CO882-(1-2) — Page 82

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

ווווז

Reference :-

C.O. 882

1 ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

Boldness of the plan to attack the Capital.

(See Colonal Drought's statementa and the Letter of the Maha-Nillome to Mr. Baller, July 96.)

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of this feeling would make amends for the absence of organization. And that the movement would be so rapid and extended as to overpower the small British force in the central provines, amounting to no more than 400 effective mon.

The two great assemblages of the people in Kan- dy, though prejudicial to the conspirators in one respect, leading as they did, to the removal of one delusion under which the people laboured; ware favorable and encouraging in another; as they ex- hibited the excited state of public feeling, and the fellity of acousing the people to action.

The Pretender himself in©known to have been present in Kandy on the second occasion; and Mr. Denowelle states, that he went straight from attend- ing it to arouse the people in Doombers and Matelle, and commerce operations; bat the topic of the taxes was never again revived, either by him ar by the chiefs.

It is a remarkabla fillustration of the unusual con- fidence of the conspirators on this ocession in their own strength, and the extent of the support on which they calculated, that, instead of aiming at smpridng a few out-posts, as in former rebellions ---a preceeding by treachery and poison, or the seizure of individuals, as in 1834 - they went beldły to work, and prepared to commence opera- tions by laying siege at ones to the capital, and overpowering the concentrated Ayos of the British garrison in Kandy.

The ovžiones is abundant and someurent, that this was the design; and the movements actually mađe by the rebels were all in consistency with and fartherance of It (and one direumešaneo da curious: Consciegs of the disadvantage in which they would be placed in marching into Kandy by the open highways, where military would net, they haf arranged to turn to the left at Ballasadua, and enfer Kandy by the jungle paths which load through the valley of Doombers ; this at least in erikamos of an orgsaladė plan).

Kalting #foodfiar (a-Malay) doposed: before

endeavoured to preotre his

the Sídlay soldiers; and

mélack-on Slatelle ‹be-toli )

to disispitios Tandy, and take poss

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Inclosure in Despatch, 13th November, 1849, No. 8, p. 32.)

Kaloo Banda, who was seized along with the Pretender, and executed at Kornegalle, stated that about the 20th July, he had information of the plans of the rebels, which were, to march upon Kandy on the Sunday following, and, with the aid of the Malays, to surprise the garrison and the Europeans whilst at church.-(Ib., page 94.)

Poorang Appoo, the brigand, who acted as com- mander-in-chief under the Pretender at Matelle, avowed that the plan was to seize on the capital; and when on the way to execution he gloried in the project; and, tonching his own breast, said to the officer in command of the party, “had our King had but three men like me, we should now have been in possession of the Kandy."-(Ib., page 116.) Siam Banda, another member of a chief's family, who was with the Pretender on the day of his entry into Matelle, deposed thus: "The King then told him he would go that day to Warrispole, and on to the Kata-gas-totte ferry (by which the river is crossed at Kandy), when the people of Harrispatoo was to be ready to receive and join him" (Ib., page 223); and in confirmation of this, when the party under the command of Captain Lillie and Captain Watson were crossing the Ferry on this very morn- ing, to encounter the rebels at Warriapole the people of Harrispatoo were waiting at the Ferry and in the vicinity, in expectation of the King's arval.-(Colonel Drought's statement, page 8.)

The Deputy Queen's Advocate at Kandy, the chief Law Officer of the province, staten—(Letter, page 86.) this "minute and strict enquiry was made by him, amongst others, from the prisoners as they were taken, and before any time was allowed for concocting a story, in explanation of their conduct and motives, and it was admitted by themselves they were proceeding to Kandy (the capital of the inte- rior) with the intention of capturing it.”

The Pretender himself when seised by Captain Watson informed him freely of all his plans-the seizure of Kandy being his first movement, and that had it not been for the check and defence at War- riapole he would have been before Kandy in a few hours with 80,000 men, 18,000 being already with him at Matelle, and the country only beginning to

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