fheir. cruelties hud “exasperated, the natives •-to such' a degree, ’
that it was impossible evër mgaitolo] nCQhciMate; their miùds ;vatidu
this., attipathÿ'ffââèd to the fair promises of the Dutch, and
the,, hopgs «È a speedy deliverance, had. àwaltenèdesuébi a .Spirit>
among * ttehC^eyjteneses th a t -, they in their turn attacked :theii?5
former tyrants . even in their own .possessions, and laid waste»
those .plantations from which the only-resources of the Portuguese'
were^ dei'i\1edujt--^uch w e re ; the causes which led to the loss iofe
thigiiistend ’ fey its ifirsfc, European-posSessom.s ^1
\ -The^jrnprovoments made in the cultivation, of Ceylon, by the
Eortugu^et were by no means - considerable.., fShose ap'eQpigjf
when they first took possession of it, were father warriors than,
mei’ehants.. Their continual, wars with the na€vps;eantiahuted;
tOfkeep up dhe, same spirit ; and: ;theh ^pmneipal attention seeinb?
torliàyei, been directed to the fortification of anfeV. station^ on
the coasts," .arid .the erection :of some military posts to 5 awe the-
natives. : Bat the Portuguese appear never t^Sjham, Hproperly
discovered jh e advantages, to, fee derived from this . island, either ■
in sa commercial or; militaiy pomtwo&^dfe Their? dominfot»:
extended ajl around it; and no station] cduld.;,fee pointed1 o u t’
more commodious for a dépôt either of merchandise; dri mili- -
ta ry . stores., These advantages were oveifooked by the Court of
Lisbon ; and those individuals who- were sent Kto. command a t *
Ceylon wefi nuire anxious to gratify their, pride by conquest,
and their: avarice, by extortidn, than to.pprsue any plan of)
permanent advantage ffither to the mother cmmfry or the colony. |
The Toftttgue.se, therefore, fey their qwii misconduct,v%e»e deprived
of this valuable island, before they were aware of the
benefits to fee deriyed;; fr^m i t . .
. The joy ; of the Ceyfouese> on being delivered from the yoke.
tindbr fs r a pm H m
bffetbts^/t3^ in h iy i‘dhVa:defs^Indj®^#i'^a;tiffie to Their H B
brer's', ,%f luM . khew’ino“.bounds; ‘ The King' of: Candy*“,willingly
■^aid ‘ th&ueWffeiiees t^lfethefr aflMmeniS” in 'cirinamohit’^n'd , conferred
dpfcn.’his n e ^ 'a t f c j ^ which
he ditd by Thteir1 r f aW d e iv«x^dlldi\t]!e^'ft^'i!|uEs©: Among
tllese T r i ^ ^ h a r e e f ^ ^ ^ S ^ r ^ s *
M i t f f o r m e f itfef *%&;e’, which' i;\hifasl1
p art to'f- the- ’ 1 is- that harbour'' whiotfr ifenclers the
'ih’osfc valUUMfe 'station»
ofiginklly-ifeytthe Portuguesem!
ir^ ti^ h te a rf »for'ftigi!p#-0(luotfflp'
o f ^ n n am S ^ ? ^ the ^ o ^ ‘-cfemihodiousW(MM'^L®^^f|^ft &4apreii^
pfodndtiod W t h e n b o x i h f l i e s 1 p6$t;ntlie
Khig fef^Cghdy^^lsdlifeestowed ’ on |f f e &&tch;!%e!ftl^hs o ? ^ .
gumbo In d -Point 'dfcf'dSalle in 4 lil;^men q ^ ^ r-ie^ llg efiier whlpf
a’ 'terg#J tract ^■icft^'Mnd, a’SjjBining to
^ h e - Dutch ^p e a fedL e ^ edM |ly ^ g fa te fu l td ’tte.jJTqiarch S -
all these cdheCssidns ;f thhy IS^bmed<
of ^ a r d i a n s ^ f p i s cbiMW and® began' ’'ttf o r tif y
Stations p u t into1 ^h eh l^^d s,^iriK^ l^ ^ ak )tl^*'said*)^iorfhiT^eu-
■rity; Srid;: sdhVeM w$e>ifek Candians e^vilfee^o^.lhe^goodiini
•tentions of their new allies., that they gaVe them: eveiy assis-
;tance in their power to complete their operations. The Dutch
took this opportunity to increase the strength '^ ^ ^ I p r i h ^ p a l
post at Cdhltnbo. Tih^'g^eatlyi^la^geA th e f fo - fe and P p p i
at "pain’s ‘id* render th<l#HificatIdtejW<to^ jMssi’blc. B H H
post of Trincomalee, on the other side of. the island, 'they also'
endeavoured to render , secure against any attack either from
an external or a domestic enemy. Their numbers in the meanf
time were daily increasing by the addition of fresh adventurers