[65] Hendrick Zwaardecroon.
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,[1] which is 7½ 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 7½ 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.