The Commandeur, President (absent).
Dessave de Bitter, Vice-President.
Capt. van der Bruggen, Administrateur.
Abraham Biermans.
Lieut. Claas Isaacsz.
The Thombo-keeper, Pieter Chr. Bolscho.
The Ensign Arnoud Mom.
The Onderkoopman Joan Roos.
The Onderkoopman Jan van Groeneveld.
The Bookkeeper Jan de Wit, Secretary.
But it must be considered that on my departure to Mallabaar, and in
case the Dessave be commissioned to the pearl fishery, this College
will be without a President; the Onderkooplieden Bolscho and Roos
may also be away in the interior for the renovation of the Head
Thombo, and it may also happen that Lieut. Claas Isaacsz will be
appointed Lieutenant-Dessave, in which case he also would have to go
to the interior; in such case there would be only three members left
besides the complainant ex-officio and the Secretary, who would have
no power to pronounce sentence. The Lieutenant van Hovingen and the
Secretary of the Political Council could be appointed for the time,
but in that case the Court would be more a Court Martial than a Court
of Justice, consisting of three Military men and two Civil Servants,
while there would be neither a President nor a Vice-President. I
consider it best, therefore, that the sittings of the Court should
be suspended until the return of the Dessave from the pearl fishery,
unless His Excellency the Governor and the Council should give other
instructions, which Your Honours would be bound to obey.
I also found that no law books are kept at the Court, and it would
be well, therefore, if Your Honours applied to His Excellency the
Governor and the Council to provide you with such books as they deem
most useful, because only a minority of the members possess these
books privately, and, as a rule, the Company's servants are poor
lawyers. Justice may therefore be either too severely or too leniently
administered. There are also many native customs according to which
civil matters have to be settled, as the inhabitants would consider
themselves wronged if the European laws be applied to them, and it
would be the cause of disturbances in the country. As, however, a
knowledge of these matters cannot be obtained without careful study and
experience, which not every one will take the trouble to acquire, it
would be well if a concise digest be compiled according to information
supplied by the chiefs and most impartial natives. No one could have a
better opportunity to do this than the Dessave, and such a work might
serve for the instruction of the members of the Court of Justice as
well as for new rulers arriving here, for no one is born with this
knowledge. I am surprised that no one has as yet undertaken this work.
The advice of Mr. Laurens Pyl in his Memoir of November 7, 1679,
with regard to the Court of Justice, namely, that the greatest
precautions must be used in dealing with this false, cunning, and
deceitful race, who think little of taking a false oath when they see
any advantage for themselves in doing so, must be followed. This is
perhaps the reason that the Mudaliyars Don Philip Willewaderayen and
Don Anthony Naryna were ordered in a letter from Colombo of March 22,
1696, to take their oath at the request of the said Mudaly Tamby
only in the heathen fashion, although this seemed out of keeping
with the principles of the Christian religion (Salva Reverentio),
as these people are recognized as baptized Christians, and therefore
the taking of this oath is not practised here. The natives are also
known to be very malicious and contentious among themselves, and do
not hesitate to bring false charges against each other, sometimes for
the sole purpose of being able to say that they gained a triumph over
their opponents before the Court of Justice. They are so obstinate
in their pretended rights that they will revive cases which had been
decided during the time of the Portuguese, and insist on these being
dealt with again. I have been informed that some rules have been laid
down with regard to such cases by other Commandeurs some 6, 8, 10,
and 20 years previous, which it would be well to look up with a view
to restrain these people. They also always revive cases decided by
the Commandeurs or Dessaves whenever these are succeeded by others,
and for this reason I never consented to alter any decision by a former
Commandeur, as the party not satisfied can always appeal to the higher
court at Colombo. His Excellency the Governor and the Council desired
very properly in their letter of November 15, 1694, that no processes
decided civilly by a Commandeur as regent should be brought in appeal
before the Court of Justice here, because the same Commandeur acts in
that College as President. Such cases must therefore be referred to
Colombo, which is the proper course. Care must also be taken that all
documents concerning each case are preserved, registered, and submitted
by the Secretary. I say this because I found that this was shamefully
neglected during my residence here in the years 1691 and 1692, when
several cases had been decided and sentences pronounced, of which not
a single document was preserved, still less the notes or copies made.
Another matter to be observed is that contained in the Resolutions
of the Council of India of June 14, 1694, where the amounts paid to
the soldiers and sailors are ordered not to exceed the balance due
to them above what is paid for them monthly in the Fatherland. I
also noticed that at present 6 Lascoreens and 7 Caffirs are paid
as being employed by the Fiscaal, while formerly during the time
of the late Fiscaal Joan de Ridder, who was of the rank of Koopman,
not more than 5 Lascoreens and 6 Caffirs were ever paid for. I do not
know why the number has been increased, and this greater expense is
imposed upon the Company. No more than the former number are to be
employed in future. This number has sufficed for so many years under
the former Fiscaal, and as the Fiscaal has no authority to arrest any
natives without the knowledge of the Commandeur or the Dessave, it
will still suffice. It was during the time of the late Onderkoopman
Lengele, when the word "independent" carried much weight, that the
staff of native servants was increased, although for the service of
the whole College of the Political Council not more than 4 Lascoreens
are employed, although its duties are far more numerous than those of
the Fiscaal. I consider that the number of native servants should be
limited to that strictly necessary, so that it may not be said that
they are kept for show or for private purposes.[35]
The Company has endeavoured at great expense, from the time it took
possession of this Island, to introduce the religion of the True
Reformed Christian Church among this perverse nation. For this purpose
there have been maintained during the last 38 years 35 churches and
3 or 4 clergymen, but how far this has been accepted by the people
of Jaffnapatam I will leave for my successors to judge, rather than
express my opinion on the subject here. It is a well-known fact that
in the year 1693 nearly all the churches in this part of the country
were found stocked with heathen books, besides the catechisms and
Christian prayer books. It is remarkable that this should have
occurred after His late Excellency Governor van Mydregt in 1689
had caused all Roman Catholic churches and secret convents to be
dismantled and abolished, and instead of them founded a Seminary or
Training School for the propagation of the true religion, incurring
great expenses for this purpose. I heard only lately that, while I
was in Colombo and the Dessave in Negapatam, a certain Lascoreen,
with the knowledge of the schoolmasters of the church in Warrany, had
been teaching the children the most wicked fables one could think of,
and that these schoolmasters had been summoned before the Court of
Justice here and caned and the books burnt. But on my return I found
to my surprise that these schoolmasters had not been dismissed, and
that neither at the Political Council nor at the Court of Justice
had any notes been made of this occurrence, and still less a record
made as to how the case had been decided. The masters were therefore
on my orders summoned again before the meeting of the Scholarchen,
by which they were suspended until such time as the Lascoreen should
be arrested. I have not succeeded in laying hands on this Lascoreen,
but Your Honours must make every endeavour, after my departure, to
trace him out; because he may perhaps imagine that the matter has
been forgotten. Such occurrences as these are not new in Warrany;
because the idolatry committed there in 1679 will be known to some
of you. On that occasion the authors were arrested by the Company
through the assistance of the Brahmin Timmersa Nayk, notwithstanding he
himself was a heathen, as may be seen from the public acknowledgment
granted to him by His Excellency Laurens Pyl, November 7, 1679. I
therefore think that the Wannias are at the bottom of all this
idolatry, not only because they have alliances with the Bellales all
over the country, but especially because their adherents are to be
found in Warrany and also in the whole Province of Patchelepalle,
where half the inhabitants are dependent on them. This was seen at
the time the Wannias marched about here in Jaffnapatam in triumph,
and almost posed as rulers here. We may be assured that they are
the greatest devil-worshippers that could be found, for they have
never yet admitted a European into their houses, for fear of their
idolatry being discovered, while for the sake of appearance they
allow themselves to be married and baptized by our ministers.
For instance, it is a well-known fact that Don Philip Nellamapane
applied to His late Excellency van Mydregt that one of his sons might
be admitted into the Seminary, with a view of getting into his good
graces; while no sooner had His Excellency left this than the son
was recalled under some false pretext. In 1696, when this boy was in
Negapatam with the Dessave de Bitter, he was caught making offerings
in the temples, wearing disguise at the time. It could not be expected
that such a boy, of no more than ten or twelve years old, should do
this if he had not been taught or ordered by his parents to do so
or had seen them doing the same, especially as he was being taught
another religion in the Seminary. I could relate many such instances,
but as this is not the place to do so, this may serve as an example
to put you on your guard. It is only known to God, who searches the
hearts and minds of men, what the reason is that our religion is not
more readily accepted by this nation: whether it is because the time
for their conversion has not yet arrived, or whether for any other
reason, I will leave to the Omniscient Lord. You might read what has
been written by His Excellency van Mydregt in his proposal to the
reverend brethren the clergy and the Consistory here on January 11,
1690, with regard to the promotion of religion and the building of
a Seminary. I could refer to many other documents bearing on this
subject, but I will only quote here the lessons contained in the
Instructions of the late Commandeur Paviljoen of December 19, 1665,
where he urges that the reverend brethren the clergy must be upheld and
supported by the Political Council in the performance of their august
duties, and that they must be provided with all necessary comforts;
so that they may not lose their zeal, but may carry out their work
with pleasure and diligence. On the other hand care must be taken
that no infringement of the jurisdiction of the Political Council
takes place, and on this subject it would be well for Your Honours
to read the last letter from Batavia of July 3,1696, with regard to
the words Sjuttan Peria Padrie and other such matters concerning the
Political Council as well as the clergy. (36)
With regard to the Seminary or training school for native children
founded in the year 1690 by His late Excellency van Mydregt, as another
evidence of the anxiety of the Company to propagate the True and Holy
Gospel among this blind nation for the salvation of their souls,
I will state here chiefly that Your Honours may follow the rules
and regulations compiled by His Excellency, as also those sent to
Jaffnapatam on the 16th of the same month. Twice a year the pupils
must be examined in the presence of the Scholarchen (those of the
Seminary as well as of the other churches) and of the clergy and the
rector. In this college the Commandeur is to act as President, but, as
I am to depart to Mallabaar, this office must be filled by the Dessave,
in compliance with the orders contained in the letters from Colombo
of April 4, 1696. The reports of these examinations must be entered
in the minute book kept by the Scriba, Jan de Crouse. These minutes
must be signed by the President and the other curators, while Your
Honours will be able to give further instructions and directions as
to how they are to be kept. During my absence the examination must be
held in the presence of the Dessave, and the Administrateur Michiels
Biermans and the Thombo-keeper Pieter Bolscho as Scholarchen of the
Seminary, the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz and the Onderkoopman Joan Roos
as Scholarchen of the native churches, the reverend Adrianus Henricus
de Mey, acting Rector, and three other clergymen.
It must be remembered, however, that this is only with regard to
examinations and not with regard to the framing of resolutions, which
so far has been left to the two Scholarchen and the President of the
Seminary. These, as special curators and directors, have received
higher authority from His Excellency the Governor and the Council,
with the understanding, however, that they observe the rules given
by His Excellency and the Council both with regard to the rector and
the children, in their letters of April 4 and June 13, 1696, and the
Resolutions framed by the curators of June 27 and October 21, 1695,
which were approved in Colombo. Whereas the school had been so far
maintained out of a fund set apart for this purpose, in compliance
with the orders of His Excellency, special accounts being kept of
the expenditure, it has now pleased the Council of India to decide
by Resolution of October 4, 1694, that only the cost of erection
of this magnificent building, which amounted to Rds. 5,274, should
be paid out of the said fund. This debt having been paid, orders
were received in a letter from Their Excellencies of June 3, 1696,
that the institution is to be maintained out of the Company's funds,
special accounts of the expenditure being kept and sent yearly, both
to the Fatherland and to Batavia. At the closing of the accounts
last August the accounts of the Seminary as well as the amount due
to it were transferred to the Company's accounts. The capital then
was still Rds. 17,141, made up as follows:--
Rds. 10,341 entered at the Chief Counting-house in Colombo.
Rds. 1,200 cash paid by the Treasurer of the Seminary into the
Company's Treasury, December 1, 1696.
Rds. 5,600 on account of church fines.
The latter was on December 1, 1690, on the foundation of the Seminary,
granted to that institution, and must now again, as before, be
placed by the Cashier on interest and a special account kept thereof;
because out of this fund the repairs to the churches and schools and
the expenses incurred in the visits of the clergy and the Scholarchen
have to be paid. Other items of revenue which had been appropriated
for the foundation of the Seminary, such as the farming out of
the fishery, &c., must be entered again in the Company's accounts,
as well as the revenue derived from the sale of lands, and that of
the two elephants allowed yearly to the Seminary. The fines levied
occasionally by the Dessave on the natives for offences committed
must be entered in the accounts of the Deaconate or of that of the
church fines, for whichever purpose they are most required.
The Sicos [43] money must again be expended in the fortifications,
as it used to be done before the building of the Training School. The
income of the Seminary consisted of these six items, besides the
interest paid on the capital. This, I think, is all I need say on
the subject for Your Honours' information. I will only add that I
hope and pray that the Lord may more and more bless this Christian
design and the religious zeal of the Company.(37)
The Scholarchen Commission is a college of civil and ecclesiastical
officers, which for good reasons was introduced into this part of
the country from the very beginning of our rule. Their meetings are
usually held on the first Tuesday of every month, and at these is
decided what is necessary to be done for the advantage of the church,
such as the discharge and appointment of schoolmasters and merinhos,
[44] &c. It is here also that the periodical visits of the brethren of
the clergy to the different parishes are arranged. The applications of
natives who wish to enter into matrimony are also addressed to this
college. All the decisions are entered monthly in the resolutions,
which are submitted to the Political Council. This is done as I had
an idea that things were not as they ought to be with regard to the
visitation of churches and inspection of schools, and that the rules
made to that effect had come to be disregarded. This was a bad example,
and it may be seen from the Scholarchial Resolution Book of 1695 and
of the beginning of 1696, what difficulty I had in reintroducing these
rules. I succeeded at last so far in this matter that the visits of
the brethren of the clergy were properly divided and the time for them
appointed. This may be seen from the replies of the Political Council
to the Scholarchial Resolutions of January 14 and February 2, 1696.
On my return from Ceylon I found inserted in the Scholarchial
Resolution Book a petition from two of the clergymen which had been
clandestinely sent to Colombo, in which they did not hesitate to
complain of the orders issued with regard to the visits referred to,
and, although these orders had been approved by His Excellency the
Governor and the Council, as stated above, the request made in this
clandestine petition was granted on March 6, 1696, and the petition
returned to Jaffnapatam with a letter signed on behalf of the Company
on March 14 following. It is true I also found an order from Colombo,
bearing date April 4 following, to the effect that no petitions should
be sent in future except through the Government here, which is in
accordance with the rules observed all over India, but the letter
from Colombo of November 17, received here, and the letter sent from
here to Colombo on December 12, prove that the rule was disregarded
almost as soon as it was made. On this account I could not reply
to the resolutions of the Scholarchen, as the petition, contrary to
those rules, was inserted among them. I think that the respect due
to a ruler in the service of the Company should not be sacrificed to
the private opposition of persons who consider that the orders issued
are to their disadvantage, and who rely on the success of private
petitions sent clandestinely which are publicly granted. In order not
to expose myself to such an indignity for the second time I left the
resolutions unanswered, and it will be necessary for Your Honours to
call a meeting of the Political Council to consider these resolutions,
to prevent the work among the natives being neglected. The College
of the Scholarchen consists at present of the following persons:--
The Dessave de Bitter, President.
The Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz, Scholarch.
The Onderkoopman P. Chr. Bolscho, Scholarch.
The Onderkoopman Joan Roos, Scholarch.
Adrianus Henricus de Mey, Clergyman.
Joannes Roman, Clergyman.
Philippus de Vriest, Clergyman.
Thomas van Symey, Clergyman.
The Assistant Godfried Abraham, Scriba.
I am obliged to mention here also for Your Honours' information that I
have noticed that the brethren of the clergy, after having succeeded
by means of their petition to get the visits arranged according to
their wish, usually apply for assistance, such as attendants, coolies,
cayoppen, &c., as soon as the time for their visits arrive, that is to
say, when it is their turn to go to such places as have the reputation
of furnishing good mutton, fowls, butter, &c.; but when they have to
visit the poorer districts, such as Patchelepalle, the boundaries of
the Wanny, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa, they seldom give notice of the
arrival of the time, and some even go to the length of refusing to go
until they are commanded to depart. From this an idea may be formed of
the nature of their love for the work of propagating religion. Some
also take their wives with them on their visits of inspection to
the churches and schools, which is certainly not right as regards
the natives, because they have to bear the expense. With regard to
the regulations concerning the churches and schools, I think these
are so well known to Your Honours that it would be superfluous for
me to quote any documents here. I will therefore only recommend the
strict observation of all these rules, and also of those made by His
Excellency Mr. van Mydregt of November 29, 1690, and those of Mr. Blom
of October 20, with regard to the visits of the clergy to the churches
and the instructions for the Scholarchen in Ceylon generally by His
Excellency the Governor and the Council of December 25, 1663, and
approved by the Council of India with a few alterations in March, 1667.
The Consistory consists at present of the four ministers mentioned
above, besides:--
Joan Roos, Elder.
Hendrik Warnar, Elder.
Joan Swinas, Deacon.
Jacob Jansz, Deacon.
Domenicus Hartkamp, Deacon.
Jan de Wit, Deacon.
To these is added as Commissaris Politicus, the Administrateur Abraham
Michielsz Biermans, in compliance with the orders of December 27, 1643,
issued by His late Excellency the Governor General Antony van Diemen
and the Council of India at Batavia. Further information relating
to the churches may be found in the resolutions of the Political
Council and the College of the Scholarchen of Ceylon from March 13,
1668, to April 3 following. I think that in these documents will be
found all measures calculated to advance the prosperity of the church
in Jaffnapatam, and to these may be added the instructions for the
clergy passed at the meeting of January 11, 1651.(38)
The churches and the buildings attached to the churches are in many
places greatly decayed. I found to my regret that some churches
look more like stables than buildings where the Word of God is to be
propagated among the Mallabaars. It is evident that for some years
very little has been done in regard to this matter, and as this is a
work particularly within the province of the Dessave, I have no doubt
that he will take the necessary measures to remedy the evil; so that
the natives may not be led to think that even their rulers do not have
much esteem for the True Religion. It would be well for the Dessave
to go on circuit and himself inspect all the churches. Until he can
do so he may be guided by the reports with regard to these buildings
made by Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz on March 19 and April 4, 1696. He
must also be aware that the schoolmasters and merinhos have neglected
the gardens attached to the houses, which contain many fruit trees and
formerly yielded very good fruit, especially grapes, which served for
the refreshment of the clergymen and Scholarchen on their visits.(39)
The Civil Court or Land Raad has been instituted on account of the
large population, and because of the difficulty of settling their
disagreements, which cannot always be done by the Commandeur or the
Court of Justice, nor by the Dessave, because his jurisdiction is
limited to the amount of 100 Pordaus. [45] The sessions held every
Wednesday must not be omitted again, as happened during my absence
in Colombo on account of the indisposition of the President. This
Court consists at present of the following persons:--
Abraham Michielsz Biermans, Administrateur. President.
Jan Fransz, Vryburger, Vice-President.
Arnoud Mom, Ensign.
Jan Lodewyk Stumphuis, Paymaster.
Lucas de Lange, Vryburger.
Jan de Wit, Bookkeeper.
Louis Verwyk, Vryburger.
J. L. Stumphuis, mentioned above, Secretary.
The native members are Don Louis Poeder and Don Denis Nitsingeraye.
The instructions issued for the guidance of the Land Raad may be found
with the documents relating to this college of 1661, in which are also
contained the various Ordinances relating to the official Secretaries
in this Commandement, all which must be strictly observed. As there is
no proper place for the assembly of the Land Raad nor for the meeting
of the Scholarchen, and as both have been held so far in the front room
of the house of the Dessave, where there is no privacy for either,
it will be necessary to make proper provision for this. The best
place would be in the town behind the orphanage, where the Company
has a large plot of land and could acquire still more if a certain
foul pool be filled up as ordered by His Excellency van Mydregt. A
building ought to be put up about 80 or 84 feet by 30 feet, with a
gallery in the centre of about 10 or 12 feet, so that two large rooms
could be obtained, one on either side of the gallery, the one for the
assembly of the Land Raad and the other for that of the Scholarchen. It
would be best to have the whole of the ground raised about 5 or 6
feet to keep it as dry as possible during the rainy season, while
at the entrance, in front of the gallery, a flight of stone steps
would be required. In order, however, that it may not seem as if I am
unaware of the order contained in the letter from Their Excellencies
of November 23, 1695, where the erection of no public building is
permitted without authority from Batavia, except at the private cost
of the builder, I wish to state here particularly that I have merely
stated the above by way of advice, and that Your Honours must wait for
orders from Batavia for the erection of such a building. I imagine
that Their Excellencies will give their consent when they consider
that masonry work costs the Company but very little in Jaffnapatam,
as may be seen in the expenditure on the fortifications, which was
met entirely by the chicos or fines, imposed on those who failed to
attend for the Oely service. Lime, stone, cooly labour, and timber
are obtained free, except palmyra rafters, which, however, are not
expensive. The chief cost consists in the wages for masonry work and
the iron, so that in respect of building Jaffnapatam has an advantage
over other places. Further instructions must however be awaited, as
none of the Company's servants is authorized to dispense with them.(40)
The Weesmeesteren (guardians of the orphans) will find the regulations
for their guidance in the Statutes of Batavia, which were published
on July 1, 1642, [46] by His Excellency the Governor-General Antonis
van Diemen and the Council of India by public placaat. This college
consists at present of the following persons:--
Pieter Chr. Bolscho, President.
Lucas Langer, Vice-President.
Joan Roos, Onderkoopman.
Gerrit van Hovingen, Lieutenant.
Johannes Huysman, Boekhouder.
Jan Baptist Verdonk, Vryburger.
Jan de Wit, Secretary.
As the Hon. the Government of India has been pleased to send
to Ceylon by letter of May 3, 1695, a special Ordinance for the
Orphan Chamber and its officials with regard to their salaries,
I consider it necessary to remind you of it here and to recommend
its strict observance, as well also of the resolution of March 20,
1696, whereby the Orphan Chamber is instructed that all such money
as is placed under their administration which is derived from the
estates of deceased persons who had invested money on interest with
the Company, and whose heirs were not living in the same place, must
be remitted to the Orphan Chamber at Batavia with the interest due
within a month or six weeks.(41)
The Commissioners of Marriage Causes will also find their instructions
in the Statutes of Batavia, mentioned above, which must be carefully
observed. Nothing need be said with regard to this College, but that
it consists of the following persons:--
Claas Isaacsz, Lieutenant, President.
Lucas Langer, Vryburger, Vice-President.
Joan Roos, Onderkoopman.
Jan van Bruggen, Secretary.[42]
The officers of the Burgery, [47] the Pennisten, [48] and the
Ambachtsgezellen [49] will likewise find their instructions and
regulations in the Statutes of Batavia, and apply them as far as
applicable.[43]
The Superintendent of the Fire Brigade and the Wardens of the Town
(Brand and Wyk Meesteren) have their orders and distribution of work
publicly assigned to them by the Regulation of November 8, 1691,
upon which I need not remark anything, except that the following
persons are the present members of this body:--
Jan van Croenevelt, Fiscaal, President.
Jan Baptist Verdonk, Vryburger, Vice-President.
Jan van der Bruggen, Assistant.
Lucas de Langer, Vryburger.
Jacobus Aubert, Schoolmaster.
Jan de Wit, Secretary. [44]
The deacons, as caretakers of the poor, have been mentioned already
under the heading of the Consistory. During the last five and half
years they have spent Rds. 1,145.3.7 more than they received. As I
apprehended this would cause inconvenience, I proposed in my letter
of December 1, 1696, to Colombo that the Poor House should be endowed
with the Sicos money for the year 1695, which otherwise would have
been granted to the Seminary, which did not need it then, as it had
received more than it required. Meantime orders were received from
Batavia that the funds of the said Seminary should be transferred
to the Company, so that the Sicos money could not be disposed of in
that way. As the deficit is chiefly due to the purchase, alteration,
and repairing of an orphanage and the maintenance of the children,
as may be seen from the letters to Colombo of December 12 and 17,
1696, to which expenditure the Deaconate had not been subject before
the year 1690, other means will have to be considered to increase
its funds in order to prevent the Deaconate from getting into further
arrears. It would be well therefore if Your Honours would carefully
read the Instructions of His late Excellency van Mydregt of November
29, 1690, and ascertain whether alimentation given to the poor by
the Deaconate has been well distributed and whether it really was of
the nature of alms and alimentation as it should be. A report of the
result of your inquiry should be sent to His Excellency the Governor
and the Council of Colombo. You might also state therein whether the
orphanage has not been sufficiently enlarged yet, for it seems to me
that the expenditure is too great for only 14 children, as there are
at present. It might also be considered whether the Company could not
find some source of income for the Deaconate in case this orphanage
is not quite completed without further expenditure, and care must be
taken that the deacons strictly observe the rules laid down for them
in the Regulation of His Excellency the Governor and the Council of
Ceylon of January 2, 1666. The present matron, Catharina Cornelisz,
widow of the late Krankbezoeker Dupree, must be directed to follow
the rules laid down for her by the Governor here on November 4, 1694,
and approved in Colombo. That all the inferior colleges mentioned
here successively have to be renewed yearly by the Political Council
is such a well-known matter that I do not think it would escape
your attention; but, as approbation from Colombo has to be obtained
for the changes made they have to be considered early, so that the
approbation may be received here in time. The usual date is June 23,
the day of the conquest of this territory, but this date has been
altered again to June 13, 1696, by His Excellency the Governor and
the Council of Colombo.[45]
The assessment of all measures and weights must likewise be renewed
every year, in the presence of the Fiscaal and Commissioners;
because the deceitful nature of these inhabitants is so great that
they seem not to be able to help cheating each other. The proceeds
of this marking, which usually amounts to Rds. 70 or 80, are for the
largest part given to some deserving person as a subsistence. On my
arrival here I found that it had been granted to the Vryburger Jurrian
Verwyk, who is an old man and almost unable to serve as an assayer. The
post has, however, been left to him, and his son-in-law Jan Fransz,
also a Vryburger, has been appointed his assistant. The last time
the proceeds amounted to 80 rds. 3 fannums, 8 tammekassen and 2 1/2
duyten, as may be seen from the report of the Commissioners bearing
date December 13, 1696. This amount has been disposed of as follows:--
For the Assizer Rds. 60.0.0.0
For the assistant to the Assizer " 6.0.0.0
Balance to the Company's account " 14.3.8.2 1/2
============
Total Rds. 80.3.8.2 1/2
It must be seen to that the Assizer, having been sworn, observes
his instructions as extracted from the Statutes of Batavia, as made
applicable to the customs of this country by the Government here on
March 3, 1666.
In compliance with orders from Batavia contained in the letter of June
24, 1696, sums on interest may not be deposited with the Company here,
as may be seen also from a letter sent from here to Batavia on August
18 following, where it is stated that all money deposited thus must
be refunded. This order has been carried out, and the only deposits
retained are those of the Orphan Chamber, the Deaconate, the Seminary,
and the Widows' fund, for which permission had been obtained by letter
of December 15 of the same year. As the Seminary no longer possesses
any fund of its own, no deposit on that account is now left with
the Company. Your Honours must see that no other sums on interest
are accepted in deposit, as this Commandement has more money than
is necessary for its expenditure and even to assist other stations,
such as Trincomalee, &c., for which yearly Rds. 16,000 to 18,000
are required, and this notwithstanding that Coromandel receives the
proceeds from the sale of elephants here, while we receive only the
money drafts.[46]
No money drafts are to be passed here on behalf of private persons,
whether Company's servants or otherwise, in any of the outstations,
but in case any person wishes to remit money to Batavia, this may be
done only after permission and consent obtained from His Excellency
the Governor at Colombo. When this is obtained, the draft is prepared
at Colombo and only signed here by the Treasurer on receipt of the
amount. This is specially mentioned here in order that Your Honours may
also remember in such cases the Instructions sent by the Honourable the
Government of India in the letters of May 3, 1695, and June 3, 1696,
in the former of which it is stated that no copper coin, and in the
latter that Pagodas are to be received here on behalf of the Company
for such drafts, each Pagoda being counted at Rds. 2 in Batavia.[47]
The golden Pagoda is a coin which was never or seldom known to be
forged, at least so long as the King of Golconda or the King of the
Carnatic was sovereign in Coromandel. But the present war, which has
raged for the last ten years in that country, seems to have taken away
to some extent the fear of evil and the disgrace which follows it,
and to have given opportunity to some to employ cunning in the pursuit
of gain. It has thus happened that on the coast beyond Porto Novo,
in the domain of these lords of the woods (Boschheeren) or Paligares,
Pagodas have been made which, although not forged, are yet inferior
in quality; while the King of Sinsi Rama Ragie is so much occupied
with the present war against the Mogul, that he has no time to pay
attention to the doings of these Paligares. According to a statement
made by His Excellency the Governor Laurens Pyl and the Council of
Negapatam in their letter of November 4, 1695, five different kinds
of such inferior Pagodas have been received, valued at 7 3/8, 7 1/8,
7 5/8, 7 7/8, and 8 3/4 of unwrought gold. A notice was published
therefore on November 18, following, to warn the people against the
acceptance of such Pagodas, and prohibiting their introduction into
this country. When the Company's Treasury was verified by a Committee,
1,042 of these Pagodas were found. Intimation was sent to Colombo on
December 31, 1695. The Treasurer informed me when I was in Colombo
that he had sent them to Trincomalee, and as no complaints have been
received, it seems that the Sinhalese in that quarter did not know
how to distinguish them from the current Pagodas. As I heard that
the inferior Pagodas had been already introduced here, while it was
impossible to get rid of them, as many of the people of Jaffnapatam
and the merchants made a profit on them by obtaining them at a lower
rate in Coromandel and passing them here to ignorant people at the
full value, a banker from Negapatam able to distinguish the good from
the inferior coins has been asked to test all Pagodas, so that the
Company may not suffer a loss. But in spite of this I receive daily
complaints from Company's servants, including soldiers and sailors,
that they always have to suffer loss on the Pagodas received from
the Company in payment of their wages, when they present them at the
bazaar; while the chetties and bankers will never give them 24 fanums
for a Pagoda. This matter looks very suspicious, and may have an evil
influence on the Company's servants, because it is possible that the
chetties have agreed among themselves never to pay the full value
for Pagodas, whether they are good or bad. It is also possible that
the Company's cashier or banker is in collusion with the chetties,
or perhaps there is some reason for this which I am not able to
make out. However this may be, Your Honours must try to obtain as
much information as possible on this subject and report on it to
His Excellency the Governor and the Council of Colombo. All inferior
Pagodas found in the Company's Treasury will have to be made good by
the cashier at Coromandel, as it was his business to see that none
were accepted. With a view to prevent discontent among the Company's
servants the tax collectors must be made to pay only in copper and
silver coin for the poll tax and land rent, and out of this the
soldiers, sailors, and the lower grades of officials must be paid,
as I had already arranged before I left. I think that they can easily
do this, as they have to collect the amount in small instalments from
all classes of persons. The poor people do not pay in Pagodas, and the
collectors might make a profit by changing the small coin for Pagodas,
and this order will be a safeguard against loss both to the Company
and its servants. It would be well if Your Honours could find a means
of preventing the Pagodas being introduced and to discard those that
are in circulation already, which I have so far not been able to
do. Perhaps on some occasion you might find a suitable means.[48]
The demands received here from out-stations in this Commandement must
be met as far as possible, because it is a rule with the Company that
one district must accommodate another, which, I suppose, will be
the practice everywhere. Since His Excellency the Governor and the
Council of Colombo have authorized Your Honours in their letter of
June 13,1696, to draw directly from Coromandel the goods required from
those places for the use of this Commandement, Your Honours must avail
yourselves of this kind permission, which is in agreement with the
intention of the late Commissioner van Mydregt, who did not wish that
the order should pass through various hands. Care must be taken to send
the orders in due time, so that the supplies may not run out of stock
when required for the garrisons. The articles ordered from Jaffnapatam
for Manaar must be sent only in instalments, and no articles must be
sent but those that are really required, as instructed; because it
has occurred more than once that goods were ordered which remained
in the warehouses, because they could not be sold, and which, when
going bad, had to be returned here and sold by public auction, to
the prejudice of the Company. To give an idea of the small sale in
Manaar, I will just state here that last year various provisions and
other articles from the Company's warehouses were sent to the amount
of Fl. 1,261.16.6--cost price--which were sold there at Fl. 2,037,
so that only a profit of Fl. 775.3.10 was made, which did not include
any merchandise, but only articles for consumption and use.[49]
The Company's chaloups [50] and other vessels kept here for the
service of the Company are the following:--
The chaloup "Kennemerland."
Do. "'t Wapen van Friesland."
Do. "Jaffnapatam."
The small chaloup "Manaar."
Do. "Hammenhiel."
Do. "Het Vissertje."
The ponton "De Hoop."
Do. "De Last Drager."
Do. "De Os."