[73]. The General Paresse[11] 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.


[1] Tanjore.

[2] A fanam, according to Valentyn’s table, was equal to 5 stivers.

[3] 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.

[4] An old Dutch measure for coal and lime, equal to 32 bushels.

[5] See note on p. [42].

[6] A mixties was one of European paternity and native on the mother’s side.

[7] Portuguese descendants of the lower class.