chap, xx TREATY WITH KING OF KANDY 247
The
Dutch, before they had captured all the settlements which the
Portuguese had in the Island of Ceylon, whence they have been entirely
driven, persuaded themselves that the trade of the island would yield
them enormous sums if they were sole masters of it. This might have
happened if they had kept to the agreement they had made with the King
of Kandy, who is the King of the country, when they began to make war
with the Portuguese. But they broke faith with him, and that gave them
a very bad character in these parts.
The
treaty with the King of Kandy provided that this King was always to be
in charge of the passes, with 18,000 or 20,000 men, to prevent the
reinforcements which might come from Colombo, Negombe,1
Manar, and many other places which the Portuguese held along the coast.
And the Dutch were to bring in their large vessels sufficient troops to
besiege Pointe de Galle both by sea and land. They agreed, also, with
the King of Achin that he should hold the coast with a sufficient
number of small armed frigates, of which he always maintained several.
When
the Dutch captured the town, they began to repair some breaches, on
which the King of Kandy sent to know when he might come there to
receive possession. For it had been agreed in the event of the Dutch
taking the town that they would give it back to the King, who by way of
recompense was to provide them with a certain quantity of cinnamon
every year, and, in case of necessity, to aid them as far as he was
able. The Dutch replied that they were willing to hand over the town to
him provided he paid them the costs of the war, which they said
amounted to many millions ; but if he had possessed three kingdoms like
his own he could not have paid half the sum. In truth money is scarce
in that country, and I do not believe that the King has ever seen a sum
equal to 50,000 ecus 2 at one time. His whole trade
consisted in cinnamon and elephants ; but since the Portuguese have
been in India he has derived no profit from either. As for the
elephants, that is a small matter, for only five or six are captured in
a year ; but at the same time those
1 Negombo. ' £11,260.
