addition to tfoig, Hostilities o f the Candians on the inhabitants ó f Futlarid, and o f the
environs, as mentioned- in my dispatch of- the .2 3d. inst., s ixm en wli0rh^yj_heen. detained
in- Gandy- for three or four monthsy .came to me this day to inform ine that {here are gg
others 'detained there (at a place called Cacuria collet), seven leagues from Putelang, and
400 bullocks, including- the 100 bullocks already -mentioned; 200 more! are also detained
farther in the interior o f Candy; and that- they-.werg robbed o f all the -merchahdiseithey
/ carried to Bodee in that country, and that One man o f a neighbouring ‘.village was murdered
b y them, whose son (a little boy) came to complain to me of. the. murder off f * s
fath er; they say, that every road leading-out o f the country .is. strictly guarded :b y armed
men ; those mén say, that they have been ve ry ill-treated and beat, and that those who
.are detained are also ve ry ill used.
I h a ve the h e jm te to -bei: f te s v
(Signed) IjieBtenant 'OfCos'WEiïtj. : Ü’
' Putelang, June 26; 1802.
To laeutenant Morice O'Cotmell, Commandant at Putêlqng. -
- Sir-—I have forwarded to Point de Galle your letter o f the 26th inst; to b e laid before
his exce llency the governor. T h e information y o u have communicated is no doubt o f a
very-important nature, arid,, i f properly authenticated,.will demand that his E x ce llen c y should
take vigorous measures to prevent any repetition o f such outrages. I "am directed to r e quest
that you w ill examine the persons who have given you that information, in a particular
and detailed manner, and make them confirm what they have asserted^ upon oath,
that remonstrances, may be made to the court o f " Candy upon thé specific grounds o f
complaint. . , - - I have the honour to be,. & c . *
(Signed) r ~ IlOKKUT ARBUTR-NQT;.’ ,
Columbo; J u ly 2, 1802, - C h ie f Sec . to Government.
. To Robert Ariutlm ot, Esq. Chief Secretary 'to Government.
Sir— I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of.i-yöur-letter of-Che ad -inst and
request that you will be pleased to assure his Exce llency; that I should think the high respect
I have for his E x c e llen c y , and my attention for the'welfare o f the inhabitants o f
thisdistriet, to be violated by conveying unfounded intelligence o f the- illegal- proceedings
o f the -persons holding.some-authority under the government o f Candy, so destructive to
the prosperity o f this country. I have -assembled the principal persons in Putelang,
whose names I mention in the detail, and who have-been sworn, and their signatures
put to their informations, and are perfectly conformable to the information I already
stated.
T h e same day I had the honour to write to you my second letter on the subject, major
Evans arrived at eight o’c lo ck at night here; and the principal inhabitants assembled, both
to offer him their respects, and to complain to him-of the detention o f their, -cattle and
the seizing o f their merchandise, as we ll as keeping 33 men o f their district in durance
and ill treating them for-five months past. Major-Evans would '-have written to government
on the subject, had they and I not told him, that I wrote to government Éhe same
,*ky to g iy p the earliest rinteUâgeBee o f a pleasure o f such importance -to- this district,
awhjfih prevented major Evans’ writing : I also mentioned the names o f the six men who'
returned from Candy, apd he informed -me, that he foft^g-Hten .there, 'who would not
foe permit!edition 10. return. 1 -asked tfhte m en -h o * th e y -were permitted leave thé
■ cpjihtry* T hey said dieydétained peHSdss5<k-t*>«<*rne to-eawyoipney or aid to the others;
and that they would m a m there to - th ie v e them; as wêtl -as to endeavour to get
th e ir .cattle and the areka uuts (they %sught <for thc merehandisethey carried to that
country.
! - hk> account has y e t meaçfcsdthis. lOOÇntjy-of üheir b e h ^ set a t -liberty, 2o rT h e arefci
,-oe*tored to p aBy.equjvalen.kfor the goods-they ‘bartered f o r the areka nuts
five.cBionChs mace. Jt $ fn o t , « r e l i a n t to this ridgec*,-.' to anehgoB that tMUrofeiesir has
3s ?fe?olme s carcity,q f jn on e y, ^ n d .^ an to f
eo^'fi^Mitl and c redit; the foh fek anWnot knowing w f t e r è % \ i^ e ^ ï i i have assured
ihatifrall» that they would foe. redressed, and th eir .perse«* mid properties protected and:
jedufpd, I baste the honour -to be, p a f l
. r i ; - - e (Sign ed ) iieut.-O^C©Nj|JiI.L.
: P u td e tn s ^ B ^ i» qfltofc -1
To m iU a m ^ fd , Esq. Fiae^Pmshtmt t f the Board o f Surname, Columbo.
S i r « - f i is E x cêB en c y th e gowsmerahas laftelp-received 'from different (quarters fodfor-
matkui, that .upon tfo e ifen tie r so fC an d yp rep am ion s.are msadng wlridr scem t,e iriajcaë-
that .governmèfit’. -fir rirany pflacfes-the rokds lead'
mg into th e lOouaQiy -were blockaded ap . • C é lfectkms o f armed men were W m h le d in
considerable .-numbers,, * n â all persons coming from .the British territories were stopfoe?
and examined with-every appearance o f distrust and suspicion. A s tfodse measrires upon
the part o f the-Candians-evidently proved rather-their own fear o f being attacked, than
any hostile mtention o f an offensive nature against the British possessions, his È x c e l-
fe r a y d id not ju dge it-necessary-to pay any greater attention' to them, than to put the different
commandants upon their guard, and to enforce the laws- against exporting gunpowder
.and f e e •Janes to -their country.
B u t his E x ce llen c y has lately been informed, that in the neighbourhood o f Putelang
the Candians have proceeded so far as to commit outrages on some o f the subjects o f his
Majesty, several o f whom have been forcibly, detained,; others robbed o f their property
, and otherwise ill-treated b y persons pretending to have 'authority from the K in g o f
Candy.;
. Be fore llis E x ce llen c y takes any steps to put a stop to such unwarrantable proceedings-'
in- future,, as well as to demand ample satisfaction fo r what is past, lie is desirons o f obtaining
the -clear, -full, and authentic information o f the extent o f the grievances committed,.
as -well as o f -the truth and ju stice ofo th e complaints. E o f; this purpose I am
directed b y his E x ce llen c y, to' request th at1 you will proceed, with as much expedition
35 Possiblc> to Putelang, and there ra a ke th c fullest inquiries into-the nature and truth o f
the complaints which h a v e ’been -made b y those,-persons who h a v e ‘been aggrieved. either,
in their persons o r -their p roperty.-^-You w ill be so good to examine, upon oath,, all