m s
ACCOUNT)
ni 'Q-Ive;
THE ISLAND- OR CEYLON.
C IU lT O ^ i . .
liiiroditction— History o f ~tft&Mtindrftrevious to its being taken
' possession d f by the English—2 W l successive Coh'quests' ’q f th e
■■ ' Imidi, und English. ;*
:M^e^Sffoiieesjv/in.; tlfg ypay
(179.6, I was- induced vi«ta<ij the nonfrad'etqry and
romantic aecdunts I had hesa*d of tliisdslaiid, to m # particular
inquiries with regard touits, present state* an d I found an agree?
able amusement ^rg taking notes .ofqsuch, facts.^nd objed^s as
appeared to,me remarkable. In the prosecution of, my (inquiries,
however, I found that .theyg might be rendered,, conducive to
hbjeets. of infinitely j greater, linjp©rtanpe,J;h^n<f ,tqmp^[aiy: ajpu§eT
ment.u The- accounts hitherto published
extremely im p e rfe c ta s the^watchfubjealousy qfjLt^ p 3}ptch' both j
excluded the researches -ofhstrangers,; and jprevei^ed .their own ,,
people from publislm^. any obsew^on^ , which $eyj,plight have
made, during their stay iin;
.nation were; anxious to inquire .l^e,j history, ^ ith g ^ q f v the
country, or; its iqhabitantsv Thedesirqof increasing their wealth
B