to explore every Icosst of ^ 8$&®pfr o f opulence
•A ; The.' inexhaustible rie h e s^ h th e £ast: §pf f dily attracted
the adventurous merchaht||ii4’ i |i ^ t nation. . • I p . gyery ^quartgj^,
holtëverTfhgy found, the & P ortugu^f . already established,; and,
tfe'jealousy with- which these. earhe^;. set;tlers, o®il#y§d the ap-
proaehfof any. rival, soon,convinced them th a t it was ;Qffllyby
forceI they .eoüld i;?iive& hope aibt &&p|;?.their corapereial plans,
into. eöf«^:r,The.;: Dutch .and Portuguese . w^£wactu%te4 by a
different sp irit,, and; procëeded m ra yeKy : difefeht mapne^ ha
extending fehdof foreign possessions,« .The, former d isp lay ^ none
of th a t Eommttio bravery, that rapid attack, and dazzling sue^
•cess,.' whiqh s nmu c h digfi^ujshed,- |fe|t,fbst lonqjUests^^f jïjthe,
Portuguese ón India. But they o lrtfe t^ fr^ e fe fn
mg resolution in the pursuit of an object, whichis-, th%;s§prd©£
commercial enterprise; and J*é*Ge..,ifê. find them, though often
repulsed,, gradually wresting one setttément after- ai-iother from
1he P<arfugaese; till, at th e noxupkenceffienf of the
century > they had already naade^h^salyjgf 'mpte%io£ the,: mast
important: islands and settlements, . whiphriStEetch to the eastward
ó£Jkhe, Straite of ; Molucca* j
The situation and rich productions.; pf.Qeylam presented a,
tempting object to. the HoUaadera- tlie. fxte|f^;;and strength )$f
the island, however*;, deterred them |ime front-hazarding
an enterprise. of such magnitude- In tfejh year 1602, the
Dutch admiral Spilbergen, at length ventured to approach th e
coasts of Ceylon y - and the natives, from-, their hatred of the
Portuguese, gave him a very favourable reception. During,
the constant wars in which they had bee» engaged* the King
oi Candy, Don John, whose struggles against, thé Portugiieie
we b am already described, had. acquired such a superiority
o v e r the other princtes, th a t ah the arrival o f ^ e Dutch, h |
was looked upon as Emperor of Ceylon/’ llfp tfus prince, Spil-
bergen -was introduced, and l p | | | conciliated his. favour, by
declaring himself andt-his countrymen to !be the inveterate foes
ofi the Foittiigiiese. He'added," that if was their determined
resolution;' to^'expel ' th if^ c rh e i ihvadetS Trqm the ; possessions
which they had "iso unjustifiably seized; and concluded with an
offer of his ^countrymen’s ‘ a^slstanhe(; CeyXqp^^'^n, ex*
fe llin g the Portuguese from' their jsland.y . The- King ©f .Candy,
jas might be fexp^eted;ywg(}eived tliis proposal, with the utmost
jOy."V« TdH\yoltr countrymen,” said hfj that if they wilt
only be willing to build a fqilt ’in this island, myself my wife,
H H ®y children, will be the first to supply them witKthe
necessary materials. The Dutch yrereK ,nht long in availing
themselves of the advantages which This alliance "presented toy!
them 4 f Next -y e^r Sebald de Wert, and p a n War week arrived
with Seven ships, and in a cohference with the- King, proposed
to Conclude "a treaty.»- The 'commencement ,of fhi^.n^gociatianj,.
however, was inauspicious, for some difference having arisen
about the release of1some Portuguese prisoners, the .King be-»
gan to suspect the motives .of, the Dutch; and Dfc Wert being
beated with li^tor, and main,tainiafg hjs.point with /too much
Violence,, 'Don John ettuld no longer contain his .wrath,-, but
caused the Dutch commander and bis .attendants to:be instantly,
murdered. The King*?, .however, soon repented o f. this rash
action ;, and: tof 'the hour .of hi$.. death, which' happened £0©»
after, fomented the milrder of the Dutch. He was a bold and
Vigorous prince; sevefe, j^id strict in ,his .<military,’discipline
Having' had: contradictory notions of reijgifdai ea%r instilled into,
him, he seemed .altogether .regardless of^tV.and, the ruling pn hn
2 R