Mss Eur Mack Private 30

p. 1: Eliphantens ondersoek, en bevinding Nopens ver-schillen onder de Gebeerden- op versoek van de Heer Gouverneur J. G. v. Angelbeek gedaan A(o) 1787. Vragen en antwoorden nopens de Oliphanten- Questions and Answers regarding Elephants. The contents of this volume are all in Dutch.

1, pp. 5-7: Koetsiem [=Cochin], 7 April 1787. Letter from J. G. van Angelbeek, Governor of Malabar, to Thomas Diederich Fretz, Opperkoopman and Dessave at Mature [presumably =Matara], asking for further information about the elephants of Ceylon, particularly as to their mode of copulation, in view of the different theories existing on the subject, inter alia the one advanced by Buffon. Perhaps an original.

2, pp. 9-12: Copies of two letters in half margin, viz. (a) Duplicate of 1 supra; and (b) Mature [=Matara], 1 July 1787. Reply thereto by D. T. Fretz, reporting on the enquiries made by him on the subject of elephants. Presumably the answers under 3-5 infra embody the information collected by him thereon.

3, pp. 15-16: In half margin: (a) Vraagen van mijn H eer Michaelis aan de missionarissen te Trankebaar. Copy ? Questions are to the copulation of elephants and a certain fruit in Africa beloved by them; and (b) Onderzoek, en opgave door 14 Zingalesen omtrent den olijfant, op de hiernevens staande vragen. Copy ? Brief summary of replies by 14 Sinhalese to the above questions.

4, pp. 17 -25: Nopens den olifant. In half margin: (a) Plaatsen uit Buffon die onwaar of tweifelachtig zijn waar-omtrend beter berecht uit ondervinding verzocht word. Passages from Buffon's Natural History about a variety of matters relating to elephants; and (b) Replies (apparently gathered from the above-mentioned Sinhalese) to the statements contained in the above passages, with special reference to the mode of copulation of elephants. Copy ?

5, pp. 26-32, 35-7: Vraagen nopens d'olifanten. Copy? 36 questions and answers in half margin on a variety of matters relating to elephants.

6, pp. 41-2: Koetsiem [=Cochin] 7 Dec. 1787. Letter from J. O. van Angelbeek to T. D. Fretz, acknowledging with thanks the receipt of the reports on elephants, and congratulating him on his appointment to Colombo. This is a copy of 11 infra.

7, pp. 43-6, 49-51: The Colombo gedaane vragen. In half margin :- (a) Verdere Vraagen omtrend de' Olifanten volgens de beschrijving van den Heer Daubenton; and (b) Beantwoording der nevenstaande vragen door vijff bediendens der Olijfanten, die bij het vangen derselven zo wel als bij de tamme beesten op de stallen, hunne diensten verrichten. Copy ? Extracts from Buffon's collaborator D'Aubenton relating to elephants and replies thereto made by native experts in Ceylon; together with (p. 51) a few remarks amending a preceding report.

8, pp. 53-6: Extract uit het Rapport van de heeren Dieterich Thomas Fretz Dessave van Mature [=Matara] en Carl Fred: Schreuder Secretaris van Colombo, die als gezanden in den Jaare 1786. na Kandia zijn gerweest, ten opzigte van de Kunsten die door een getande olijfant in het Paleis van Zijne K: M: van Kandia gedaan zijn. Account of a number of tricks performed by a trained tusker elephant and withessed by the above-named Dutch ambassadors at Kandy.

9, pp. 57-60: Nopens den Eliphant. In half margin: (a) Vragen; and (b) Antwoord van den Heer Dessave Burnat. Questions on a variety of matters relating to elephants and the replies thereto, being a copy of 19 infra.

10, pp. 61-3: Kolombo [=Colombo], 5 September 1787 . Copy. Letter from [D. T. Fretz] to J. G. van Angelbeek on the enquiries made by the writer about elephants and on the writer's transfer to Colombo, &c.

11, pp. 65-6: The original of 6 supra, q. v.

12, pp. 69-71,73-5 : Korte aanteekening. . . . 12 Augs 1789 . . Copy? General information about elephants, particularly with reference to their mode of copulation. Probably by D. T. Fretz, who is probably also responsible for the several reports following to 18 infra, inclusive.

13, pp. 79-:-82: Korte Kladaanteekening. Te Colombo ondezogt. Copy? Comments (derived from the evidence of five Sinhalese experts) on the statements of D'Aubenton (see 7 supra) about elephants.

14, pp. 83-5: Information about elephants (derived from 5 Sinhalese experts, other than the preceding) supplementing 3 (b) supra; Copy?

15, pp. 85-9: Nopens de olijfant uijt buffon. Copy? Comments on passages in Buffons Natural History, supplementing 4 (b) supra, but giving little additional information. Presumably derived from the same informants as 14 supra.

16, pp. 90-6: Vragen nopens d'Olifanten. Copy? Replies to 33 of the 36 questions contained in 5 supra. They add little to the information there contained, and are evidently only a variant draft based on the same oral sources.

17, pp.99-104: Korte kladaanteekening-Vragen te Mature gedaan. Copy ? A further report on elephants (based on information derived from 4 Sinhalese experts). It comprises:- (a) An account of their mode of copulation, &c. ; (b) N opens d& Dlijfant. C uijt buffon): Comments on the passages given in 4 (a) supra; and (c) Vragen nopens d' Olifanten: Replies to a few of the questions given in 5 supra.

18, pp. 107-8: The Mature [=Matara] gedaane vragen. Copy? Another report on the copulation, &c., of elephants, based on information derived from 5 Sinhalese experts.

19, pp. 111-14: Nopens een Eliphant beantwoord door den Heer Dessave Burnat. The original of 9 supra.

20, pp. 115-18: 1785-Eerbiedige opgave van de jongst in de Kraal van Kottewaij gevangene Elifanten. List of elephants taken in a keddah (the numbers being one tusker, 31 other males, 74 females, and 3 young), with the height of each in cubits.