The Sun.
London, England, 1815-08-10 00:00:00

C i. V L '0 N.

rteatiets-.ridl find in the extract of a 'letter
from Ceylon, whir we have here inserted, an in-
teresting necopnt, by an intelligent observer on
the spot, of the circa rnstances which have led to
the late important .change in the state of affairs
in th4t island.

t ritACt ,OF A L.P.TTEtt FROM CEYl.o'l4,,ilAthD CO-
, Lumno, tqlatcrti, 1815.
Since •Inq letter we have ,taken the field
against Dor old enemy the King of Kandi, and
have happly brought the oral- to a sitccessfur con=
elusion in one campaign, short and decisive be-
rind the Artist sanguine expectation.
You are, perhaps', 19 Ot aware what has long
hefts rbe ettibarrossing state of our relations with
that coun•rv, which comprizes the whole interior
of the iiland. • --

In the-course of our military operalions in 1803,
-our troops had penetrated as far as. Kandy, the
which was taken, and occupied by a de-
tachment under the command of Major 'Davie,
Nylii4t proposals for peace were offeted to the ene-
Illy. Daring the aclu:l pr,gress of the negocia-:
tiop, and in violati,oi of sz truce which had been
ue.reed to, the garri,on was attacked by a large
fice, and •!,..ving surrendered on
.a capitulation
which vroyided for its unmolested departure, was
Immediately disarmed, and every European bar-
haronsly murdered, Major Davie and a few Of-
fecr: excepted, wham the lAilicy or the King pre-
se: vei4 alive. -as hostages, but who were. exposed
to every speci.ts of ill-treatment and cruelty.
Elated by the success of this treachery, the
I<:Adian troops advanced to our frontier, aril
continued for some time to threaten, and occa-

-„... .....
sionally to invade our territory ; hut the Glover-.
tthr being unwillintr., by a renewal of offensive
operations,-to expose our troops to the effects df
the climate, ‘vhich hod proved very fatal, was sa-
tisfied with repelling their incursions,, and reduc-
ing them to a state of blockade within their own
boundary. By degrees they appeared -to 'have
laid aside all hopes of prevailing, at least they
ricsisted front arty active enterprise ; and a
sy,r.c4t 'of forbearance was adopted on our
which, in conformity with instructions
iron) our Government at home, has been since
octupulously persevered in, with the ,hope of
conciliating the Court of Kandi. This expec-,
cation, however, has proved vain, and every
eff,,rt has hen ineffectual. to_ induec the King to
enter into any sort of amicable intercourse or ar-
rangement with us, or to release the intiort,fflate
Officers who'had fallen into 'his hands at Kandi.
Of these, notwithstanding the pains taken by th'e
King to conceal _every circumstance. reapecting,
them, we had been able to 'ascertain that the ill-
fated Major Davie was the only individual who
bad been able foe any time to Ondure the'seve-

rides practised towards them. •
Such has been from the year 180 a, our precari-
ous and unsatisfactory position with respect to
our neighbours, affording nO,ussnrance of solid.
tranquillity or Sate inieraoutse. During this period
Of suspended warfare, the Court of Kandi, con-
sisting chiefly of the King's relations and Mala-
bar adherents, has been nourishing its Jealousy and
enmity, whilst the people, particularly those of
the district nearest to our frontier, bare gradually
grown mere and more impatient under the capri-
cious tyranny of their native Government, and have
becolie sensible that relief was only to be found un-
der_ W:itith protection. This disposition had mat&
fe-t:ed itself by the removal to our settlement's of a
great number offamilies from the interior, and by ap-
plicatiOns for military assistance front some of the
Chiefs whom the Conduct of the liiaa,had totally
alienated. trite moderation and forbearancer: of
our Government refused; to take advantage of
these overtures ; i's patience was even proof
against an aggression !narked with circumstances
of the most atrocious barbarity and deliberate in-
sult. 'in October last, ten natives, inhabitants
of our province of Columbo; were seized, whilst
pe.aceably carrying on their usual traffic in the
Sandi to territory, and carried to the capital,
where they were all shockingly mutilated. Three
only survived this- torture, who were conducted
back to the British territory with- their amputated
limbs suspended round their necks.
From the boldness and audacity with which in
this ease the outrage was aggravated by public
insult, it was clear that the King was ready to
recur to acts of hostility, and unlikely that he
would long abstain troll) them. Attention to his
snovementa warned us to be ourselves prepared :
among varitds indications of a warlike nature in
the interior, we discovered that he had been late-
ly strengthening his army with Malab.irs from
the coast. In Nroventher,certain measures which
the King had attempted in the frontier provinces
were resisted by the people, and therbead of his
vengeance drove them into open revolt. The
most earnest appeals were made by the Chiefs to
our GovernMent for succour and protection ; but
every solicitation for military assistance was still
declined.

In the beginning of January the King's army
entered into the revolted Districts, and continued
to advance in pursuit of the insurgents and on
the 9th of that month a part of his forces violated
the British territory, and committed various ex-
ressci,

It. was impossible for us, after this, to pause.—
The troops wore immediately put in motion, and
a Proclamation was issued, prOmising security and
protection, to the Kaudians, and announcing that
our hostility was directed a aiitsr the Court alone,
.which, it weirs, was held in abhorrence by'the
whole people.
I will r‘,;t. (niter into n detail of military pro-
ceedings, which von will of cowrie ind in the pub-
ic reports----ibe iinOortint results have been, that
we h:lve. wit!iont bloodshed, sc7nred for our-
selvcs a state of permanent security, have added
a teit:ie country and a numerous population to the
British nosSeisions, autt have laid the foundation
of future happiness to the' whole Cinjalesepeople,
by giving them our own mild and it ::''tai govern-
instead of the san and eaprteious
tyranny of' the Malabar dotniniou.