ABSTRACT
In May 1788 Michiel Gomes died bankrupt in Batavia (present-day Jakarta). Six years earlier this Sinhalese man had left his family behind in Colombo, to travel 3000 kilometres to the highest appellate court of Dutch Asia.2 Back home he had lost the trial before the Dutch Raad van Justitie against his brother-in-law Nikolaas Fonseka, owing him over 2000 guilders. When he had arrived in Batavia, Michiel Gomes surprisingly pushed his appeal over the expiration date. In the meantime he pledged some of his property (including two slaves), took his money and left creditor Fonseka frustrated back on the island of Sri Lanka.3
