This section is arranged according to the dates of
receipt as was done by the original administration. Annexes and duplicates are
kept separately, but sometimes the originals and the duplicates are
interchanged. It would always be advisable to refer also to the files of
annexes and duplicates.
I gratefully mention that, before I left for Ceylon, Dr. J.
van Kan, foreseeing difficulties handed me one of his books: "Uit de
Rechtsgeschiedenis der Compagnie II: Rechtsgeleerd bedrijf in de
Buiten-comptoiren", Bandoeng 1935. The autor has investigated for legal
purposes most of the archives of the V.O.C. in Holland, Batavia, the
Outstations and the lost stations (vide Dr. J. van Kan, "Compagnies bescheiden
en aanverwante archivalia in Britsch Indië en op Ceylon", Batavia 1931). In his
comprehensively written book he has formulated the results of his
investigations into an exellant guide for the perusal of this material, which
especially for a mind which is not legally trained, is extremely difficult to
handle.
G.C. Klerk de Reus, Geschichtlicher Ueberblick der
administrativen, rechtlichen und finanzielen Entwicklung der Niederländisch-
Ostindische Compagnie (Batavia-Den Haag 1894), pp. 132 - 140.
The earliest "plakkaat" printed in Sinhalese type in the
archives is dated 6th April 1737 , the earliest in Dutch 31st May 1740 , the
earliest in Tamil 6th August 1742.
The originals of the Matara report and index, signed by
the Matara dessave and members of the landraad, were filed with the compendia
in the Galle secretariat.
An unnumbered file among the British record in the
Colombo Archives contains irrigation reports by Dutch engineers. They were
removed from their original place 1833 November 8.
A subdivision of the provincial board of the Dutch
Reformed Church in Holland. Several parishes together make a "ring", several
rings make a "classis".
Cf. J.D. Palm, An account of the Dutch church in Ceylon,
collected from the local records deposited in the Wolfendhal church; Journal
R.A.S., C.B., for 1846; Colombo 1861, p. 134. The Rev. Palm, however, found a
much larger number of records in a good condition than there is at present in
the Wolvendaal church.
London, British Museum, Add. 9380; p. 30510.
Translated and published in the Journal of the R.A.S., C.B., no. 62, 1909, p.
259 seq., by Mr. Donald Ferguson. Under the same number a copy of a letter from
Raja Sinha to the Durch Admiral of the Fleet has been preserved in the British
Museum. This very lavishly decorated letter dated 1658 December 20 was
discovered to bee a copy by the watermark ( 1803). As it did not belong to the
Dutch administration. Vide Mr. Donald Ferguson, op. cit., p. 260.