam are really so +badly off as to find it necessary to agitate for an abatement of the +tithes. The Dessave must therefore see that these roads are extended +again to their original breadth and condition, punishing those who +may have encroached on the roads.[70] + +The Company's elephant stalls have been allowed to fall into decay +like the churches, and they must be repaired as soon as possible, +which is also a matter within the province of the Dessave.[71] + +Great expectations were cherished by some with regard to the thornback +skins, Amber de gris, Besoar stones, Carret, and tusks from the +elephants that died in the Company's stalls, but experience did +not justify these hopes. As these points have been dealt with in the +Compendium of November 26, 1693, by Commandeur Blom, I would here refer +to that document. I cannot add anything to what is stated there.[72] + +The General Paresse is a ceremony which the Mudaliyars, Collectors, +Majoraals, Aratchchies, &c., have to perform twice a year on behalf +of the whole community, appearing together before the Commandeur in +the fort. This is an obligation to which they have been subject from +heathen times, partly to show their submission, partly to report on +the condition of the country, and partly to give them an opportunity +to make any request for the general welfare. As this Paresse tends +to the interest of the Company as Sovereign Power on the one hand +and to that of the inhabitants on the other hand, the custom must be +kept up. When the Commandeur is absent at the time of this Paresse +Your Honours could meet together and receive the chiefs. It is held +once during the northern and once during the southern monsoon, without +being bound to any special day, as circumstances may require it to be +held earlier or later. During my absence the day is to be fixed by the +Dessave, as land regent. Any proposal made by the native chiefs must +be carefully written down by the Secretary, so that it may be possible +to send a report of it to His Excellency the Governor and the Council +if it should be of importance. All transactions must be carefully +noted down and inserted in the journal, so that it may be referred to +whenever necessary. The practice introduced by the Onderkoopman William +de Ridder in Manaar of requiring the Pattangatyns from the opposite +coast to attend not twice but twelve times a year or once a month is +unreasonable, and the people have rightly complained thereof. This +practice must not be introduced again. Mr. De Ridder also appointed +a second Cannekappul, which seems quite unnecessary, considering the +small amount of work to be done there for the natives. Jeronimo could +be discharged and Gonsalvo retained, the latter having been specially +sent from Calpentyn by His Excellency Governor Thomas van Rhee and +being the senior in the service. Of how little consequence the work +at Manaar was considered by His Excellency Governor van Mydregt may +be seen from the fact that His Excellency ordered that no Opperhoofd +should be stationed there nor any accounts kept, but that the fort +should be commanded by an Ensign as chief of the military. A second +Cannekappul is therefore superfluous, and the Company could be saved +the extra expense.[73] + +I could make reference to a large number of other matters, but it +would be tedious to read and remember them all. I will therefore now +leave in Your Honours' care the government of a Commandement from which +much profit may be derived for the Company, and where the inhabitants, +though deceitful, cunning, and difficult to rule, yet obey through +fear; as they are cowardly, and will do what is right more from fear of +punishment than from love of righteousness. I hope that Your Honours +may have a more peaceful time than I had, for you are well aware +how many difficulties, persecutions, and public slights I have had to +contend with, and how difficult my government was through these causes, +and through continual indisposition, especially of late. However, +Jaffnapatam has been blessed by God during that period, as may be seen +from what has been stated in this Memoir. I hope that Your Honours' +dilligence and experience may supplement the defects in this Memoir, +and, above all, that you will try to live and work together in harmony, +for in that way the Company will be served best. There are people who +will purposely cause dissension among the members of the Council, +with a view to further their own ends or that of some other party, +much to the injury of the person who permits them to do so.[74] + +The Political Council consists at present of the following members:-- + + +Ryklof de Bitter, Dessave, Opperkoopman. +Jan van der Bruggen, Captain. +Abraham M. Biermans, Administrateur. +Claas Isaacsz, Lieutenant. +Pieter Boscho, Onderkoopman, Store- and Thombo-keeper. +Johannes van Groenevelde, Fiscaal. +Pieter Bout, Cashier and Secretary. + + +With a view to enable His Excellency the Governor and the Council to +alter or amplify this Memoir in compliance with the orders from Their +Excellencies at Batavia, cited at the commencement of this document, +I have purposely written on half of the pages only, so that final +instructions might be added, as mine are only provisional. In case +Your Honours should require any of the documents cited which are +not kept here at the Secretariate, they may be applied for from His +Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo. Wishing Your +Honours God's blessing, and all prosperity in the administration of +this extensive Commandement, + + +I remain, Sirs, +Yours faithfully, +H. ZWAARDECROON. + +Jaffnapatam, January 1, 1697. + + + + + + + +APPENDIX. + + +A.--The above Instructions were ready for Your Honours when, on +January 31 last, the yacht "Bekenstyn" brought a letter from Colombo +dated January 18, in which we were informed of the arrival of our new +Governor, His Excellency Gerrit de Heere. By the same vessel an extract +was sent from a letter of the Supreme Government of India of October +19 last, in which my transfer to Mallabaar has been ordered. But, +much as I had wished to serve the Company on that coast, I could +not at once obey the order owing to a serious illness accompanied +by a fit, with which it pleased the Lord to afflict me on January +18. Although not yet quite recovered, I have preferred to undertake +the voyage to Mallabaar without putting it off for another six months, +trusting that God will help me duly to serve my superiors, although +the latter course seemed more advisable on account of my state of +health. As some matters have occurred and some questions have arisen +since the writing of my Memoir, I have to add here a few explanations. + +B.--Together with the above-mentioned letter from Colombo, of January +18, we also received a document signed by both Their Excellencies +Governors Thomas van Rhee and Gerrit de Heere, by which all trade +in Ceylon except that of cinnamon is made open and free to every +one. Since no extract from the letter from Batavia with regard to this +matter was enclosed, I have been in doubt as to how far the permission +spoken of in that document was to be extended. As I am setting down +here my doubt on this point, His Excellency the Governor and the +Council of Colombo will, I have no doubt, give further information +upon it. I suppose that the trade in elephants is excepted as well +as that in cinnamon, and that it is still prohibited to capture, +transport, or sell these animals otherwise than on behalf of the +Company, either directly or indirectly, as has been the usage so far. + +C.--I suppose there will be no necessity now to obtain the areca-nuts +as ordered in the Instructions from Colombo of March 23, 1695, but +that these nuts are included among the articles open to free trade, +so that they may be now brought from Jaffnapatam through the Wanni to +Tondy, Madura, and Coromandel, as well as to other places in Ceylon, +provided the payment of the usual Customs duty of the Alphandigo, +[69] which is 7 1/2 per cent. for export, and that it may also be +freely transported through the Passes on the borders of the Wanni, and +that no Customs duty is to be paid except when it is sent by sea. I +understand that the same will be the rule for cotton, pepper, &c., +brought from the Wanni to be sent by sea. This will greatly increase +the Alphandigo, so that the conditions for the farming of these must +be altered for the future accordingly. If the Customs duty were also +charged at the Passes, the farming out of these would still increase, +but I do not think that it would benefit the Company very much, because +there are many opportunities for smuggling beyond these three Passes, +and the expenditure of keeping guards would be far too great. The +duty being recovered as Alphandigo, there is no chance of smuggling, +as the vessels have to be provided with proper passports. All vessels +from Jaffnapatam are inspected at the Waterfort, Hammenhiel and at +the redoubt Point Pedro. + +D.--In my opinion the concession of free trade will necessitate the +remission of the duty on the Jaffnapatam native and foreign cloths, +because otherwise Jaffnapatam would be too heavily taxed compared +with other places, as the duty is 20 and 25 per cent. I think both +the cloths made here and those imported from outside ought to be +taxed through the Alphandigo of 7 1/2 per cent. This would still more +increase the duty, and this must be borne in mind when these revenues +are farmed out next December, if His Excellency the Governor and the +Council approve of my advice. The duty of 25 per cent. is far too +high, and it must be remembered that this was a duty imposed with a +view to prevent the weaving of cloths and to secure the monopoly of +the trade to the Company, and not in order to make a revenue out of +it. This project did not prove a success; but I will not enter into +details about it, as these may be found in the questions submitted +by me to the Council of Ceylon on January 22, 1695, and I have also +mentioned them in this Memoir under the heading of Rents. + +E.--It seems to me that henceforth the people of Jaffnapatam would, +as a result of this free trade, be no longer bound to deliver to the +Company the usual 24 casks of coconut oil yearly before they are +allowed to export their nuts. This rule was laid down in a letter +from Colombo of October 13, 1696, with a view to prevent Ceylon being +obliged to obtain coconut oil from outside. This duty was imposed +upon Jaffnapatam, because the trees in Galle and Matura had become +unfruitful from the Company's elephants having to be fed with the +leaves. The same explanation was not urged with regard to Negombo, +which is so much nearer to Colombo than Galle, Matura, or Jaffnapatam, +and it is a well-known fact that many of the ships from Jaffnapatam +and other places are sent with coconuts from Negombo to Coromandel +or Tondel, while the nuts from the lands of the owners there are held +back. I expect therefore that the new Governor His Excellency Gerrit +de Heere and the Council of Colombo will give us further instructions +with regard to this matter. More details may be found in this Memoir +under the heading of Coconut Trees. + +F.--A letter was received from Colombo, bearing date March 4 last, +in which was enclosed a form of a passport which appears to have been +introduced there after the opening of the free trade, with orders to +introduce the same here. This has been done already during my presence +here and must be continued. + +G.--In the letter of the 9th instant we received various and important +instructions which must be carried out. An answer to this letter was +sent by us on the 22nd of the same month. One of these instructions is +to the effect that a new road should be cut for the elephants which are +to be sent from Colombo. Another requires the compilation of various +lists, one of which is to be a list of all lands belonging to the +Company or given away on behalf of it, with a statement showing by +whom, to whom, when, and why they were granted. I do not think this +order refers to Jaffnapatam, because all fields were sold during the +time of Commandeur Vosch and others. Only a few small pieces of land +were discovered during the compilation of the new Land Thombo, which +some of the natives had been cultivating. A few wild palmyra trees +have been found in the Province of Patchelepalle, but these and the +lands have been entered in the new Thombo. We cannot therefore very +well furnish such a list of lands as regards Jaffnapatam, because +the Company does not possess any, but if desired a copy of the new +Land Thombo (which will consist of several reams of imperial paper) +could be sent. I do not, however, think this is meant, since there is +not a single piece of land in Jaffnapatam for which no taxes are paid, +and it is for the purpose of finding this out that the new Thombo is +being compiled. + +H.--The account between the Moorish elephant purchasers and the +Company through the Brahmin Timmerza as its agent, about which so +much has been written, was settled on August 31 last, and so also +was the account of the said Timmerza himself and the Company. A +difficulty arises now as to how the business with these people is +to be transacted; because three of the principal merchants from +Galconda arrived here the other day with three cheques to the amount +of 7,145 Pagodas in the name of the said Timmerza. According to the +orders by His Excellency Thomas van Rhee the latter is no longer to +be employed as the Company's agent, so there is some irregularity +in the issue of these cheques and this order, in which it is stated +that the cheques must bear the names of the purchasers themselves, +while on the other hand the purchasers made a special request that +the amount due to them might be paid to their attorneys in cash or +elephants through the said Timmerza. However this may be, I do not +wish to enter into details, as these matters, like many others, had +been arranged by His Excellency the Governor and the Council without +my knowledge or advice. Your Honours must await an answer from His +Excellency the Governor Gerrit de Heere and the Council of Colombo, +and follow the instructions they will send with regard to the said +cheques; and the same course may be followed as regards the cheques +of two other merchants who may arrive here just about the time of my +departure. I cannot specify the amount here, as I did not see these +people for want of time. The merchants of Golconda have also requested +that, as they have no broker to deal with, they may be allowed an +advance by the Company in case they run short of cash, which request +has been communicated in our letter to Colombo of the 4th instant. + +I.--As we had only provision of rice for this Commandement for +about nine months, application has been made to Negapatam for 20,000 +paras of rice, but a vessel has since arrived at Kayts from Bengal, +belonging to the Nabob of Kateck, by name Kaimgaarehen, and loaded as +I am informed with very good rice. If this be so, the grain might be +purchased on behalf of the Company, and in that case the order for +nely from Negapatam could be countermanded. It must be remembered, +however, that the rice from Bengal cannot be stored away, but must +be consumed as soon as possible, which is not the case with that of +Negapatam. The people from Bengal must be well treated and assisted +wherever possible without prejudice to the Company; so that they +may be encouraged to come here more often and thus help us to make +provision for the need of grain, which is always a matter of great +concern here. I have already treated of the Moorish trade and also +of the trade in grain between Trincomalee and Batticaloa, and will +only add here that since the arrival of the said vessel the price +has been reduced from 6 to 5 and 4 fannums the para. + +K.--On my return from Colombo last year the bargemen of the Company's +pontons submitted a petition in which they complained that they had +been obliged to make good the value of all the rice that had been lost +above 1 per cent. from the cargoes that had been transported from +Kayts to the Company's stores. They complained that the measuring +had not been done fairly, and that a great deal had been blown away +by the strong south-west winds; also that there had been much dust in +the nely, and that besides this it was impossible for them to prevent +the native crew who had been assigned to them from stealing the grain +both by day and night, especially since rice had become so expensive +on account of the scarcity. I appointed a Committee to investigate +this matter, but as it has been postponed through my illness, Your +Honours must now take the matter in hand and have it decided by +the Council. In future such matters must always be brought before +the Council, as no one has the right to condemn others on his own +authority. The excuse of the said bargemen does not seem to carry +much weight, but they are people who have served the Company for 30 +or 40 years and have never been known to commit fraud. It must also +be made a practice in future that these people are held responsible +for their cargo only till they reach the harbour where it is unloaded, +as they can only guard it on board of their vessels. + +L.--I have spoken before of the suspicion I had with regard to the +changing of golden Pagodas, and with a view to have more security in +future I have ordered the cashier Bout to accept no Pagodas except +directly from the Accountant at Negapatam, who is responsible for the +value of the Pagodas. He must send them to the cashier in packets of +100 at a time, which must be sealed. + +M.--The administration of the entire Commandement having been left by +me to the Opperkoopman and Dessave Mr. Ryklof de Bitter and the other +members of the Council, this does not agree with the orders from the +Supreme Government of India contained in their letter of October 19 +last year, but since the Dessave de Bitter has since been appointed as +the chief of the Committee for the pearl fishery and has left already, +it will be for His Excellency the Governor and the Council to decide +whether the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz is to be entrusted with the +administration, as was done last year. + +Wishing Your Honours for the second time God's blessing, + + +I remain, +Yours faithfully, +(Signed) H. ZWAARDECROON. + +On board the yacht "Bekenstyn," in the harbour of +Manaar, March 29, 1697. + + + + + + + +SHORT NOTES by Gerrit de Heere, Governor of the Island of Ceylon, + on the chief points raised in these Instructions of Commandeur + Hendrick Zwaardecroon, for the guidance of the Opperkoopman + Mr. Ryklof de Bitter, Second in authority and Dessave of the + Commandement, and the other members of the Political Council of + Jaffnapatam. Where the notes contradict the Instructions the orders + conveyed by the former are to be followed. In other respects the + Instructions must be observed, as approved by Their Excellencies + the Governor-General and the Council of India. + + +1. The form of Government, as approved at the time mentioned here, must +be also observed with regard to the Dessave and Secunde, Mr. Ryklof +de Bitter, as has been confirmed by the Honourable the Government of +Batavia in their special letter of October 19 last. + +2. What is stated here is reasonable and in compliance with the +Instructions, but with regard to the recommendation to send to +Mr. Zwaardecroon by Manaar and Tutucorin advices and communications +of all that transpires in this Commandement, I think it would be +sufficient, as Your Honours have also to give an account to us, and +this would involve too much writing, to communicate occasionally +and in general terms what is going on, and to send him a copy of +the Compendium which is yearly compiled for His Excellency the +Governor. This we authorize Mr. de Bitter and the other members of +Council to do. + +3. We fully confirm the recommendation here given. + +4. The Wanni, the largest territory here, has been divided by the +Company into several Provinces, which have been given in usufruct to +some Majoraals, who bear the title of Wannias, on the condition that +they should yearly deliver to the Company 42 1/2 alias (elephants). The +distribution of these tributes is as follows:-- + + + Alias. + Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar Ilengenarenne, + for the Provinces of-- + Pannegamo 17 + Pelleallacoelan 2 + Poedicoerie-irpoe 2 + ---- 21 + + Don Diogo Poevenelle Mapane, for the Provinces of-- + Carrecattemoele 7 + Meelpattoe 5 + ---- 12 + + Don Amblewannar, for the Province of-- + Carnamelpattoe 4 + + Don Chedoega Welemapane, for the Province of-- + Tinnemerwaddoe 2 + + Don Peria Meynaar, for the Province of-- + Moeliawalle 3 1/2 + ====== + Total 42 1/2 + + +The accumulated arrears from the years 1680 to 1694, of which they +were discharged, amounted to 333 1/2 elephants. From that time up to +the present day the arrears have again accumulated to 86 3/4 alias, +namely:-- + + + Alias. + Don Philip Nellamapane 57 1/2 + Don Diogo Poevenelle Mapane 23 + Peria Meynaar Oediaar 4 3/4 + Chedoega Welemapane 1 1/2 + ====== + Total 86 3/4 + + +The result proves that all the honour and favours shown to these people +do not induce them to pay up their tribute; but on the contrary, +as has been shown in the annexed Memoir, they allow them to go on +increasing. This is the reason I would not suffer the indignity of +requesting payment from them, but told them seriously that this would +be superfluous in the case of men of their eminence; which they, +however, entirely ignored. I then exhorted them in the most serious +terms to pay up their dues, saying that I would personally come within +a year to see whether they had done so. As this was also disregarded, +I dismissed them. Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar Ilengenarenne, +who owed 57 1/2 alias, made the excuse that these arrears were caused +by the bad terms on which they were with each other, and asked that +I would dissociate them, so that each could pay his own tribute. I +agreed that they should arrange with the Dessave about the different +lands, writing down on ola the arrangements made, and submitting them +to me for approval; but as I have heard no more about the matter up +to the present day, I fear that they only raised these difficulties +to make believe that they were unable to pay, and to try to get the +Company again to discharge them from the delivery of their tribute +of 21 elephants for next year. It would perhaps be better to do this +than to be continually fooled by these people. But you have all +seen how tremblingly they appeared before me (no doubt owing to a +bad conscience), and how they followed the palanquin of the Dessave +like boys, all in order to obtain more favourable conditions; but I +see no reason why they should not pay, and think they must be urged +to do so. They have promised however to pay up their arrears as soon +as possible, so that we will have to wait and see; while Don Diogo +Poevenelle Mapane also has to deliver his 23 alias. In compliance with +the orders from Colombo of May 11, 1696, Don Philip Nellamapane will be +allowed to sell one elephant yearly to the Moors, on the understanding +that he had delivered his tribute, and not otherwise; while the sale +must be in agreement with the orders of Their Excellencies at Batavia, +contained in their letter of November 13, 1683. The other Provinces, +Carnamelpattoe, Tinnemerwaddoe, and Moeliawalle are doing fairly well, +and the tribute for these has been paid; although it is rather small +and consists only of 9 1/2 alias (elephants), which the Wannias there, +however, deliver regularly, or at least do not take very long in +doing so. Perhaps they could furnish more elephants in lieu of the +tithes of the harvest, and it would not matter if the whole of it +were paid in this way, because this amount could be made up for by +supplies from the lands of Colombo, Galle, and Matara, or a larger +quantity could be ordered overland. + +That the Master of the Hunt, Don Gasper Nitchenchen Aderayen, should, +as if he were a sovereign, have put to death a Lascoreen and a hunter +under the old Don Gaspar on his own responsibility, is a matter which +will result in very bad consequences; but I have heard rumours to +the effect that it was not his work, but his father's (Don Philip +Nellamapane). With regard to these people Your Honours must observe +the Instructions of Mr. Zwaardecroon, and their further actions must be +watched; because of their conspiracies with the Veddas, in one of which +the brother of Cottapulle Odiaar is said to have been killed. Time +does not permit it, otherwise I would myself hold an inquiry. + +5. Mantotte, Moesely, and Pirringaly, which Provinces are ruled by +officers paid by the Company, seem to be doing well; because the +Company received from there a large number of elephants, besides the +tithes of the harvest, which are otherwise drawn by the Wannias. The +two Wannias, Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar, complain that +they do not receive the tribute of two elephants due to them from the +inhabitants of Pirringaly, but I do not find in the decree published +by Commandeur Blom on June 11, 1693, in favour of the inhabitants, +any statement that they owe such tribute for liberation from the rule +of the Wannias, but only that they (these Wannias) will be allowed +to capture elephants. These Wannias, however, sent me a dirty little +document, bearing date May 12, 1694, in which it is stated that the +hunters of Pirringaly had delivered at Manaar for Pannengamo in the +year 1693 two alias, each 4-3/8 cubits high. If more evidence could be +found, it might be proved that such payment of 2 alias yearly really +had to be made, and it would be well for Your Honours to investigate +this matter, because it is very necessary to protect and assist the +hunters as much as possible, as a reward for their diligence in the +capture of elephants. Payment must be made to them in compliance with +the orders of His Excellency van Mydregt. + +6. Ponneryn, the third Province from which elephants should +be obtained, and which, like Illepoecarwe, Polweraincattoe, and +Mantotte, was ruled formerly by an Adigar or Lieutenant-Dessave, +was doing fairly well; because the Company received yearly on an +average no less than 25 alias, besides the tithes of the harvest, +until in 1690 the mode of government was changed, and the revenue of +Ponneryn was granted by public decree to the young Don Gaspar by the +Lord Commissioner van Mydregt, while those of the other two Provinces +were granted to the old Don Gaspar, on condition that the young Don +Gaspar would capture and deliver to the Company all elephants which +could be obtained in the said Provinces, while the inhabitants of +Ponneryn would be obliged to obey the Master of the Hunt as far as +their services should be required by the Company and as they had been +accustomed to render. This new arrangement did not prove a success; +because, during seven years, he only delivered 44 elephants, although +in the annexed Memoir it is stated that he delivered 74. Of these 44 +animals, 7 were tuskers and 37 alias, viz.:-- + + + Elephants. + + For 1690 4 + 1691-92 6 + 1692-93 5 + 1693-94 16 + 1694-95 13 + ==== + Total 44 + + +During the last two years he did not deliver a single animal, +so that the Company lost on account of this Master of the Hunt, +131 elephants. He only appropriated the tithes of the harvest, and +did not care in the least about the hunt, so that the Company is even +prevented from obtaining what it would have received by the old method; +and, I must say, I do not understand how these privileges have been +granted so long where they are so clearly against the interest of the +Company, besides being the source of unlawful usurpation practised +over the inhabitants, which is directly against the said deeds of +gift. The elephant hunters have repeatedly applied to be relieved of +their authority and to be allowed to serve again under the Company. For +these reasons, as Your Honour is aware, I have considered it necessary +for the service of the Company to provisionally appoint the sergeant +Albert Hendriksz, who, through his long residence in these Provinces, +has gained a great deal of experience, Adigar over Ponneryn; which +was done at the request of the elephant hunters. He will continue the +capture of elephants with the hunters without regard to the Master of +the Hunt, and Your Honour must give him all the assistance required, +because the hunt has been greatly neglected. Your Honour may allow +both the Don Gaspars to draw the tithes of the harvest until our +authorities at Batavia will have disposed of this matter. + +7. The trade in elephants is undoubtedly the most important, as +the rest does not amount to much more than Rds. 7,000 to 9,000 a +year. During the year 1695-1696 the whole of the sale amounted to +Fl. 33,261.5, including a profit of Fl. 15,137.9.11. We find it stated +in the annexed Memoir that the merchants spoilt their own market by +bidding against each other at the public auctions, but whether this +was really the case we will not discuss here. I positively disapprove +of the complicated and impractical way in which this trade has been +carried on for some years, and which was opposed to the interests +of the Company. I therefore considered it necessary to institute +the public auctions, by which, compared with the former method, the +Company has already gained a considerable amount; which is, however, +no more than what it was entitled to, without it being of the least +prejudice to the trade. I will not enlarge on this subject further, +as all particulars relating to it and everything connected with it may +be found in our considerations and speculations and in the decisions +arrived at in accordance therewith, which are contained in the daily +resolutions from July 24 to August 20 inclusive, a copy of which was +left with Your Honours, and to which I refer you. As to the changed +methods adopted this year, these are not to be altered by any one +but Their Excellencies at Batavia, whose orders I will be obliged +and pleased to receive. As a number of elephants was sold last year +for the sum of Rds. 53,357, it was a pity that they could not all +be transported at once, without a number of 126 being left behind on +account of the northern winds. We have therefore started the sale a +little earlier this year, and kept the vessels in readiness, so that +all the animals may be easily transported during August next. On the +20th of this month all purchasers were, to their great satisfaction, +ready to depart, and requested and obtained leave to do so. This year +the Company sold at four different auctions the number of 86 elephants +for the sum of Rds. 36,950, 16 animals being left unsold for want of +cash among the purchasers, who are ready to depart with about 200 +animals which they are at present engaged in putting on board. The +practice of the early preparation of vessels and the holding of +public auctions must be always observed, because it is a great loss +to the merchants to have to stay over for a whole year, while the +Company also suffers thereby, because in the meantime the animals +do not change masters. It is due to this reason and to the want of +ready cash that this year 16 animals were left unsold. In future it +must be a regular practice in Ceylon to have all the elephants that +are to be sold brought to these Provinces before July 1, so that all +preparations may be made to hold the auctions about the middle of July, +or, if the merchants do not arrive so soon, on August 1. Meanwhile +all the required vessels must be got ready, so that no animals need be +left behind on account of contrary winds. As we have now cut a road, +by which the elephants may be led from Colombo, Galle, and Matura, +as was done successfully one or two months ago, when in two trips +from Matura, Galle, Colombo, Negombo, and Putulang were brought here +with great convenience the large number of 63 elephants, the former +plan of transporting the animals in native vessels from Galle and +Colombo can be dropped now, a few experiments having been made and +proving apparently unsuccessful. It must be seen that at least 12 or +15 elephants are trained for the hunt, as a considerable number is +always required, especially if the animals from Putulang have to be +fetched by land. For this reason I have ordered that two out of the 16 +animals that were left from the sale and who have some slight defects, +but which do not unfit them for this work, should be trained, viz., +No 22, 5 3/8 cubits high, and No. 72, 5 1/2 cubits high, which may +be employed to drive the other animals. Meanwhile the Dessave must +see that the two animals which, as he is aware, were lent to Don +Diogo, are returned to the Company. These animals were not counted +among those belonging to the Company, which was very careless. As is +known to Your Honours, we have abolished the practice of branding the +animals twice with the mark circled V, as was done formerly, once when +they were sent to these Provinces and again when they were sold, and +consider it better to mark them only once with a number, beginning +with No. 1, 2, 3, &c., up to No. 100. Ten iron brand numbers have +been made for this purpose. If there are more than 100 animals, they +must begin again with number 1, and as a mark of distinction a cross +must be put after each number, which rule must be observed in future, +especially as the merchants were pleased with it and as it is the best +way of identifying the animals. We trust that with the opening of the +King's harbours the plan of obtaining the areca-nut from the King's +territory by water will be unnecessary, but the plan of obtaining +these nuts by way of the Wanni will be dealt with in the Appendix. + +8. The trade with the Moors from Bengal must be protected, and these +people fairly and reasonably dealt with, so that we may secure the +necessary supply of grain and victuals. We do not see any reason +why these and other merchants should not be admitted to the sale of +elephants, as was done this year, when every one was free to purchase +as he pleased. The people of Dalpatterau only spent half of their +cash, because they wished to wait till next year for animals which +should be more to their liking. His Excellency the High Commissioner +informed me that he had invited not only the people from Golconda, +but also those of Tanhouwer, [70] &c., to take part in that trade, +and this may be done, especially now that the prospects seem to all +appearances favourable; while from the districts of Colombo, Galle, +and Matura a sufficient number of elephants may be procured to make +up for the deficiency in Jaffnapatam, if we only know a year before +what number would be required, which must be always inquired into. + +As the Manaar chanks are not in demand in Bengal, we have kept here a +quantity of 36 1/2 Couren of different kinds, intending to sell in the +usual commercial way to the Bengal merchants here present; but they +did not care to take it, and said plainly that the chanks were not of +the required size or colour; they must therefore be sent to Colombo by +the first opportunity, to be sent on to Bengal next year to be sold at +any price, as this will be better than having them lying here useless. + +9. The subject of the inhabitants has been treated of in such a way +that it is unnecessary for me to add anything. + +10. With regard to the tithes, I agree with Mr. Zwaardecroon that +the taxes need not be reduced, especially as I never heard that the +inhabitants asked for this to be done. It will be the duty of the +Dessave to see that the tenth of the harvest of the waste lands, +which were granted with exemption of taxes for a certain period, is +brought into the Company's stores after the stated period has expired. + +11. Poll tax.--It is necessary that a beginning should be made with +the work of revising the Head Thombo, and that the names of the old +and infirm people and of those that have died should be taken off the +list, while the names of the youths who have reached the required age +are entered. This renovation should take place once in three years, +and the Dessave as Land Regent should sometimes assist in this work. + +12. Officie Gelden.--It will be very well if this be divided according +to the number of people in each caste, so that each individual pays +his share, instead of the amount being demanded from each caste as +a whole, because it is apparent that the Majoraals have profited by +the old method. + +13. No remarks are at present necessary with regard to the Adigary. + +14. The Oely service, imposed upon those castes which are bound to +serve, must be looked after, as this is the only practicable means +of continuing the necessary works. The idea of raising the fine for +non-attendance from 2 stivers, which they willingly pay, to 4 stivers +or one fanam, [71] is not bad, but I found this to be the practise +already for many years, as may be seen from the annexed account of two +parties of men who had been absent, which most likely was overlooked +by mistake. This is yet stronger evidence that the circumstances +of the inhabitants have improved, and I therefore think it would be +well to raise the chicos from 4 stivers to 6 stivers or 1 1/2 fanam, +with a view to finding out whether the men will then be more diligent +in the performance of their duty; because the work must be carried on +by every possible means. Your Honours are again seriously recommended +to see that the sicos or fines specified in the annexed Memoir are +collected without delay, and also the amount still due for 1693, +because such delay cannot but be prejudicial to the Company. The old +and infirm people whose names are not entered in the new Thombo must +still deliver mats, and kernels for coals for the smith's shop. No +objections will be raised to this if they see that we do not slacken +in our supervision. + +15. Tax Collectors and Majoraals.--The payment of the taxes does not +seem satisfactory, because only Rds. 180 have been paid yet out of +the Rds. 2,975.1 due as sicos for the year 1695. It would be well +if these officers could be transferred according to the Instructions +of 1673 and 1675. It used to be the practice to transfer them every +three years; but I think it will be trouble in vain now, because when +an attempt was made to have these offices filled by people of various +castes, it caused such commotion and uproar that it was not considered +advisable to persist in this course except where the interest of the +Company made it strictly necessary. Perhaps a gradual change could +be brought about by filling the places of some of the Bellales when +they die by persons of other castes, which I think could be easily +done. Although Mr. Zwaardecroon seems to think it desirable that +the appointment of new officials for vacancies and the issuing of +the actens should be deferred till his return from Mallabaar or +until another Commandeur should come over, we trust that he does +not mean that these appointments could not be made by the Governor +of the Island or by the person authorized by him to do so. If the +Commandeur were present, such appointment should not be made without +his knowledge, especially after the example of the commotion caused +by the transfer of these officers in this Commandement, but in order +that Your Honours may not be at a loss what to do, it will be better +for you not to wait for the return of Mr. Zwaardecroon from Mallabaar, +nor for the arrival of any other Commandeur, but to refer these and +all other matters concerning this Commandement, which is subordinate +to us, to Colombo to the Governor and Council, so that proper advice +in debita forma may be given. + +16. The Lascoreens certainly make better messengers than soldiers. The +Dessave must therefore maintain discipline among them, and take +care that no men bound to perform other duties are entered as +Lascoreens. This they often try to bring about in order to be +excused from labour, and the Company is thus deprived of labourers +and is put to great inconvenience. I noticed this to be the case in +Colombo during the short time I was in Ceylon, when the labour had to +be supplied by the Company's slaves. There seems to be no danger of +another famine for some time, as the crop in Coromandel has turned out +very well. We cannot therefore agree to an increase of pay, although +it is true that the present wages of the men are very low. It must +be remembered, however, that they are also very simple people, who +have but few wants, and are not always employed in the service of +the Company; so that they may easily earn something besides if they +are not too lazy. We will therefore keep their wages for the present +at the rate they have been at for so many years; especially because +it is our endeavour to reduce the heavy expenditure of the Company +by every practicable means. We trust that there was good reason why +the concession made by His Excellency the Extraordinary Councillor +of India, Mr. Laurens Pyl, in favour of the Lascoreens has not been +executed, and we consider that on account of the long interval that +has elapsed it is no longer of application. The proposal to transfer +the Lascoreens in this Commandement twice, or at least once a year, +will be a good expedient for the reasons stated. + +17. The importation of slaves from the opposite coast seems to be most +profitable to the inhabitants of Jaffnapatam, as no less a number +than 3,584 were brought across in two years' time, for which they +paid 9,856 guilders as duty. It would be better if they imported a +larger quantity of rice or nely, because there is so often a scarcity +of food supplies here. It is also true that the importation of so many +slaves increases the number of people to be fed, and that the Wannias +could make themselves more formidable with the help of these men, so +that there is some reason for the question whether the Company does +not run the risk of being put to inconvenience with regard to this +Commandement. Considering also that the inhabitants have suffered +from chicken-pox since the importation of slaves, which may endanger +whole Provinces, I think it will be well to prevent the importation of +slaves. As to the larger importation on account of the famine on the +opposite coast, where these creatures were to be had for a handful of +rice, this will most likely cease now, after the better harvest. The +danger with regard to the Wannias I do not consider so very great, as +the rule of the Company is such that the inhabitants prefer it to the +extreme hardships they had to undergo under the Wannia chiefs, and they +would kill them if not for fear of the power of the Company. Therefore +I think it unnecessary to have any apprehension on this score. + +18. Rice and nely are the two articles which are always wanting, +not only in Jaffnapatam, but throughout Ceylon all over the Company's +territory, and therefore the officers of the Government must constantly +guard against a monopoly being made of this grain. This opportunity +is taken to recommend the matter to Your Honours as regards this +Commandement. + +19. I do not consider any remarks necessary with regard to the +native trade. I agree, however, with the method practised by +Mr. Zwaardecroon in order to prevent the monopoly of grain, viz., +that all vessels returning with grain, which the owners take to Point +Pedro, Tellemanaar, and Wallewitteture, often under false pretexts, +in order to hide it there, should be ordered to sail to Kayts. This +matter is recommended to Your Honours' attention. + +20. With regard to the coconut trees, we find that more difficulties +are raised about the order from Colombo of October 13 last, for the +delivery of 24 casks of coconut oil, than is necessary, considering +the large number of trees found in this country. It seems to me that +this could be easily done; because, according to what is published from +time to time, and from what is stated in the Pass Book, it appears that +during the period of five years 1692 to 1696 inclusive, a number of +5,397,800 of these nuts were exported, besides the quantity smuggled +and the number consumed within this Commandement. Calculating that +one cask, or 400 cans of 10 quarterns, of oil can be easily drawn from +5,700 coconuts (that is to say, in Colombo: in this Commandement 6,670 +nuts would be required for the same quantity, and thus, for the whole +supply of 24 casks, 160,080 nuts would be necessary), I must say I do +not understand why this order should be considered so unreasonable, +and why the Company's subjects could not supply this quantity for +good payment. Instead of issuing licenses for the export of the nuts +it will be necessary to prohibit it, because none of either of the +kinds of oil demanded has been delivered. I do not wish to express +my opinion here, but will only state that shortly after my arrival, +I found that the inhabitants on their own account gladly delivered the +oil at the Company's stores at the rate of 3 fanams or Rd. 1/4 per +marcal of 36 quarterns, even up to 14 casks, and since then, again, +10 casks have been delivered, and they still continue to do so. They +also delivered 3 amen of margosa oil, while the Political Council +were bold enough to assert in their letter of April 4 last that it +was absolutely impossible to send either of the two kinds of oil, +the excuse being that they had not even sufficient for their own +requirements. How far this statement can be relied upon I will not +discuss here; but I recommend to Your Honours to be more truthful +and energetic in future, and not to trouble us with unnecessary +correspondence, as was done lately; although so long as the Dessave +is present I have better expectations. + +21. No remarks are necessary on the subject of the iron and steel +tools, except that there is the more reason why what is recommended +here must be observed; because the free trade with Coromandel and +Palecatte has been opened this year by order of the Honourable the +Supreme Government of India. + +22. It is very desirable that the palmyra planks and laths should +be purchased by the Dessave. As reference is made here to the large +demand for Colombo and Negapatam, I cannot refrain from remarking +that the demand from Negapatam has been taken much more notice of +than that from Colombo; because, within a period of four years, no +more than 1,970 planks and 19,652 laths have been sent here, which was +by no means sufficient, and in consequence other and far less durable +wood had to be used. We also had to obtain laths from private persons +at Jaffnapatam at a high rate and of inferior quality. I therefore +specially request that during the next northern monsoon the following +are sent to this Commandement of Colombo, [72] where several necessary +building operations are to be undertaken:--4,000 palmyra planks in +two kinds, viz., 2,000 planks, four out of one tree; 2,000 planks, +three out of one tree; 20,000 palmyra laths. Your Honour must see that +this timber is sent to Colombo by any opportunity that offers itself. + +23. It will be necessary to train another able person for the +supervision of the felling of timber, so that we may not be put to +any inconvenience in case of the death of the old sergeant. Such +a person must be well acquainted with the country and the forests, +and the advice here given must be followed. + +24. Charcoal, which is burnt from kernels, has been mentioned under +the heading of the Oely service, where it is stated who are bound +to deliver it. These persons must be kept up to the mark, but as +a substitute in times of necessity 12 hoeden [73] of coals were +sent last January as promised to Your Honour. This must, however, +be economically used. + +25. As stated here, the bark-lunt is more a matter of convenience +than of importance. It is, however, necessary to continue exacting +this duty, being an old right of the lord of the land; but on the +other hand it must be seen that too much is not extorted. + +26. The coral stone is a great convenience, and it would be well +if it could be found in more places in Ceylon, when so many hoekers +would not be required to bring the lime from Tutucorin. + +27. The lime found here is also a great convenience and profit, +as that which is required in this Commandement is obtained free of +cost. When no more lime is required for Coromandel, the 8,000 or 9,000 +paras from Cangature must be taken to Kayts as soon as possible in +payment of what the lime-burners still owe. If it can be proved that +any amount is still due, they must return it in cash, as proposed +by Commandeur Zwaardecroon, which Your Honour is to see to. But as +another order has come from His Excellency the Governor of Coromandel +for 100 lasts of lime, it will be easier to settle this account. + +28. The dye-roots have been so amply treated of here and in such a way +that I recommend to Your Honour to follow the advice given. I would +add some remarks on the subject if want of time did not prevent my +doing so. + +29. The farming out of the duties, including those on the import of +foreign cloth of 20 per cent., having increased by Rds. 4,056 1/2, +must be continued in the same way. The stamping of native cloth +(included in the lease) must be reduced, from September 1 next, to 20 +per cent. The farmers must also be required to pay the monthly term +at the beginning of each month in advance, which must be stipulated +in the lease, so that the Company may not run any risks. There are +prospects of this lease becoming more profitable for the Company in +future, on account of the passage having been opened. + +30. With regard to the Trade Accounts, such good advice has been +given here, that I fully approve of it and need not make any further +comments, but only recommend the observance of the rules. + +31. The debts due to the Company, amounting to 116,426.11.14 guilders +at the end of February, 1694, were at the departure of Mr. Zwaardecroon +reduced to 16,137.8 guilders. This must no doubt be attributed +to the greater vigilance exercised, in compliance with the orders +from the Honourable the Supreme Government of India by resolution +of 1693. This order still holds good and seems to be still obeyed; +because, since the date of this Memoir, the debt has been reduced to +14,118.11.8 guilders. The account at present is as follows:-- + + + Guilders. [74] + The Province of Timmoraatsche 376. 2.8 + The Province of Patchelepalle 579.10.0 + Tandua Moeti and Nagachitty (weavers) 2,448.13.0 + Manuel of Anecotta 8,539. 6.0 + The Tannecares caste 1,650. 0.0 + Don Philip Nellamapane 375. 0.0 + Ambelewanner 150. 0.0 + =========== + Total 14,118.11.8 + + +Herein is not included the Fl. 167.15 which again has been paid to +the weavers Tandua Moeti and Naga Chitty on account of the Company for +the delivery of Salampoeris, while materials have been issued to them +later on. It is not with my approval that these poor people continue +to be employed in the weaving of cloth, because the Salampoeris which I +have seen is so inferior a quality and uneven that I doubt whether the +Company will make any profit on it; especially if the people should +get into arrears again as usual on account of the thread and cash +issued to them. I have an idea that I read in one of the letters from +Batavia, which, however, is not to be found here at the Secretariate, +that Their Excellencies forbid the making of the gingams spoken of +by Mr. Zwaardecroon, as there was no profit to be made on these, +but I am not quite sure, and will look for the letter in Colombo, +and inform Their Excellencies at Batavia of this matter. Meantime, +Your Honours must continue the old practice as long as it does not +act prejudicially to the Company. At present their debt is 2,448.13 +guilders, from which I think it would be best to discharge them, +and no advance should be given to them in future, nor should they be +employed in the weaving of cloth for the Company. I do not think they +need be sent out of the country on account of their idolatry on their +being discharged from their debt; because I am sure that most of the +natives who have been baptized are more heathen than Christian, which +would be proved on proper investigation. Besides, there are still so +many other heathen, as, for instance, the Brahmin Timmerza and his +large number of followers, about whom nothing is said, and who also +openly practise idolatry and greatly exercise their influence to aid +the vagabonds (land-loopers) dependent on him, much to the prejudice of +Christianity. I think, therefore, that it is a matter of indifference +whether these people remain or not, the more so as the inhabitants of +Jaffnapatam are known to be a perverse and stiff-necked generation, +for whom we can only pray that God in His mercy will graciously +enlighten their understanding and bless the means employed for their +instruction to their conversion and knowledge of their salvation. + +It is to be hoped that the debt of the dyers, amounting to 8,539.6 +guilders, may yet be recovered by vigilance according to the +instructions. + +32. The debt of the Tannekares, who owe 1,650 guilders for 11 +elephants, and the amount of 375 guilders due by Don Gaspar advanced +to him for the purchase of nely, as also the amount of Fl. 150 from +the Ambelewanne, must be collected as directed here. + +33. With regard to the pay books nothing need be observed here but +that the instructions given in the annexed Memoir be carried out. + +34. What is said here with regard to the Secretariate must be observed, +but with regard to the proposed means of lessening the duties of +the Secretary by transferring the duties of the Treasurer to the +Thombo-keeper, Mr. Bolscho (in which work the latter is already +employed), I do not know whether it would be worth while, as it is +best to make as few changes as possible. The instructions with regard +to the passports must be followed pending further orders. + +35. I will not comment upon what is stated here with regard to the +Court of Justice, as these things occurred before I took up the reins +of Government, and that was only recently. I have besides no sufficient +knowledge of the subject, while also time does not permit me to peruse +the documents referred to. Mr. Zwaardecroon's advice must be followed, +but in case Mr. Bolscho should have to be absent for a short time +(which at present is not necessary, as it seems that the preparation +of the maps and the correction of the Thombo is chiefly left to the +surveyors), I do not think the sittings of the Court need be suspended, +but every effort must be made to do justice as quickly as possible. In +case of illness of some of the members, or when the Lieutenant Claas +Isaacsz has to go to the interior to relieve the Dessave of his duties +there, Lieut. van Loeveningen, and, if necessary, the Secretary of the +Political Council, could be appointed for the time; because the time +of the Dessave will be taken up with the supervision of the usual work +at the Castle. I think that there are several law books in stock in +Colombo, of which some will be sent for the use of the Court of Justice +by the first opportunity; as it appears that different decisions have +been made in similar cases among the natives. Great precaution must +be observed, and the documents occasionally submitted to us. I think +that the number of five Lascoreens and six Caffirs will be sufficient +for the assistance of the Fiscaal. + +36. I will not make any remarks here on the subject of religion, but +will refer to my annotations under the heading of Outstanding Debts. + +37. I agree with all that has been stated here with regard to the +Seminary and need not add anything further, except that I think this +large school and church require a bell, which may be rung on Sundays +for the services and every day to call the children to school and +to meals. As there are bells in store, the Dessave must be asked to +see that one is put up, either at the entrance of the church on some +steps, or a little more removed from the door, or wherever it may be +considered to be most convenient and useful. + +38. All that is said here with regard to the Consistory I can only +confirm. + +39. I approve of the advice given to the Dessave to see to the +improvement of the churches and the houses belonging thereto; but I +have heard that the neglect has extended over a long period and the +decay is very serious. It should have been the duty of the Commandeur +to prevent their falling into ruin. + +40. The Civil or Landraad ought to hold its sittings as stated in the +Memoir. I am very much surprised to find that this Court is hardly +worthy of the name of Court any more, as not a single sitting has been +held or any case heard since March 21, 1696. It appears that these +sittings were not only neglected during the absence of the Commandeur +in Colombo, but even after his return and since his departure for +Mallabaar, and it seems that they were not even thought of until my +arrival here. This shows fine government indeed, considering also +that the election of the double number of members for this College had +twice taken place, the members nominated and the list sent to Colombo +without a single meeting being held. It seems to me incomprehensible, +and as it is necessary that this Court should meet again once every +week without fail, the Dessave, as chief in this Commandement when the +Commandeur is absent, is entrusted with the duty of seeing that this +order is strictly observed. As Your Honours are aware, I set apart a +meeting place both for this Court as well as the Court of Justice, +namely, the corner house next to the house of the Administrateur +Biermans, consisting of one large and one small room, while a roof has +been built over the steps. This, though not of much pretension, will +quite do, and I consider it unnecessary to build so large a building as +proposed either for this Court or for the Scholarchen. The scholarchial +meetings can be held in the same place as those of the Consistory, +as is done in Colombo and elsewhere, and a large Consistory has been +built already for the new church. As it is not necessary now to put up +a special building for those assemblies, I need not point out here the +errors in the plan proposed, nor need I state how I think such a place +should be arranged. I have also been averse to such a building being +erected so far outside the Castle and in a corner where no one comes +or passes, and I consider it much better if this is done within the +Castle. There is a large square adjoining the church, where a whole +row of buildings might be put up. It is true that no one may erect +new buildings on behalf of the Company without authority and special +orders from Batavia. I have to recommend that this order be strictly +observed. Whether or not the said foul pool should be filled up I +cannot say at present, as it would involve no little labour to do so. + +41. I approve of the advice given in the annexed Memoir with regard +to the Orphan Chamber. + +42. I agree with this passage concerning the Commissioners of Marriage +Causes, except that some one else must be appointed in the place of +Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz if necessary. + +43. Officers. As above. + +44. Superintendent of the Fire Brigade and Wardens of the Town. As +above. + +45. As stated here, the deacons have a deficit of Rds. 1,145.3.7 over +the last five and half years, caused by the building of an Orphanage +and the maintenance of the children. At present there are 18 orphans, +10 boys and 8 girls, and for such a small number certainly a large +building and great expenditure is unnecessary. As the deficit has been +chiefly caused by the building of the Orphanage, which is paid for +now, and as the Deaconate has invested a large capital, amounting to +Fl. 40,800, on interest in the Company, I do not see the necessity of +finding it some other source of income, as it would have to be levied +from the inhabitants or paid by the Company in some way or other. + +46. No more sums on interest are to be received in deposit on behalf +of the Company, in compliance with the instructions referred to. + +47. What is stated here with regard to the money drafts must be +observed. + +48. Golden Pagodas.--I find a notice, bearing date November 18, +1695, giving warning against the introduction of Pagodas into this +country. It does not seem to have had much effect, as there seems +to be a regular conspiracy and monopoly among the chetties and other +rogues. This ought to be stopped, and I have therefore ordered that +none but the Negapatam and Palliacatte Pagodas will be current at 24 +fannums or Rds. 2, while it will be strictly prohibited to give in +payment or exchange any other Pagodas, whether at the boutiques or +anywhere else, directly or indirectly, on penalty of the punishment +laid down in the statutes. Your Honours must see that this rule +is observed, and care must be taken that no payment is made to the +Company's servants in coin on which they would have to lose. + +49. The applications from outstations.--The rules laid down in the +annexed Memoir must be observed. + +50. With regard to the Company's sloops and other vessels, directions +are given here as to how they are employed, which directions must be +still observed. Further information or instructions may be obtained +from Colombo. + +51. The Fortifications.--I think it would be preferable to leave the +fortifications of the Castle of Jaffnapatam as they are, instead +of raising any points or curtains. But improvements may be made, +such as the alteration of the embrazures, which are at present on the +outside surrounded by coral stone and chunam, and are not effective, +as I noticed that at the firing of the salute on my arrival, wherever +the canons were fired the coral stone had been loosened and in some +places even thrown down. The sentry boxes also on the outer points +of the flank and face had been damaged. These embrazures would be +very dangerous for the sentry in case of an attack, as they would +not stand much firing. I think also that the stone flooring for the +artillery ought to be raised a little, or, in an emergency, boards +could be placed underneath the canon, which would also prevent the +stones being crushed by the wheels. I noticed further that each canon +stands on a separate platform, which is on a level with the floor of +the curtain, so that if the carriage should break when the canon are +fired, the latter would be thrown down, and it would be with great +difficulty only that they could be replaced on their platform. It +would be much safer if the spaces between these platforms were filled +up. The ramparts are all right, but the curtain slopes too much; +this was done most likely with a view of permitting the shooting with +muskets at even a closer range than half-way across the moat. This +deficiency might be rectified by raising the earthen wall about +half a foot. These are the chief deficiencies I noticed, which could +be easily rectified. With regard to the embrazures, I do not know at +present whether it would be safer to follow the plan of the Commandeur +or that of the Constable-Major Toorse. For the present I have ordered +the removal of the stones and their replacement by grass sods, which +can be fixed on the earthen covering of the ramparts. Some of the +soldiers well experienced in this work are employed in doing this, +and I think that it will be far more satisfactory than the former plan, +which was only for show. The sentry boxes had better be built inside, +and the present passage to them from the earthen wall closed up, and +they must be built so that they would not be damaged by the firing of +the canon. The Dessave has been instructed to see that the different +platforms for the artillery are made on one continuous floor, which +can be easily done, as the spaces between them are but very small +and the materials are at hand. + +I wish the deficiencies outside the fort could be remedied as well +as those within it. The principal defect is that the moat serves as +yet very little as a safeguard, and it seems as if there is no hope +of its being possible to dig it sufficiently deep, considering that +experiments have been made with large numbers of labourers and yet the +work has advanced but little. When His Excellency the Honourable the +Commissioner van Mydregt was in Jaffnapatam in 1690, he had this work +continued for four or five weeks by a large number of people, but he +had to give it up, and left no instructions as far as is known. The +chief difficulty is the very hard and large rocks enclosed in the +coral stone, which cannot be broken by any instrument and have to +be blasted. This could be successfully done in the upper part, but +lower down beneath the water level the gunpowder cannot be made to +take fire. As this is such an important work, I think orders should +be obtained from Batavia to carry on this work during the dry season +when the water is lowest; because at that time also the people are +not engaged in the cultivation of fields, so that a large number +of labourers could be obtained. The blasting of the rocks was not +undertaken at first for fear of damage to the fortifications, but +as the moat has been dug at a distance of 10 roods from the wall, +it may be 6 or 7 roods wide and a space would yet remain of 3 or +4 roods. This, in my opinion, would be the only effectual way of +completing the work, provision being made against the rushing in of the +water, while a sufficient number of tools, such as shovels, spades, +&c., must be kept at hand for the breaking of the coral stones. It +would be well for the maintenance of the proper depth to cover both +the outer and inner walls with coral stone, as otherwise this work +would be perfectly useless. + +With regard to the high grounds northward and southward of the town, +this is not very considerable, and thus not a source of much danger. I +admit, however, that it would be better if they were somewhat lower, +but the surface is so large that I fear it would involve a great +deal of labour and expenditure. In case this were necessary, it would +be just as important that the whole row of buildings right opposite +the fort in the town should be broken down. I do not see the great +necessity for either, while moreover, the soil consists of sand and +stone, which is not easily dug. With regard to the horse stables and +the carpenters' yard just outside the gate of the Castle, enclosed +by a wall, the river, and the moat of the Castle, which is deepest +in that place (although I did not see much water in it), I think it +would have been better if they had been placed elsewhere; but yet I +do not think they are very dangerous to the fort, especially as that +corner can be protected from the points Hollandia and Gelria; while, +moreover, the roof of the stable and the walls towards the fort could +be broken down on the approach of an enemy; for, surely no one could +come near without being observed. As these buildings have been only +newly erected, they will have to be used, in compliance with the +orders from Batavia. + +Thus far as to my advice with regard to this fort; but I do not mean to +oppose the proposals of the Commandeur. I will only state here that I +found the moat of unequal breadth, and in some places only half as wide +as it ought to be, of which no mention is made here. In some places +also it is not sufficiently deep to turn the water by banks or keep it +four or five feet high by water-mills. Even if this were so, I do not +think the water could be retained on account of the sandy and stony +soil, especially as there are several low levels near by. Supposing +even that it were possible, the first thing an enemy would do would be +to direct a few shots of the canon towards the sluices, and thus make +them useless. I would therefore recommend that, if possible, the moat +be deepened so far during the south-west monsoon that it would be on a +level with the river, by which four or six feet of water would always +stand in it. With regard to the sowing of thorns, I fear that during +the dry season they would be quite parched and easily take fire. This +proposal shows how little the work at the moat has really advanced, +in fact, when I saw it it was dry and overgrown with grass. So long +as the fort is not surrounded by a moat, I cannot see the necessity +for a drawbridge, but the Honourable the Government of India will +dispose of this matter. Meantime I have had many improvements made, +which I hope will gain the approval of Their Excellencies. + +52. The fortress Hammenhiel is very well situated for the protection +of the harbour and the river of Kaits. The sand bank and the wall +damaged by the storm have been repaired. The height of the reservoir +is undoubtedly a mistake, which must be altered. The gate and the part +of the rampart are still covered with the old and decayed beams, and +it would be well if the project of Mr. Blom be completed. This is a +very necessary work, which must be hurried on as much as circumstances +permit, and it is recommended to Your Honours' attention, because +the old roof threatens to break down. + +53. As I have not seen any of these places, I cannot say whether the +water tanks are required or not. As the work has to wait for Dutch +bricks, it will be some time before it can be commenced, because +there are none in store here. + +54. Manaar is a fortress with four entire bastions. I found that the +full garrison, including Europeans and Mixties, [75] consists of 44 +men, twelve or fifteen of whom are moreover usually employed in the +advanced guard or elsewhere. I do not therefore see the use of this +fortress, and do not understand why instead of this fortress a redoubt +was not built. Having been built the matter cannot now be altered. It +has been stated that Manaar is an island which protects Jaffnapatam +on the south, but I cannot see how this is so. The deepening of +the moat cannot be carried out so soon, but the elevations may be +removed. Lime I consider can be burnt there in sufficient quantities, +and my verbal orders to the Resident have been to that effect. The +pavement for the canons I found quite completed, but the floors of +the galleries of the dwelling houses not yet. The water reservoir +of brick, which is on a level with the rampart, I have ordered to be +surrounded with a low wall, about 3 or 3 1/2 feet high, with a view +to prevent accidents to the sentinels at night, which are otherwise +likely to occur. The Dessave must see whether this has been done, +as it is not likely that I would go there again, because I intend +returning to Colombo by another route. + +55. Great attention should be paid to the provisions and +ammunition. The order of His Excellency van Mydregt was given as a +wise precaution, but has proved impracticable after many years of +experience, as His Excellency himself was also aware, especially +with regard to grain and rice, on account of the variable crops to +which we are subject here. However, the plan must be carried out as +far as possible in this Commandement, with the understanding that +no extraordinary prices are paid for the purchase of rice; while, on +the other hand, care must be taken that the grain does not spoil by +being kept too long; because we do not know of any kind of rice except +that from Coromandel which can be kept even for one year. At present +rice and nely are easily obtained, and therefore I do not consider it +necessary that the people of Jaffnapatam should be obliged to deliver +their rice at half per cent. less to the Company. The ten kegs of meat +and ten kegs of bacon must be sent to Colombo by the first opportunity, +to be disposed of there, if it is not spoilt (which is very much to +be feared). In case it is unfit for use the loss will be charged to +the account of this Commandement, although it has to be borne by the +Company all the same. Greater discrimination should be exercised in +future to prevent such occurrences, and I think it would be well in +emergencies to follow the advice of the late Mr. Paviljoen, viz., to +capture 1,000 or 1,200 cattle around the fort and drive them inside it, +while dry burs, &c., may also be collected to feed them. The arrack +must never be accepted until it has been proved to be good. In Batavia +it is tested by burning it in a silver bowl, and the same ought to be +done here, it being tested by two Commissioners and the dispenser. In +future bad arrack will be charged to the account of the person who +accepted it. The acceptance of inferior goods proves great negligence, +to say the least, and Your Honours are recommended to see that these +orders are observed. It is a satisfaction to know that there is a +sufficient stock of ammunition. An attempt must be made to repair +the old muskets, and those which are unfit for use must be sent to +Colombo. Pitch and tar will be sent. The storing away of fuel is a +praiseworthy precaution; but on my arrival I found only very little +kept here, and the space for the greater part empty. + +56. The military and the garrison are proportionately as strong here as +in other places, the want of men being a general complaint. However, +in order to meet this defect in some way, 34 of the military men who +came here with me are to remain, and also the three men whom I left +at Manaar and appointed to that station. I therefore do not think it +necessary to employ any more oepasses, [76] especially as we intend to +reduce the number of these people in Colombo to a great extent, so that +if they are really required, which I cannot see yet, some of them might +be sent here. At present we have nothing to fear from the Sinhalese. We +are on good terms with them, and it would be inexcusable to employ +any new men whose maintenance would be a heavy expenditure. Strict +discipline and continual military drill are very important points, +specially recommended to the attention of the Dessave. + +57. Public Works.--Care must be taken that no more native artisans +are employed than is necessary, as this means a considerable daily +expenditure. The various recommendations on this subject must be +observed. The four old and decayed Portuguese houses, which I found +to be in a bad condition, must be rebuilt when circumstances permit, +and may then serve as dwellings for the clergy and other qualified +officers, [77] but orders from Batavia must be awaited. Meantime +I authorize Your Honours to have the armoury rebuilt, as this is +indispensable. + +58. I agree with the recommendations with regard to the horse stables, +and also think that they could very well be supervised by the Chief, +and that it is undesirable for private overseers to be employed +for this purpose. The stable outside the fort has been brought into +readiness, and it may now be considered for what purpose the stable +in the Castle could be utilized. + +59. It is well that the floor of the hospital has been raised, +but the floor of the back gallery is also too low, so that it is +always wet whenever it rains, the water both rising from the ground +and coming down from the roof, which has been built too flat. It is +also necessary that a door be made in the ante-room and the entrance +of the gallery, in order to shut out the cold north winds, which are +very strong here and cause great discomfort to the patients. I also +think that the half walls between the rooms should be raised by a half +stone wall up to the roof, because it is too cold as it is at present +for such people. These and other improvements are also recommended +to the attention of the Dessave. + +60. It is always the case with the Company's slaves, to ask for +higher pay as soon as they learn a trade. I cannot countenance this +on my part, because I consider that they already receive the highest +pay allowed for a slave. They deserve no more than others who have +to do the heaviest and dirtiest work. These also if put to the test +would do higher work, as experience has proved. It is true that the +number here is small, but I think the rules should be the same in +all places. As there are, however, some slaves in Colombo also who +receive higher pay, the wages of the man who draws 6 fanams might be +raised to 8, 4 to 6, and 3 to 5 fanams, on the understanding that no +increase will be given hereafter. The emancipation of slaves and the +intermarrying with free people has also been practised and tolerated +in Ceylon, but whatever may be the pretext, I think it is always +to the prejudice of the Company in the case of male slaves. In the +case of women without children the matter is not quite so important, +and I would consent to it in the present case of the woman whom a +native proposes to marry, provided she has no children and is willing +to place a strong and healthy substitute. Until further orders no +more slaves are to be emancipated or allowed to intermarry with +free people. Those who are no longer able to work must be excused, +but those who have been receiving higher pay because they know some +trade will, in that case, receive no more than ordinary slaves. It +is not wise to emancipate slaves because they are old, as it might +have undesirable consequences, while also they might in that case +very soon have to be maintained by the Deaconate. + +61. It is in compliance with our orders that close regard should +be paid to all that passes at Manaar. This has been confirmed again +by our letter of June 1, especially with a view to collect the duty +from the vessels carrying cloth, areca-nut, &c., as was always done +by the Portuguese, and formerly also by the Company during the time +of the free trade. Further orders with regard to this matter must be +awaited from Batavia. Meantime our provisional orders must be observed, +and in case these are approved, it will have to be considered whether +it would not be better to lease the Customs duty. Personally I think +that this would be decidedly more profitable to the Company. + +62. With regard to the ill-fated elephants, I have to seriously +recommend better supervision. It is unaccountable how so many of +these animals should die in the stables. Out of three or four animals +sent to Jaffnapatam in 1685, and once even out of ten animals sent, +only one reached the Castle alive. If such be the case, what use is +it to the Company for efforts to be made for the delivery of a large +number of elephants? Moreover, experience proves that this need not +be looked upon as inevitable, because out of more than 100 elephants +kept in the lands of Matura hardly two or three died in a whole year, +while two parties of 63 animals each had been transported for more than +120 miles by land and reached their destination quite fresh and well, +although there were among these six old and decrepit and thirteen baby +elephants, some only 3 cubits high and rather delicate. It is true, as +has been said, that the former animals had been captured with nooses, +which would tire and harm them more than if they were caught in kraals, +but even then they make every effort to regain their liberty, and, +moreover, the kraals were in use here also formerly, and even then +a large number of the animals died. These are only vain excuses, +for I have been assured by the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz and others +who have often assisted in the capture of elephants, both with nooses +and in kraals, that these animals (which are very delicate and must +be carefully tended, as they cannot be without food for 24 hours) +were absolutely neglected both in the stables at Manaar and on the +way. An animal of 5 or 6 cubits high is fed and attended there by only +one cooly, while each animal requires at least three coolies. They +are only fed on grass, if it is to be had, and at most 10, 12, or +15 olas or coconut leaves, whereas they require at least 50 or 60, +and it is very likely that those that are being transported get still +less, while the journey itself also does them a great deal of harm. How +little regard is paid to these matters I have seen myself in the lands +of Mantotte and elsewhere, and the Chief of Manaar, Willem de Ridder, +when questioned about it, had to admit that none of the keepers or +those who transported the animals, who are usually intemperate and +inexperienced toepas soldiers or Lascoreens, had ever been questioned +or even suspected in this matter. This is neglect of the Company's +interests, and in future only trustworthy persons should be employed, +and fines or corporal punishment ordered in case of failure, as the +death of such a large number of elephants causes considerable loss +to the Company. I think it would be best if the Chief of Manaar were +held mostly responsible for the supervision and after him the Adigar of +Mantotte. They must see that the animals are fed properly when kept in +the stalls during the rainy season; and these animals must always have +more than they eat, as they tread upon and waste part of it. During +the dry season the animals must be distributed over the different +villages in the Island, some also being sent to Carsel. Care must be +taken that besides the cornak [78] there are employed three parrias +[79] for each animal to provide its food, instead of one only as at +present, and besides the Chief and the Adigar a trustworthy man should +be appointed, either a Dutch sergeant or corporal or a reliable native, +to supervise the stalls. His duty will be to improve the stables, +and see that they are kept clean, and that the animals are properly +fed. The tank of Manaar, which is shallow and often polluted by +buffaloes, must be cleaned, deepened, and surrounded with a fence, +and in future only used for the elephants. The Adigar must supervise +the transport of the elephants from Mantotte and Manaar to the Castle, +and he must be given for his assistance all such men as he applies +for. At the boundary of the district of Mantotte he must give over his +charge to the Adigar of Pringaly, and the latter transporting them to +the boundary of Ponneryn must give them over to the Adigar of Ponneryn, +and he again at the Passes to the Ensign there, who will transport them +to the Castle. Experience will prove that in this way nearly all the +animals will arrive in good condition. The Dessave de Bitter is to see +that these orders are carried out, and he may suggest any improvements +he could think of, which will receive our consideration. This is +all I have to say on the subject. It seems that the Castle, &c., +are mostly kept up on account of the elephants, and therefore the +sale of these animals must counterbalance the expenditure. + +63. The cultivation of dye-roots is dealt with under the heading of +the Moorish Trade. + +64. I approve the orders from Colombo of May 17, 1695, with regard +to the proposal by Perie Tamby, for I think that he would have looked +for pearl oysters more than for chanks. + +65. With regard to the pearl fishery, some changes will have to be +made. The orders will be sent in time from Colombo before the next +fishery. In my Memoir, left at Colombo, I have ordered with regard +to the proposal of the Committee that four buoys should be made as +beacons for the vessels, each having a chain of 12 fathoms long, with +the necessary adaptations in the links for turning. With regard to the +question as to the prohibition of the export of coconuts on account +of the large number of people that will collect there, I cannot see +that it would be necessary. When the time arrives, and it is sure +that a fishery will be held, Your Honours may consider the question +once more, and if you think it to be so, the issue of passports may +be discontinued for the time. Most likely a fishery will be held +in the beginning of next year, upon which we hope God will give His +blessing, the Company having made a profit of Fl. 77,435.12 1/2 last +time, when only three-fourths of the work could be done on account +of the early south-west monsoon. + +66. All particulars having been stated here with regard to the +inhabited islets, I do not consider it necessary to make any remarks +about them. + +67. Horse breeding surely promises good results as stated in the +annexed Memoir. I visited the islands De Twee Gebroeders, and saw +about 200 foals of one, two, and three years old. I had some caught +with nooses, and they proved to be of good build and of fairly +good race. On the island of Delft there are no less than 400 or 500 +foals. Many of those on the islands De Twee Gebroeders will soon be +large enough to be captured and trained, when 15 animals, or three +teams, must be sent to Colombo to serve for the carriages with four +horses in which it is customary to receive the Kandyan ambassadors +and courtiers. They must be good animals, and as much as possible +alike in colour. At present we have only ten of these horses, many +of which are too old and others very unruly, so that they are almost +useless. Besides these, 15 riding horses are required for the service +of the Company in Colombo and Galle, as not a single good saddle +horse is to be found in either of these Commandements. Besides these, +25 or 30 horses must be sent for sale to private persons by public +auction, which I trust will fetch a good deal more than Rds. 25 or 35, +as they do in Coromandel. The latter prices are the very lowest at +which the animals are to be sold, and none must be sold in private, +but always by public auction. This, I am sure, will be decidedly in the +interest of the Company and the fairest way of dealing. I would further +recommend that, as soon as possible, a stable should be built on the +islands De Twee Gebroeders like that in Delft, or a little smaller, +where the animals could be kept when captured until they are a little +tamed, as they remain very wild for about two months. Next to this +stable a room or small house should be built for the Netherlander to +whom the supervision is entrusted. At present this person, who is +moreover married, lives in a kind of Hottentot's lodging, which is +very unseemly. The Dessave must see that the inhabitants of the island +Delft are forbidden to cultivate cotton, and that the cotton trees now +found there are destroyed; because the number of horses is increasing +rapidly. The Dessave noticed only lately that large tracts of land of +two, three, and more miles are thus cultivated, in direct opposition +to the Company's orders. It seems they are not satisfied to be allowed +to increase the number of their cattle by thousands, all of which have +to derive their food from the island as well as the Company's horses, +but they must also now cultivate cotton, which cannot be tolerated +and must be strictly prohibited. Once the horses perished for want of +water; on one occasion they were shot on account of crooked legs; and +it would be gross carelessness if now they had to perish by starvation. + +68. The Passes of Colomboture, Catsjay, Ponneryn, Pyl, Elephant, and +Beschutter; Point Pedro; the Water fortress, Kayts or Hammenhiel; +Aripo; Elipoecareve; and Palwerain-cattoe. No particular remarks +are necessary with regard to these Passes and stations, except that +I would recommend the Dessave, when he has an opportunity to visit +the redoubts Pyl, Elephant, and Beschutter with an expert, to see in +what way they could be best connected. I think that out of all the +different proposals that of a strong and high wall would deserve +preference, if it be possible to collect the required materials, +as it would have to be two miles long. As to the other proposals, +such as that of making a fence of palmyra trees or thorns, or to +dig a moat, I think it would be labour in vain; but whatever is +done must be carried out without expense or trouble to the Company, +in compliance with the orders from the Supreme Government of India. + +69. The instructions with regard to the water tanks must be carried +out as far as possible. + +70. I agree with what is said here with regard to the public roads. + +71. That the elephant stalls and the churches should have been allowed +to fall into decay speaks badly for the way in which those concerned +have performed their duty; and it is a cause of dissatisfaction. The +orders for the stalls in Manaar must also be applied for here, +and repairs carried out as soon as possible. I have been informed +that there are many elephants scattered here and there far from each +other, while only one Vidana acts as chief overseer, so that he cannot +possibly attend to his duty properly. It has been observed that the +elephants should have more parias or men who provide their food. These +and other orders with regard to the animals should be carried out. + +72. No remarks are required with regard to this subject of thornback +skins, Amber de gris, Carret, and elephants' tusks. + +73. The General Paresse [80] has been held upon my orders on the last +of July. Three requests were made, two of which were so frivolous and +unimportant that I need not mention them here. These were dropped. The +third and more important one was that the duty on native cloth, +which at present is 25 per cent., might be reduced. It was agreed +that from the 31st December it would be only 20 per cent. I was in a +position to settle this matter at once, because orders had been already +received from Batavia that they could be reduced to 20 per cent., +but no more. As shown in the annexed Memoir, the inhabitants are not +so badly off as they try to make us believe. The further instructions +in the annexed Memoir must be observed; and although I have verbally +ordered the Onderkoopman De Bitter to have the Pattangatyns appear +only twice instead of twelve times a year, as being an unbearable +inconvenience, the Dessave must see that this order is obeyed. He must +also make inquiries whether the work could be done by one Cannekappul, +and, if so, Jeronimus must be discharged. + +74. Conclusion.--The advice in this conclusion may be useful to Your +Honours. I confirm the list of members of the Political Council, +to whom the rule of this Commandement in the interest of the Company +is seriously recommended. Reports of all transactions must be sent +to Colombo. + + + + + + + +NOTES TO APPENDIX. + + +A.--No remarks are necessary in regard to the introduction. + +B.--In elucidation of the document sent by us with regard to the +opening of the harbours of the Kandyan King, as to how far the +instructions extend and how they are to be applied within the Company's +jurisdiction, nothing need be said here, as this will be sufficiently +clear from our successive letters from Colombo. We would only state +that it would seem as if Mr. Zwaardecroon had forgotten that the +prohibition against the clandestine export of cinnamon applies also +to the export of elephants, and that these may not be sold either +directly or indirectly by any one but the Company. + +C.--It is not apparent that our people would be allowed to +purchase areca-nut in Trincomalee on account of the opening of +the harbours. Mr. Zwaardecroon's plan has been submitted to Their +Excellencies at Batavia, who replied in their letters of December 12, +1695, and July 3, 1696, that some success might be obtained by getting +the nuts through the Wanny from the King's territory. An experiment +might be made (provided Their Excellencies approve) charging Rds. 1/3 +per ammunam, as is done in Colombo, Galle, Matura, &c. This toll could +be farmed out, and the farmers authorized to collect the duty at the +passes, no further duties being imposed whether the nuts are exported +or not. If the duty were levied only on the nuts that are exported, +the inhabitants who now buy them from the Company at Rds. 6 per ammunam +would no longer do so, and this profit would be lost. Whether the +duty ought to be higher than Rds. 1/3 remains yet to be seen. The same +rule must be applied to pepper, cotton, &c., imported at the passes, +7 1/2 per cent. being charged as alphandigo. [81] This being paid, +the articles may be sold here, exported, or anything done as the +inhabitants please, without further liability to duty. + +D.--In the proclamation referred to here, in which free trade is +permitted at all harbours in Ceylon in the Company's territory, +it is clearly stated that the harbours may be freely entered with +merchandise, provided the customary duties are paid, and that only +the subjects of the Kandyan King are exempted from the payment of +these. It does not seem to me that this rule is in agreement with +the supposition that because of this free trade the duty on foreign +and native cloth would be abolished. If Mr. Zwaardecroon had made +inquiries he would have been informed that, as far as the import of +foreign cloth is concerned, the duty is the same as that in Colombo and +Galle. The proposed change would apparently bring about an increase of +the alphandigo, but where then would be found the Rds. 7,1 0 as duty +on the native and foreign cloths? I cannot see on what basis this +proposal is founded, and I therefore think that the Customs duty of +20 per cent. on the imported foreign cloths and the 20 per cent. for +the stamping of native cloths must be continued when, on the 31st +December next, the lease for the duty of 25 per cent. expires, the +more so as it has been pointed out in this Memoir wherever possible +that the inhabitants are increasing in prosperity. This agrees with +what was discussed at the general Paresse. With regard to the Moorish +merchants from Bengal, there would be no objection to the duty on the +cloths imported by them being fixed at 7 1/2 per cent., because they +have to make a much longer voyage than the merchants from Coromandel +and other places on the opposite coast; while we have to humour them +in order to induce them to provide us with rice. Moreover the Bengal +cloths are not very much in demand, and these people usually ask to +be paid in elephants, which do not cost the Company very much, rather +than in cash, as has been done again by the owner of the ship that is +here at present on behalf of the Bengal Nabob Caungaarekan. He also +complained of the duty of 20 per cent. and said he would pay no more +than the Company pays in Bengal. He said his master the Nabob would +be very angry, &c. We therefore considered whether the duty could not +be reduced to 7 1/2 per cent., as may be seen in the resolutions of +June 4 last. On December 12, 1695, a letter was received from Batavia +in answer to the difficulties raised by Mr. Zwaardecroon with regard +to these impositions, in which it is said that the Customs duty for +Bengal from the date of the license for free trade should be regulated +as it had been in olden times, with authority to remove difficulties +in their way and to give them redress where necessary. I found that +the duty paid by them formerly on these cloths was 7 1/2 per cent., +both in Galle and here, and I therefore authorize Your Honours to +levy from them only that amount. This must be kept in mind at the +farming out of these revenues at the end of the year, in order to +prevent difficulties with the farmer, as happened only lately. I +trust, however, that the farming out will not yield less than other +years. Meantime, and before any other vessels from Bengal arrive, the +approbation of Their Excellencies at Batavia must be obtained with +regard to this matter, so that alterations may be made according to +their directions without any difficulty. + +E.--I must confess that I do not understand how the subject of +free trade can be brought forward again as being opposed to the +Company's interests, as is done again with regard to the 24 casks +of coconut oil which the inhabitants have to deliver to the Company, +which are properly paid for and are not required for the purpose of +sale but for the use of the Company's servants, or how any one dares +to maintain that the lawful sovereign who extends his graciousness +and favours over his subjects and neighbours would be tied down and +prejudiced by such rules. It is true that the coconut trees in Matura +are required for the elephants, but in Galle and Colombo it is not so; +but the largest number of trees there is utilized for the drawing of +surie [82] for arrack, &c. It is true that some nuts are exported, +but only a small quantity, while the purchasers or transporters have +to sell one-third of what they export to the Company at Rds. 2 a +thousand, while they must cost them at least Rds. 3. Out of these we +had the oil pressed ourselves, and this went largely to supplement +the requirements for local consumption, which are very large, since +the vessels also have to be supplied, because as a matter of economy +the native harpuis (resin) has been largely used for rubbing over +the ships, so as to save the Dutch resin as much as possible, and +for the manufacture of this native resin a large quantity of oil is +required. Your Honours must therefore continue to have all suitable +casks filled with oil, and send to Colombo all that can be spared +after the required quantity has been sent to Coromandel, Trincomalee, +and Batticaloa, reserving what is necessary for the next pearl fishery +and the use of the Commandement. In order to avoid difficulties, Your +Honours are required to send to Colombo yearly (until we send orders +to the contrary) 12 casks of coconut oil and 2 casks of margosa oil, +which are expected without failure. For the rest we refer to what is +said under the heading of Coconut Trees. + +F.--This form for a passport was sent for no other purpose but that +it should be introduced according to instructions. + +G.--There is sufficient time yet for the opening of the road from +Putulang to Mantotte. I am well pleased with the work of the Dessave, +and approve of the orders given by him to the Toepas Adigar Rodrigo, +and the various reports submitted by him. In these he states that the +roads are now in good condition, while on June 5, when 34 elephants +arrived from Colombo, on this side of Putulang nothing had been done +yet, and even on July 16 and 17 when His Excellency the Governor +passed part of that road the work had advanced but very little. I +therefore sent on the 14th instant the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz, who +had successfully transported the animals from Colombo to Putulang, +and is a man who can be depended upon, with two surveyors to see +that the roads, which were narrow and extraordinary crooked, were +widened to 2 roods and straightened somewhat in the forest, and to +cut roads leading to the water tanks. Sixty Wallias or wood-cutters, +150 coolies, and 25 Lascoreens were sent to complete this work, so +that in future there will be no difficulties of this kind, except +that the dry tanks must be deepened. I will see Mr. Isaacsz on this +subject on my return. On account of his shameful neglect and lying +and for other well-known reasons I have dismissed the Adigar Domingo +Rodrigo as unworthy to serve the Company again anywhere or at any +time, and have appointed in his place Alexander Anamale, who has +been an Adigar for many years in the same place. In giving him this +appointment I as usual obtained the verbal and written opinions of +several of the Commandeurs, who stated that he had on the whole been +vigilant and diligent in his office, but was discharged last year +by the Commission from Colombo without any reasons being known here, +to make room for the said incapable Domingo Rodrigo, who was Adigar of +Ponneryn at the time. I suppose he was taken away from there to please +the Wannia chiefs Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar Ilengenarene, +whose eldest son Gaspar, junior, was appointed Master of the Hunt, +as stated under the heading of the Wanny and Ponneryn. With regard to +the instructions to compile various lists, this order must be carried +out in so far as they are now complete. With regard to the significant +statement that the Honourable Company does not possess any lands in +Jaffnapatam, and that there is not the smallest piece of land known +of which the Company does not receive taxes, and that it therefore +would be impossible to compile a list of lands belonging to or given +away on behalf of the Company, and in case of the latter by whom, to +whom, when, why, &c., I am at a loss to follow the reasoning, and it +seems to me that there is something wrong in it, because the protocols +at the Secretariate here show that during the years 1695, 1696, and +1697 five pieces of land were given away by Mr. Zwaardecroon himself, +and this without the least knowledge or consent of His Excellency the +Governor; while, on the other hand, I know that there are still many +fields in the Provinces which are lying waste and have never been +cultivated; so that they belong to the Company and no one else. At +present the inhabitants send their cattle to these lands to graze, +as the animals would otherwise destroy their cultivated fields, +but in the beginning all lands were thus lying waste. With a view +to find out how many more of these lands there are here, and where +they are situated, I have instructed the Thombo-keeper, Mr. Bolscho, +to draw up a list of them from the newly compiled Thombo, beginning +with the two Provinces Willigamme and Waddamoraatschie, the Thombo of +which is completed; the other three Provinces must be taken up later +on. Perhaps the whole thing could be done on one sheet of paper, and +it need not take two years, nor do we want the whole Thombo in several +reams of imperial paper. As soon as the surveyors and Mr. Bolscho +return from their work at the road to Putulang, this work must be +taken in hand and the list submitted as soon as possible. I also do +not see the difficulty of compiling a list of all the small pieces +of land which, in the compiling of the new Thombo, were discovered on +re-survey to have been unlawfully taken possession of. Since my arrival +here I had two such lists prepared for the Provinces Willigamme and +Waddamoraatschie covering two sheets of paper each. This work was well +worth the trouble, as the pieces of cultivated land in the Province +of Willigamme amounted to 299,977 1/2 and in Waddamoraatschie to +128,013 roods, making altogether 427,990 1/2 roods. These, it is +said, might be sold to the present owners for about Rds. 7,000. I +think it would be best if these lands were publicly leased out, so +that the people could show their deeds. I think this would not be +unreasonable, and consider it would be sufficient favour to them, +since they have had the use of the lands for so many years without +ever paying taxes. When the new Thombo is compiled for the Provinces +of Patchelepalle and Timmeraatsche and the six inhabited islands, +some lands will surely be discovered there also. + +H.--It is in compliance with instructions, and with my approbation, +that the accounts with the purchasers of elephants in Golconda and +with the Brahmin Timmerza have been settled. For various reasons which +it is not necessary to state here he is never to be employed as the +Company's broker again, the more so as the old custom of selling the +elephants by public auction has been reintroduced this year, as has +been mentioned in detail under the heading of Trade. + +Your Honours must comply with our orders contained in the letter +of May 4 last from Colombo, as to how the cheques from Golconda are +to be drawn up and entered in the books. With regard to the special +request of the merchants that the amount due to them might be paid in +cash or elephants through the said Timmerza to their attorneys, this +does not appear in their letter of December 7, 1696, from Golconda, +but the principal purchasers of elephants request that the Company +may assist the people sent by them in the obtaining of vessels, and, +if necessary, give them an advance of 300 or 400 Pagodas, stating +that these had been the only reasons why they had consented to deal +with the said Timmerza. In our letter of May 4 Your Honours have been +informed that His Excellency Laurens Pit, Governor of Coromandel, has +consented at our request to communicate with you whenever necessary, as +the means of the Golconda merchants who desire to obtain advances from +the Company, and how much could be advanced to their attorneys. Such +cases must be carefully dealt with, but up to the present no such +request has been made, which is so much the better. + +I.--The 20,000 paras or 866 2/3 lasts of nely applied for from +Negapatam will come in useful here, although since the date of this +Memoir or the 6th of June the Council agreed to purchase on behalf +of the Company the 125 1/5 lasts of rice brought here in the Bengal +ship of the Nabob of Kateck Caim Caareham, because even this does +not bring the quantity in store to the 600 lasts which are considered +necessary for Jaffnapatam, as is shown under the heading of provisions +and ammunition. It will be necessary to encourage the people from +Bengal in this trade, as has been repeatedly stated. + +K.--The petition mentioned here, submitted by the bargemen of the +Company's pontons, stating that they have been made to pay all that +had been lost on various cargoes of rice above one per cent., that they +had not been fairly dealt with in the measuring, &c., deserves serious +investigation. It must be seen to that these people are not made to +refund any loss for which they are not responsible and which they could +not prevent, and the annexed recommendation should be followed as far +as reasonable. The point of the unfair measuring must be especially +attended to, since such conduct would deserve severe correction. + +L.--The instructions given here with regard to the receipt of Pagodas +must be carried out, but none but Negapatam or Palicatte Pagodas +must be received or circulated. Our instructions under the heading +of Golden Pagodas must be observed. + +M.--The Dessave de Bitter is to employ the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz +in the Public Works Department on his return from Putulang after the +transport of the elephants, being a capable man for this work. The most +necessary work must be carried out first. Last year the Commissioners, +Messrs. van Keulen and Petitfilz, presented the son of the deceased +Don Philip Sangerepulle with a horse and a sombreer [83] by order +of His Excellency the Governor, apparently because he was the chief +of the highest caste, or on account of his father's services. Much +has been said against the father, but nothing has been proved, and +indeed greater scoundrels might be found on investigation. I now +see that Mr. Zwaardecroon, because no act of authority was shown +to him, has rejected this presentation and ordered the Political +Council here from the yacht "Bekenstyn" on March 29 of this year to +demand back from the youth this horse and sombreer. This having been +done without my knowledge and consent, I countermand this order, and +expect Your Honours to carry out the orders of His late Excellency the +Governor. [84] With regard to the administration of this Commandement, +I have stated what was necessary under the heading of the Form of +Government at the conclusion of the Memoir to which I herewith refer. I +will only add here that since then I have had reason to doubt whether +my instructions with regard to the Political Council and the manner +in which the administration is to be carried out has been properly +understood. I reiterate therefore that the Dessave de Bitter will be +looked upon and respected as the Chief in the Commandement during +the absence of the Commandeur, and that to him is entrusted the +duty of convening the meetings both of the Political Council and of +the Court of Justice. Also that he will pass and sign all orders, +such as those for the Warehouses, the Treasury, the Workshop, the +Arsenal, and other of the Company's effects. Further, that when he +stays over night in the Castle, he is to give out the watch-word and +see to the opening and the closing of the gates, which, in the event +of his absence, is deputed to the Captain. The Dessave will see that +order and discipline are maintained, especially among the military, +and also that they are regularly drilled. He is further to receive +the daily reports, not only of the military but also of all master +workmen, &c.; in short, he is to carry out all work just as if the +Commandeur were present. Recommending thus far and thus briefly these +instructions as a guidance to the Administrateur and the Political +Council, and praying God's blessing-- + + +I remain, Sirs, etc., +(Signed) GERRIT DE HEERE. + +Jaffnapatam, August 2, 1697. + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] Note on p. 40. + +[2] "Want, de keuse van zyne begraafplaats mocht van nederigheid +getuigen--zoolang de oud Gouverneur-Generaal onbegraven was had hy +zekere rol te spelen, en zelf had Zwaardecroon maatregelen genomen, +op dat ook zyne laatste verschyning onder de levenden de compagnie +waardig mocht wesen, die hy gediend had."--De Haan, De Portugeesche +Buitenkerk, p. 40. + +[3] Van Rhede van der Kloot, De Gouverneurs-Generaal en +Commissarissen-Generaal van Nederlandsch-Indië, 1610-1888. + +[4] That of Laurens Pyl. + +[5] These figures at the end of paragraphs refer to the marginal +remarks by way of reply made by the Governor Gerrit de Heer in the +original MS. of the Memoir, and which for convenience have been placed +at the end of this volume. See p. 96. + +[6] Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede of Drakestein, Lord of Mydrecht, High +Commissioner to Bengal, Coromandel, Ceylon, &c., from 1684-1691. For +a fuller account of him, see Report on the Dutch Records, p. 39. + +[7] Elephants without tusks. + +[8] Thomas van Rhee, Governor of Ceylon, 1693 to 1695. + +[9] The old plural of opperkoopman, upper merchant, the highest grade +in the Company's Civil Service. + +[10] Veddas. + +[11] Tanjore. + +[12] Zinc. + +[13] Probably bullock carts, from Portuguese boi, an ox. Compare +boiada, a herd of oxen. + +[14] Palm leaves dressed for thatching or matting, from the Malay +kajang, palm leaves. + +[15] Chanks. + +[16] These figures are taken from the original MS. It is difficult +to explain the discrepancy in the total. + +[17] This is the pure Arabic word, from which the word Shroff in our +local vocabulary is derived. + +[18] See note on p. 16. + +[19] Accountants, Tamil. + +[20] A variation in spelling of chicos. See p. 21. + +[21] Commandeur Floris Blom died at Jaffna on July 3, 1694, and is +buried inside the church. + +[22] Kernels of the palmyra nut. + +[23] An irrigation headman in the Northern and Southern Province. + +[24] Probably from kaiya, a party of workman doing work without wages +for common advantage. + +[25] A corruption of the Tamil word pattankatti. The word is applied +to certain natives in authority at the pearl fisheries. + +[26] Acts of appointment. + +[27] From Tamil tarahu, brokerage. Here applied apparently to the +person employed in the transaction. + +[28] The juice of the palmyra fruit dried into cakes. + +[29] The fruit itself. + +[30] The palmyra yam. + +[31] Palm oil. + +[32] See note on p. 15 (cadjang). + +[33] Coir. + +[34] Bananas: the word is in use in Java. + +[35] Durbar. + +[36] This has been translated into English, and forms an Appendix to +the Memoir of Governor Ryckloff van Goens, junior, to be had at the +Government Record Office, Colombo. + +[37] The full value of the rix-dollar was 60 Dutch stivers; but in +the course of time its local value appears to have depreciated, and as +a denomination of currency it came to represent only 48 stivers. Yet +to preserve a fictitious identity with the original rix-dollar, the +local mint turned out stivers of lower value, of which 60 were made +to correspond to 48 of the Dutch stivers. + +[38] In China a picol is equal to 133-1/3 lb. avoir. + +[39] Probably the Malay word bahar. It was equal to 419 lb. avoir. The +word is also found spelt baar, plural baren, in the Dutch Records. A +baar is equal to 600 lb. + +[40] Florins, stivers, abassis. + +[41] These are now known as cheniyas. + +[42] Plural of onderkoopman. + +[43] The same as chicos. See p. 21. + +[44] Pupil teachers? + +[45] Pardaõ, a popular name among the Portuguese for a gold and +afterwards for a silver coin. That here referred to was perhaps the +pagoda, which Valentyn makes equal to 6 guilders. + +[46] A copy of these is among the Archives in Colombo. + +[47] The Militia, composed of Vryburgers as officers, and townsmen +of a certain age in the ranks. + +[48] Pen-men, who also had military duties to perform. + +[49] The Artisan class in the Company's service. + +[50] Sloops. + +[51] Same as dhoneys. + +[52] Lit. "man searchers." These were probably small boats rowed +by men. + +[53] Cakes of palmyra sugar. + +[54] Coconut shells. + +[55] See note on p. 15. + +[56] This is what he says: "It was my intention to have a new +drawbridge built before the Castle, with a small water mill on one +side to keep the canals always full of sea water; and a miniature +model has already been made." + +[57] He died on December 15, 1691, on board the ship Drechterland on +a voyage from Ceylon to Surat. + +[58] Cured and dried fish. + +[59] Pallars? + +[60] See page 21 supra. + +[61] The church was completed in 1706, during the administration of +Commandeur Adam van der Duyn. + +[62] "Van geen oude schoenen te verwerpen, voor dat men met nieuwe +voorsien is." + +[63] Tanjore. + +[64] This is unfortunately no longer forthcoming, having probably been +destroyed or lost with the rest of the Jaffna records; and there is +no copy in the Archives at Colombo. But an older report of Commandeur +Blom dated 1690 will be translated for this series. + +[65] Also lost. + +[66] The figures are as given in the MS. It is difficult to reconcile +these equivalents with the rate of 3 guilders to the rix-dollar. The +denominations given under florins (guilders) are as follows:--16 +abassis = 1 stiver; 20 stivers = 1 florin. + +[67] See note on p. 16. + +[68] Hendrick Zwaardecroon. + +[69] Customs duty. + +[70] Tanjore. + +[71] A fanam, according to Valentyn's table, was equal to 5 stivers. + +[72] During the early years of the Dutch rule in Ceylon there was, +besides the Governor, a Commandeur resident in Colombo. This post +was subsequently abolished. + +[73] An old Dutch measure for coal and lime, equal to 32 bushels. + +[74] See note on p. 42. + +[75] A mixties was one of European paternity and native on the +mother's side. + +[76] Portuguese descendants of the lower class. + +[77] The term "qualified officers," here and elsewhere, probably +refers to those who received their appointment direct from the supreme +authorities at Batavia. + +[78] The elephant keeper. + +[79] The men who attend on the elephants, feed them, &c. + +[80] Durbar. + +[81] Customs duty. + +[82] Toddy. + +[83] Umbrella. + +[84] Thomas van Rhee. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoir of Hendrick Zwaardecroon, +commandeur of Jaffnapatam (afterwards Governor-General of Nederlands India) +1697. For the guidance of the council of Jaffnapatam, during his absence +at the coast of Malabar., by Hendrick Zwaardecroon + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40579 *** |