against^ nhabitanls o f these set;tlements,,..obliged-us to complain and demand satisfaction.
Certain merchants o f Putalom, who had under the faith o f treaty purchased, at a fair
marketun the Candian country, areka and betel nut to the quantity., p f \2ga ateonams,.
were despoiled o f it forc ibly by a person in authority u ndq^the Candian ‘government
at Cacknakoley. Although so flagrant an outrage entitled us to make reprisals on the
property o f the subjects o f the K in g o f Candy within our government, we.abstained
from any such measure, and w e even delayed making any remonstance till, after a serious
and..minute inves tiga tion ;of 1 the case,-, we-rptere sure that the fact alieo-ed' was
true, and that the Putalom :mer,eh»ts had not brought it on by! any improper behaviour
or disrespect to the laws o f Candy, or; persons, in authority there; we then,- without
ordering reprisals to be made, forwarded a remonstrance to the Candian g o ve rnm en t.'
T o this remonstrance, stating, the case as it happened, an answer was, returned ^ | |
in October, acknowtedging the truth o f our statement and the ju stice o f J a r complaint,
and promising restitution immediately, of, the"betel nut which had been;- seized,:
to the persons whom it belonged. Although we had a clear and positive right to-
insist on the delivery o f the said areka or betel nut to the injured parties at Putalom,
t^e expense o f the CSa®dy»"M% JtedtlWi rajSgj|| waypd. , righf.
and the Putalom merchants returned to Cacknakoley. A t that place they remained gg-;
days without satisfaction, and were at last sent away with a declaration, that . i f
-the se^siggjSt ppjyf^-ri^Qnrafele* in Januaiyi they would receive
aq u an tity o f arekanut equal to that o f which they were depriyedf 7 receiy,^,at=ther
same time a letter from jhpscoQrt, in. date, t^th November, ^.informing us the areka nut
in question had been sold,
in th e .course, o f one or two months. In this proposal, however, reluctantly, yye acquiesced,
and for the more regular performance o f the articles\agr,eed upon,iywe sent
ajna^ffc.hggd m ^ n .p f . yajjlE; t® C a ck n a k o le y . as our cqnpnjisjsmrlerr ,. O n the 14th o f
January, being the expiration o f the stipulated time to receive the areka nut from the;
agents o f the court of- Candy, it was not, however, delivered to h im ; and. the first;
Adigar, informed us, that a sufficient quantity would not be ready for two months. T o .
this we answered, that the tiineifor its ctpljyery had. been -fixed by themselves, and that
fflHtherefore insisted that—theiy alue o f it should, be . immediately paid in;money, at the
moderate rate o f ten r ix dollars per ammonam. Th is conciliatory .proposal has on the--
24th. January, been refused by the first Ad igar o f Cajidy, and another attempt made to
'delay the necessary reparation, o f the. outrage, committed on our people, until the time
fo r active preparation in the field shall be passed. In the mean time preparations and
assemblies o f a menacing appearance have been formed in various places, in the Candian
frontiers, and acts o f apparent hostility which - the minister o f Candy has not
scrupled to .avow on. pretences w h o lly unfounded..
Under these circumstances .of-aggravated; injury and insult, w e have determined to-
send trqp.ps into/sthe Candian territories, to enforce our just, claims to full indemnifications
for the-expgnce to which.om^goyerment has been put by.,the- iniquity o f th e
court o f Candy, and to exact sufficient security against the repetition o f similar o u trag e .'
In this' v iew we have submitted, to his Candian- Majesty articles, o f accommodation, so
moderate in their object, and so beneficial in their principle, that we trust he w ill immediately
agree to' them, as . .well for the security-of hls. own person and dignity; as
for -the tranquillity and happiness o f 'his-.subjects. In the mean time we have g iven
strict order's {tos observfe the .-most exactidiscipline, rby'the British troops in'the Candian
territories'; that the teinpfes, .priests, and r e l ig io n ,o f the inhabitants be respected, that
all supplies which may be furnished may be
allqwedjftynd we 'exh!<m;£lM)hcJSle'Wb& inftabitifWe kroHhiries^h)f6Vg|lfWffi^cp®3feifhies'tnay
pass'" Tdo afford'1thdra.eveityla^stpnf§te'}f>fb rfemaifftpdah'eab 1 y
tin Be rhumicuffinary; o«c lipat Ltfn 1 without dear f o r ' app rcffi dirts etvtek
quietlyitoj-fhe ahthdrityi’h f ®®s*T4 d|^^cfd^rs’,i -who have our 'express ditjecrionsjitf jbrbi
tect.thcm .from injury, and oppression, .m
B?y - ’
1' ’11 ’‘t&Ofe.ERriAR'B-u'rieNOT,*
.By^prder efiitSofimcMd i& r . l* vt , U ftT # 1 CRTeUSecrdtafy^o^GdviAhmerrt, W
„ Prfjgat^uons ,tj^rp i-njmediately b egu n , fprscoljectipg.uvfbrce'^oymaroh mto’ t.JaevC’km
dian .territory, O n the gist.,of; January 1803, General Macdowal, 'the commander in
chief, set. out from Golumbo with tile following force, under histomswahdft ©f-the
-rt^imputf, companies o f t jie^ i pth,( Jihg-ug^er^dieu^eowpany -»of s thmtbgth,
Colonel Ram.s.ey’s native;.regiment;, T o o Malays, .with a detachment of, Bengal and
Madifes,artillery, and pjproportjonatijjftmumJj^r'df Ttai6ar’^apdipsodoerss' forming m-alji
abou tAoqq..men-. O n , dj,4 f f f tb r u S jy dGfemiSU tBarbut Imhrched from
Tripeogtalee, acc^r^jgg,tQ a^eppetp-ted- plan -of operations, -hfavifig with him g o fr piftked
Sbgn „pf.-the -19th, |-;Spp o f the Malay'regiment, a company o f ; artillery and' .pidjtfiihiSSS
with six six-pounders and two howitzers. A f ter'encountering.a
;^ ^ ,2^ iv i^ .j^ e tfo r^ |b e^ :Iar^ 'b^% S ’'^ ^ h^ :e fte^ y ; wiotS^p>sfidi--'(3i^ir"aharc%; Shqrt-wp
a4Hi^,j0^nfid ,c^i the 20th o f February at Candy. So- admirably was
th e gJ$jUy®f operatiqq?itt<thls,j[nstancSiaaarrangfed and ^esepted, 'fh a tjjotb divirSmsfan-
rived atMie appointed}jda&e >of jh t& tion within an dieutyjof/eaeb other.
S m b e K in g and the ch ief A d ig a r immediately abandonedOandy with precipitation, after
pa yjpg firstj§et ^re to »the palace and the tfemplesj,. . O u r troops -howeverfsoafi! sn ten d ed
in extinguishing th e f ir e ^ fmCfopod few things o f value p ilfer id, the pidaoe-Ar "the town,
as tlgiinhabitanjaj, rprevipU5»to tbheir fligh t ' had,destroyed ^whatever they lecmld- ript ca rry
■ away. " T h e ' Candians soon after appeared near Candy in 1 cohsifldr-ahfeitfprefefi, but a
i^ ^ b iS^ ^M 'flu fe fro i^ s iiqu i'ek ly 'S u e ig e d p d in .^ s p ^ s i i^ i |h t o ';:wi;fel}'?dii!tfe
part,^ an ;o|Scer
auC an d y , dated 'Beferuhry pgd tfictg, gives some iSferesting particulars of] the?«him
«ircumsSlttces wh^t:th?jft gity’ prest&l^d t®-» opf ■
, . L e tte r from on Officer at,^ Candy ftebruary ,23 jj, T8.03,- f
Wrote la?t
Gome; nothing; -ihtjfeet ?buti-;mhut^aiftG^hjft^jend; and'idhSEisdr'with; aigreat; deaheff (fetish
fighting. T h e country in which we how are amply repays 'our trouble ; »itJis-suhdoitbJedly
®ne pf the finest countriesin the world;and;well deserVes the name ofTafadise.: Mouhtains