G.--There is sufficient time yet for the opening of the road from Putulang to Mantotte. I am well pleased with the work of the Dessave, and approve of the orders given by him to the Toepas Adigar Rodrigo, and the various reports submitted by him. In these he states that the roads are now in good condition, while on June 5, when 34 elephants arrived from Colombo, on this side of Putulang nothing had been done yet, and even on July 16 and 17 when His Excellency the Governor passed part of that road the work had advanced but very little. I therefore sent on the 14th instant the Lieutenant Claas Isaacsz, who had successfully transported the animals from Colombo to Putulang, and is a man who can be depended upon, with two surveyors to see that the roads, which were narrow and extraordinary crooked, were widened to 2 roods and straightened somewhat in the forest, and to cut roads leading to the water tanks. Sixty Wallias or wood-cutters, 150 coolies, and 25 Lascoreens were sent to complete this work, so that in future there will be no difficulties of this kind, except that the dry tanks must be deepened. I will see Mr. Isaacsz on this subject on my return. On account of his shameful neglect and lying and for other well-known reasons I have dismissed the Adigar Domingo Rodrigo as unworthy to serve the Company again anywhere or at any time, and have appointed in his place Alexander Anamale, who has been an Adigar for many years in the same place. In giving him this appointment I as usual obtained the verbal and written opinions of several of the Commandeurs, who stated that he had on the whole been vigilant and diligent in his office, but was discharged last year by the Commission from Colombo without any reasons being known here, to make room for the said incapable Domingo Rodrigo, who was Adigar of Ponneryn at the time. I suppose he was taken away from there to please the Wannia chiefs Don Philip Nellamapane and Don Gaspar Ilengenarene, whose eldest son Gaspar, junior, was appointed Master of the Hunt, as stated under the heading of the Wanny and Ponneryn. With regard to the instructions to compile various lists, this order must be carried out in so far as they are now complete. With regard to the significant statement that the Honourable Company does not possess any lands in Jaffnapatam, and that there is not the smallest piece of land known of which the Company does not receive taxes, and that it therefore would be impossible to compile a list of lands belonging to or given away on behalf of the Company, and in case of the latter by whom, to whom, when, why, &c., I am at a loss to follow the reasoning, and it seems to me that there is something wrong in it, because the protocols at the Secretariate here show that during the years 1695, 1696, and 1697 five pieces of land were given away by Mr. Zwaardecroon himself, and this without the least knowledge or consent of His Excellency the