The Sun.
London, England, 1804-04-19 00:00:00

WA. ! IN. Cf

(Contilzuerlfrom our Paler of Ye:rd.:s. )

To Robert Arbuthnot, Esq. Chief Secretary to Government.

SIR,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the zd instant, and request that you
will be pleased to assure His Excellency, that I
should think the high respea I have for Hi Excel-
lency, and my attention for the welfare of the in-
habitants of this Distrift, to be violated by. Convey-
ing unfounded intelligence of the illegal proceedings
of the persons holding Some authority under the
Government of Candia, so destrutlive to the pros.
perity of this Country.
I have assembled the principal persons in Pine.
lang, whose names I mention in the &tail, and who
have been sworn, and their signatures put to their
informations,. and are perfe4ly conformable to the
information I already stated.,
The same day I had the honour to write to you
my second letter on the subjeff, Malor Evans' ar-
rived at eight o'clock at night here, and the princi.
pal inhabitants assembled, both to offer him their
respeCts, and to complain to* him of the detention of
their cattle, and the seizing of their merchandize,as
well as keeping 33 men of their distrid in durance,
and ill-treating them for five months past. Major
Evans would • have written to Government on the
subject, had they arid I not told him that I wrote
to Government the same day, to give the earliest
intelligence of a measuae of such importance tc, this
Distria, which preVented Major 'Evans's Writing.
I also mentioned the names' of the six men who re-
turned from Candia,. and who informed me that he
left 33 men there, who would not be permitted then
to return. I asked the men how. they were per-
mitted to leave the Country-? They said, they ob-
tained permission to come to carry money or aid to
the others, and that they would return thereto re-
live them,. as well as to endeavour to get their cat-
tle and the Areka nuts they bought for the mer-
chanclize they carried to that Country.
No account has yet reached this country of their
being set at liberty, or the Areka nuts restored to
them, or any equivalent fot the goods they. bartered
for the Areka nuts five months since. •
It is not irrelevant to this subject to mention,
that this business has created incredible mischief
here ; there is an absolute scarcity of money, and
want of confidence and credit ; the inhabitants_not
knowing where it may end, I have assured them
all that would be redressed, and their persons
and properties prole led and secured.
I have the Honour to be, &c.
(Signed) Lieut. O'CONNELL.
Putelang, 4th July, 180 z. -

To William Boyd, Escr. Vice-President of the Board of Re-
, venue, Columbo.

SIR,
His Excellency the Governor has lately received
from different quarters, information,. that upon the
frontiers of Candia preparations are malting which
seem to indicate a hostile disposition upon the part
of that Government. In many places the roads
leading into the Country were blocked up. Col-
leftions of armed men were assembled in consider-
able numbers, and all .persons coming from the Bri-
tish Territories were stopped and examined with
every appearance of distrust and suspicion. As
those measures upon the part of the Candians evident-
ly proved rather their own fear of being attacked,
than any hostile intention of an offensive nature
against the British possessions, His Excellency did
not judge it necessary to pay any greater attention
to them, than to put the different Commandants
upon their guard, and to enforce the Laws against
exporting gunpowder and fire-arms to their Coun-
try.
But his Excellency has lately been informed, that
in the neighbourhood of Putelang the Candians have
proceeded so far as to commit outrages on some of
the Suhjetts of His Majesty, several of whom have
been forcibly detained, others robbed of. their pro.
perty, and otherwise ill-treated, by persons pretend-
ing to have authority from the King of Candy.
Before His Excellency takes any steps to put a
stop to such unwarrantable proceedings it. future, as
well as to demand ample satisfadion for what is past,
he is desirous 01 obtaining the clear, full, and
authentic information of the extent of the grievances
committed, as well as of the truth and justice of the
complaints.
For this purpose I am ilire&ed by His Excellency,
to request that you will proceed, with as much ex-
pedition as possible, to Putelang, and there make
the fullest inquiries into the nature and truth of the
complaints which have been made by those persons
who have been aggrieved either in their persons or
their property.
You will be so good to examine, upon oath, all
• those who can afford you any information upon the
subjefl, and particularly, it is His Excellency's wish,
that you should endeavour to discover whether the.
outrages said to have been committed, were the
effet of wantonness upon the part of the Candians,
or whether the sufferers did not, in some measute,
render themselves obnoxious to the Government, by
carrying on .a contraband and illegal trade.
Your own prudence and extensive knowledge of
the affairs of Candy, make it unnecessary to enter
into further details. I have taken the liberty of
inclosing all the Correspondence which has passed
upon this business with the Commandant of Pute-
lang, Lieutenant O'Connell ; and I shall request,
that as soon as your investigation is concluded, you
will acquaint tne .with the result of it, for the in.
formation of His Excellency
.-
I have the Honour to be, &c.
(Signed) ROB.&aT ARBUTHNOT.
Colombo, July 17,

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. • •
To Robert Arbuthnot, Esq. Chief Secretary to Government,.,
Cc ' '