CO882-(1-2) — Page 84

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

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ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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The Pretender, who spoke after many years' per- Treason of the Chiefs universal. ambulation of the country, and an intimate know- ledge of the secret designs of the chiefs and the Buddhist priesthood, represented the conspiracy to have been universal throughout the limits of the ancient Kandyan Kingdom.

And he stated to Captain Watson that the num- ber of chiefs who had not joined him "was only nine throughout the country, who were either too bad to be trusted by the rebels' party, or too loyal to-rebel."-(Inclosure 3, page 176.)

This assertion must be taken with caution; but` it is evidence of the confidence felt by the leaders in the universality of the conspiracy. And it is a pregnant fact that whilst the great mass of the high-caste and hereditary chiefs made no demon- stration of active loyalty, but on the contrary gave much reason to suspect their sincerity; almost the only Kandyan headmen whose conduct and exer- tions justified the confidence of the Government in their fidelity were some low-caste men of ability, and who had been promoted, from merit, to the care of districts: to the disappointment of high-caste expectants.(Blue Book, page 200.)

From the populous district of Matelle, with Chiefs of Matelle.

many hundred headmen and chiefs, the Govern- ment Agent complained that there was not a single headman or chief to give him information of what was going on. And the Pretender in his confession to Captain Watson after his capture, avowed that all his proceedings in this district-his progress to the Dambool temple to be crowned—his return, attended by thousands of followers-his march pre- ceded by beat of drums-his assemblage of forces to the amount of 9000 or 10,000 men—the stop- page of the post communication and the barricading the road with felled trees, was all done with the aid and assistance of the headmen; and that he dare not have attempted such proceedings without the hearty concurrence and co-operation of the great chiefs of the district, especially the Maha Nelleme and Golabella these Ratamahatmeys. These two, by far the most powerful chiefs in Ceylon, were in communication with the Pretender, supplied him with arms and money, sent him presents of jewels and regal ornaments, and ordered their followers to join him. And they themselves met him on his entrance

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into Matelle, prostrated and did him homage, and promised to take up arms along with him on his intended march on Kandy the day following.- (Inclosure 3, page 187.)

In fact, of the Chiefs in the Matelle district, I am not aware of any on whose loyalty the local authorities have the slightest reliance, or who are not either known or suspected to have co-operated heartily with the rebels.

Of the adjoining district, Kornegalle, the Go- vernment Agent, Mr. Caulfield, and his assistant, Mr. Templer, both record the same almost unqua- lified condemnation. There are seven hundred headmen in that district, and Mr. Caulfield, and his assistant, Mr. Templer, Mr. Morris, and Mr. Gibson, (the four resident European authorities) each pronounce them to have been all disaffected and implicated in the insurrection. On the 28th of July, the day before the town was attacked by the rebels, Mr. Templer writes to express his als m --coupled with astonishment-that of all his head- men three of inferior rank have alone given him any information, and only one Chief or Ratamahat- meys had made any communication of existing disaffection.

Six days after, on the 4th of August, when the outbreak had already occurred, Mr. Templer wrote

to say the treason was universal throughout his province; "It is not in one korle or in one patoo that the people are disaffected, but in all ; and very many, if not all the headmen are engaged in it.”—(Ib. page 78.)

This was the state of the two districts Matelle and Koruegalle, in which the rebellion actually burst out the Chiefs, almost to a man, privy to the conspiracy, and the people prompt and ready to obey their order to rise in arms. It is loss easy to fix guilt on the Chiefs of the other districts; in which, though equally prepared, the insurrection did not actually break out, and whose complicity is therefore matter of inference and assertion, rather than proved by their movements and active at- tempts. But as to the surrounding districts, the evidence in possession of the Government, and now before this Committee, is equally grave and important, and demonstrates a similar state of dia» affaction and preparation universally, and which was