A.—No remarks are necessary in regard to the introduction.

B.—In elucidation of the document sent by us with regard to the opening of the harbours of the Kandyan King, as to how far the instructions extend and how they are to be applied within the Company’s jurisdiction, nothing need be said here, as this will be sufficiently clear from our successive letters from Colombo. We would only state that it would seem as if Mr. Zwaardecroon had forgotten that the prohibition against the clandestine export of cinnamon applies also to the export of elephants, and that these may not be sold either directly or indirectly by any one but the Company.

C.—It is not apparent that our people would be allowed to purchase areca-nut in Trincomalee on account of the opening of the harbours. Mr. Zwaardecroon’s plan has been submitted to Their Excellencies at Batavia, who replied in their letters of December 12, 1695, and July 3, 1696, that some success might be obtained by getting the nuts through the Wanny from the King’s territory. An experiment might be made (provided Their Excellencies approve) charging Rds. 1/3 per ammunam, as is done in Colombo, Galle, Matura, &c. This toll could be farmed out, and the farmers authorized to collect the duty at the passes, no further duties being imposed whether the nuts are exported or not. If the duty were levied only on the nuts that are exported, the inhabitants who now buy them from the Company at Rds. 6 per ammunam would no longer do so, and this profit would be lost. Whether the duty ought to be higher than Rds. 1/3 remains yet to be seen. The same rule must be applied to pepper, cotton, &c., imported at the passes, 7½ per cent. being charged as alphandigo.1 This being paid, the articles may be sold here, exported, or anything done as the inhabitants please, without further liability to duty.

D.—In the proclamation referred to here, in which free trade is permitted at all harbours in Ceylon in the Company’s territory, it is clearly stated that the harbours may be freely entered with merchandise, provided the customary duties are paid, and that only the subjects of the Kandyan King are exempted from the payment of these. It does not seem to me that this rule is in agreement with the supposition that because of this free trade the duty on foreign and native cloth would be abolished. If Mr. Zwaardecroon had made inquiries he would have been informed that, as far as the import of foreign cloth is concerned, the duty is the same as that in Colombo and Galle. The proposed change would apparently bring about an increase of the alphandigo, but where then would be found the Rds. 7,1 0 as duty on the native and foreign cloths? I cannot see on what basis this proposal is founded, and I therefore think that the Customs duty of 20 per cent. on the imported foreign cloths and the 20 per cent. for the stamping of native cloths must be continued when, on the 31st December next, the lease for the duty of 25 per cent. expires, the more so as it has been pointed out in this Memoir wherever possible that the inhabitants are increasing in prosperity. This agrees with what was discussed at the general Paresse. With regard to the Moorish merchants from Bengal, there would be no objection to the duty on the cloths imported by them being fixed at 7½ per cent., because they have to make a much longer voyage than the merchants from Coromandel and other places on the opposite coast; while we have to humour them in order to induce them to provide us with rice. Moreover the Bengal cloths are not very much in demand, and these people usually ask to be paid in elephants, which do not cost the Company very much, rather than in cash, as has been done again by the owner of the ship that is here at present on behalf of the Bengal Nabob Caungaarekan. He also complained of the duty of 20 per cent. and said he would pay no more than the Company pays in Bengal. He said his master the Nabob would be very angry, &c. We therefore considered whether the duty could not be reduced to 7½ per cent., as may be seen in the resolutions of June 4 last. On December 12, 1695, a letter was received from Batavia in answer to the difficulties raised by Mr. Zwaardecroon with regard to these impositions, in which it is said that the Customs duty for Bengal from the date of the license for free trade should be regulated as it had been in olden times, with authority to remove difficulties in their way and to give them redress where necessary. I found that the duty paid by them formerly on these cloths was 7½ per cent., both in Galle and here, and I therefore authorize Your Honours to levy from them only that amount. This must be kept in mind at the farming out of these revenues at the end of the year, in order to prevent difficulties with the farmer, as happened only lately. I trust, however, that the farming out will not yield less than other years. Meantime, and before any other vessels from Bengal arrive, the approbation of Their Excellencies at Batavia must be obtained with regard to this matter, so that alterations may be made according to their directions without any difficulty.

E.—I must confess that I do not understand how the subject of free trade can be brought forward again as being opposed to the Company’s interests, as is done again with regard to the 24 casks of coconut oil which the inhabitants have to deliver to the Company, which are properly paid for and are not required for the purpose of sale but for the use of the Company’s servants, or how any one dares to maintain that the lawful sovereign who extends his graciousness and favours over his subjects and neighbours would be tied down and prejudiced by such rules. It is true that the coconut trees in Matura are required for the elephants, but in Galle and Colombo it is not so; but the largest number of trees there is utilized for the drawing of surie2 for arrack, &c. It is true that some nuts are exported, but only a small quantity, while the purchasers or transporters have to sell one-third of what they export to the Company at Rds. 2 a thousand, while they must cost them at least Rds. 3. Out of these we had the oil pressed ourselves, and this went largely to supplement the requirements for local consumption, which are very large, since the vessels also have to be supplied, because as a matter of economy the native harpuis (resin) has been largely used for rubbing over the ships, so as to save the Dutch resin as much as possible, and for the manufacture of this native resin a large quantity of oil is required. Your Honours must therefore continue to have all suitable casks filled with oil, and send to Colombo all that can be spared after the required quantity has been sent to Coromandel, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa, reserving what is necessary for the next pearl fishery and the use of the Commandement. In order to avoid difficulties, Your Honours are required to send to Colombo yearly (until we send orders to the contrary) 12 casks of coconut oil and 2 casks of margosa oil, which are expected without failure. For the rest we refer to what is said under the heading of Coconut Trees.

F.—This form for a passport was sent for no other purpose but that it should be introduced according to instructions.

G.—There is sufficient time yet for the opening of the road from Putulang to Mantotte. I am well pleased with the work of the Dessave, and approve of the orders given by him to the Toepas Adigar Rodrigo, and the various reports submitted by him. In these he states that the roads are now in good condition, while on June 5, when 34 elephants arrived from Colombo, on this side of Putulang nothing had been done yet, and even on July 16 and 17 when His Excellency the Governor passed part of that road the work had advanced but very little. I therefore sent on the 14th instant the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz, who had successfully transported the animals from Colombo to Putulang, and is a man who can be depended upon, with two surveyors to see that the roads, which were narrow and extraordinary crooked, were widened to 2 roods and straightened somewhat in the forest, and to cut roads leading to the water tanks. Sixty Wallias or wood-cutters, 150 coolies, and 25 Lascoreens were sent to complete this work, so that in future there will be no difficulties of this kind, except that the dry tanks must be deepened. I will see Mr. Isaacsz on this subject on my return. On account of his shameful neglect and lying and for other well-known reasons I have dismissed the Adigar Domingo Rodrigo as unworthy to serve the Company again anywhere or at any time, and have appointed in his place Alexander Anamale, who has been an Adigar for many years in the same place. In giving him this appointment I as usual obtained the verbal and written opinions of several of the Commandeurs, who stated that he had on the whole been vigilant and diligent in his office, but was discharged last year by the Commission from Colombo without any reasons being known here, to make room for the said incapable Domingo Rodrigo, who was Adigar of Ponneryn at the time. I suppose he was taken away from there to please the Wannia chiefs Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar Ilengenarene, whose eldest son Gaspar, junior, was appointed Master of the Hunt, as stated under the heading of the Wanny and Ponneryn. With regard to the instructions to compile various lists, this order must be carried out in so far as they are now complete. With regard to the significant statement that the Honourable Company does not possess any lands in Jaffnapatam, and that there is not the smallest piece of land known of which the Company does not receive taxes, and that it therefore would be impossible to compile a list of lands belonging to or given away on behalf of the Company, and in case of the latter by whom, to whom, when, why, &c., I am at a loss to follow the reasoning, and it seems to me that there is something wrong in it, because the protocols at the Secretariate here show that during the years 1695, 1696, and 1697 five pieces of land were given away by Mr. Zwaardecroon himself, and this without the least knowledge or consent of His Excellency the Governor; while, on the other hand, I know that there are still many fields in the Provinces which are lying waste and have never been cultivated; so that they belong to the Company and no one else. At present the inhabitants send their cattle to these lands to graze, as the animals would otherwise destroy their cultivated fields, but in the beginning all lands were thus lying waste. With a view to find out how many more of these lands there are here, and where they are situated, I have instructed the Thombo-keeper, Mr. Bolscho, to draw up a list of them from the newly compiled Thombo, beginning with the two Provinces Willigamme and Waddamoraatschie, the Thombo of which is completed; the other three Provinces must be taken up later on. Perhaps the whole thing could be done on one sheet of paper, and it need not take two years, nor do we want the whole Thombo in several reams of imperial paper. As soon as the surveyors and Mr. Bolscho return from their work at the road to Putulang, this work must be taken in hand and the list submitted as soon as possible. I also do not see the difficulty of compiling a list of all the small pieces of land which, in the compiling of the new Thombo, were discovered on re-survey to have been unlawfully taken possession of. Since my arrival here I had two such lists prepared for the Provinces Willigamme and Waddamoraatschie covering two sheets of paper each. This work was well worth the trouble, as the pieces of cultivated land in the Province of Willigamme amounted to 299,977½ and in Waddamoraatschie to 128,013 roods, making altogether 427,990½ roods. These, it is said, might be sold to the present owners for about Rds. 7,000. I think it would be best if these lands were publicly leased out, so that the people could show their deeds. I think this would not be unreasonable, and consider it would be sufficient favour to them, since they have had the use of the lands for so many years without ever paying taxes. When the new Thombo is compiled for the Provinces of Patchelepalle and Timmeraatsche and the six inhabited islands, some lands will surely be discovered there also.

H.—It is in compliance with instructions, and with my approbation, that the accounts with the purchasers of elephants in Golconda and with the Brahmin Timmerza have been settled. For various reasons which it is not necessary to state here he is never to be employed as the Company’s broker again, the more so as the old custom of selling the elephants by public auction has been reintroduced this year, as has been mentioned in detail under the heading of Trade.

Your Honours must comply with our orders contained in the letter of May 4 last from Colombo, as to how the cheques from Golconda are to be drawn up and entered in the books. With regard to the special request of the merchants that the amount due to them might be paid in cash or elephants through the said Timmerza to their attorneys, this does not appear in their letter of December 7, 1696, from Golconda, but the principal purchasers of elephants request that the Company may assist the people sent by them in the obtaining of vessels, and, if necessary, give them an advance of 300 or 400 Pagodas, stating that these had been the only reasons why they had consented to deal with the said Timmerza. In our letter of May 4 Your Honours have been informed that His Excellency Laurens Pit, Governor of Coromandel, has consented at our request to communicate with you whenever necessary, as the means of the Golconda merchants who desire to obtain advances from the Company, and how much could be advanced to their attorneys. Such cases must be carefully dealt with, but up to the present no such request has been made, which is so much the better.

I.—The 20,000 paras or 866? lasts of nely applied for from Negapatam will come in useful here, although since the date of this Memoir or the 6th of June the Council agreed to purchase on behalf of the Company the 125? lasts of rice brought here in the Bengal ship of the Nabob of Kateck Caim Caareham, because even this does not bring the quantity in store to the 600 lasts which are considered necessary for Jaffnapatam, as is shown under the heading of provisions and ammunition. It will be necessary to encourage the people from Bengal in this trade, as has been repeatedly stated.

K.—The petition mentioned here, submitted by the bargemen of the Company’s pontons, stating that they have been made to pay all that had been lost on various cargoes of rice above one per cent., that they had not been fairly dealt with in the measuring, &c., deserves serious investigation. It must be seen to that these people are not made to refund any loss for which they are not responsible and which they could not prevent, and the annexed recommendation should be followed as far as reasonable. The point of the unfair measuring must be especially attended to, since such conduct would deserve severe correction.

L.—The instructions given here with regard to the receipt of Pagodas must be carried out, but none but Negapatam or Palicatte Pagodas must be received or circulated. Our instructions under the heading of Golden Pagodas must be observed.

M.—The Dessave de Bitter is to employ the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz in the Public Works Department on his return from Putulang after the transport of the elephants, being a capable man for this work. The most necessary work must be carried out first. Last year the Commissioners, Messrs. van Keulen and Petitfilz, presented the son of the deceased Don Philip Sangerepulle with a horse and a sombreer3 by order of His Excellency the Governor, apparently because he was the chief of the highest caste, or on account of his father’s services. Much has been said against the father, but nothing has been proved, and indeed greater scoundrels might be found on investigation. I now see that Mr. Zwaardecroon, because no act of authority was shown to him, has rejected this presentation and ordered the Political Council here from the yacht “Bekenstyn” on March 29 of this year to demand back from the youth this horse and sombreer. This having been done without my knowledge and consent, I countermand this order, and expect Your Honours to carry out the orders of His late Excellency the Governor.4 With regard to the administration of this Commandement, I have stated what was necessary under the heading of the Form of Government at the conclusion of the Memoir to which I herewith refer. I will only add here that since then I have had reason to doubt whether my instructions with regard to the Political Council and the manner in which the administration is to be carried out has been properly understood. I reiterate therefore that the Dessave de Bitter will be looked upon and respected as the Chief in the Commandement during the absence of the Commandeur, and that to him is entrusted the duty of convening the meetings both of the Political Council and of the Court of Justice. Also that he will pass and sign all orders, such as those for the Warehouses, the Treasury, the Workshop, the Arsenal, and other of the Company’s effects. Further, that when he stays over night in the Castle, he is to give out the watch-word and see to the opening and the closing of the gates, which, in the event of his absence, is deputed to the Captain. The Dessave will see that order and discipline are maintained, especially among the military, and also that they are regularly drilled. He is further to receive the daily reports, not only of the military but also of all master workmen, &c.; in short, he is to carry out all work just as if the Commandeur were present. Recommending thus far and thus briefly these instructions as a guidance to the Administrateur and the Political Council, and praying God’s blessing—

I remain, Sirs, etc.,
(Signed) Gerrit de Heere.

Jaffnapatam, August 2, 1697.