The Sun.
London, England, 1804-05-30 00:00:00

CEYLON.

As this Island has lately occupied a considerable
portion of the public attention, a description of the
reception of a British Embassy, sent some time since
to the Court of Candy, may not be found uninter.
estinz.

(From PERC IV nt's Account of Ceylon.)

But previous to any interview, it was found no
easy matter to adjust the ceremonies of introduc-
tion. It had been customary for the Kings of
Candy to demand prostration, and several other
degrading tokens of submission, from the Ambassa.
dors introduced to them. The Dutch Ambassadors
had always submitted to be introduced into the
capital blindfold, and to prostrate themselves before
the Monarch. In a former war, when Trincomalee
was taken by us from the Dutch, proposals were
sent to the King, to assist him in expelling his
enemies no 0, the island, and to form a treaty of
alliance with him. After the Envoy entrusted
with this business had arrived at Candy, the King
would not receive him standing ; and the Envoy,
not having instrudions how to ad in such a case,
declined the interview, till he could hear from
Madras; by which means, so much time elapsed,
that the objed of the embassy was, by intervening
circumstances, entirely defeated, and the Envoy re-
turned without being presented. Even after the
British had shown their power, by the capture of
Colombo and the expulsion of the Dutch, the Can-
dian Monarch would not recede from his lofty pre-
tensions ; and Mr. Andrews, the British East India
Company's chief civil servant, who was sent up _n
mission to Candy shortly after we had taken pos-
session of the island, was obliged to kneel on be-
ing admitted to the royal presence. Nay, to such
an extravagant pitch do the natives carry their ideas
of the indiseensable nature of this royal prerogative,
that when Trincomalee was, in the last war, taken
by our Troops under General Stewart, and when the
King was in consequence prevailed upon to send
Ambassador to Madras, these persons very mo-
destly desired Lord Hobart to prostrate himself be-
fore them, and to receive the King's letter on his
knees. This request, however, his Lordship de_
dined to comply with ; but returned for answer,
that as they were so much in the habit of kneeling,
and so fond of prostration, a custom which his
Courorymen never adopted, their best plan, to pre-
vent the omission of this essential ceremony, would
be to prostrate themselves before him, .a ho held
the supreme authority tlirc and this alternative,
after they fund his Lordship would not submit to
the other, they adually assented to.
General Macdowal, understanding that this cere-
mony was expefted at his introdudi,,n, previously
informed his Majesty, by means of the Adigar, that
he could tot on any account submit to it. The
King made many objettioes to receiving him into
his presence, unless he would consent first to prostrate
himself, and then to remain kneeling during the
royal audience. The General, however, positively
refused compliance ; and informed the minister,
that his Sovereign acknowledged the superiority of
no potentate upon earth ; and that, sooner than de-
grade his Sovereign in the person of his representa-
tit e, he would return to Columbo without being
presented. The King, not daring to come to an
open breach with us, upon this waved his preroga-
tive ; but, in order to reconcile this derogation from
his dignity to his own feelings, he informed the
General, that it was his royal will to dispense, in
his case, with the usual ceremonies required of Am-
bassadors at their introdudion, as the General came
from his brother, the King of Great Britain, whose
great power and strength he acknowledged to he far
above that of the Dutch or the East India Corn.
rany.

This important matter having been adjusted in
this manner, and the time appointed for the first
audience being come, the Adigar, with a numerous
attendance, lighted by a great blaze of torches (for
audience is always given here by night) came to
the edge of the river, to condua the General to the
royal pres?.nce. The General, on his part, crossed
the river in the boats which were in readiness, at-
tended by his Staff, and the Gentlemen belonging to
the Embassy, with an escort, consisting of a Subal.
tern and fifty Sepoys, He was then conduaed by
the Adigar about a mile and a half, to the King's
palace. The road thither was up a steep hill, with
narrow crooked paths. The capital was surrounded
by thick thorny hedges, with gates of the same,
called by the natives caravetties. The caravetty
nearest Candy has a rampart and breast.work, on
which some of their artillery was occasionally
mounted. The resistance which it could make to
the approach of a regular army is, however, very
trifling Candy is indebted for its principal fortifi-
cations to Nature.

The way up to the thy was very fatiguing, and
the escort was not a little incommoded by the crowd
of natives who eagerly pressed to gaze at them.
This circumstance, and the glare of the torches,
prevented the General's retinue from having an ac-
corate view of the city. The Embassy on catering
it passed through one long broad street to the
palace. The houses, though low huts of themselves,
appeared greatly elevated, from being built upon
high tvels on each side of the street, which forms
a kind of area below. At the further end of this
street is a high wall, inclosing the gardens which
belong to the palace. After a short turn here to
the left, the palace appeared, standing on the right.
In front of it was a High: of stone steps, and a vi_
randa, or balcony, in which a number of the King's
guards, and several of the chief men in waiting,
were stationed. After passing this, and descend.
ing by another flight of steps, a large. square, sur-
rounded by a high wall, afforded a station for some
more of the guards. At the opposi:e side stood a
large arched gate-way leading into an inner court,
where the King, and his principal officers of state,
have their residence. In this inner division the
King kept his own body-guards, wl►o were com.
posed of Malays and.Malabars. These Troops are
armed with swords, spears and shields ; and on them

the King seems to place his chief dependence in the
event of anv sudden commotion or a~:,:m.

On the right hand of this inner court stood an
open arch, through which was the entrance to the
hall of audience. This state room was a long vi-
randa, with alternate arches and pillars along its
sides. From this struaure, as well as from the ap-
pearance of the roof and ceiling, it bore a consi-
derable resemblance to the aisle of a church. The
pillars and arches were adorned with muslin flowers,
and ornaments made of the plantain leaf, which had
a very pretty e ft-M. At the further end of the
hall, and under one of the larger arches, was placed
a kind of platform or throne, covered with a car-
pet, and surrounded with steps. • Here the King
sat in state. A small partition raised in front con.
sealed his feet and the lower part of his body from
view. Below the arches on each side of the hall,
the courtiers were seen, some prostrate, others sir-
ting in silence and cross-legged, like a parcel of
tailors on a shop-board. The General was led up
with much ceremony and
_gravity by the Adigar,
and the next chief officer present, and placed along
with the Adigar, on the uppermost step of the
throne.

Although the rest of the hall was well lighted,
that part where the king sat was contrived to be
Made more obscure than the rest, with a view of
impressing a greater awe on those who approached
him. He was in appearance a young man, very
black, with a tight heard. He was by no means.so
portly or well-looking- as the Adigar, and several
other of the Officers around him. He was dressed
in a robe of very fine muslin, embroidered with
gold, fitted close at the breast with several folds
drawn round• the waist, and flowing down from
thence like a lady's gown. His arms were bare
from the elbows downwards. On his fingers he
wore a number of very broad rings, set with pre.
cious stone; of different sorts, while a number of
gold chains were suspended round his neck, over a
stiff frilled piece of muslin, resembling a Queen
Elizabeth's ruff. His head was covered with a tur-
ban of muslin spangled with gold, and surmounted
by a crown of gold, an ornament by which he is
distinguished from all the other Asiatic princes,
who are prohibited by their religion from wearing
this badge of royalty, and whose ornaments, when
they use any, consist simply of a sprig or feather
of precious stones. His waist was encircled with
a rich sash, to which was suspended a short curved
dagger or sabre, the handle richly ornamented, and
the scabbard of gold fillagree work. In appearance
his Majesty much resembled the figures we are ac..
customed to see of King Henry VIII. The Adi-
gar, from his superior size, might indeed be said to
do so still more : very little difference in dress was
discernible between him and his sovereign, except
that the minister did not carry a crown; although
his turban also was surmounted by something like
a ducal coronet.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.