128 



JOURNAL, E.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. X. 



us, and we could not see where the second fell. But by the 

 feeble report of the gun we easily learnt that they could 

 not be well provided with arms. Having at noon gone back 

 on board from land found that the ships " Utretch " and 

 " Oudewater " had arrived, bringing with them some blacks 

 from Coutijar with the Governor of Samanture and his 

 soldiers and workmen. He at once came on board the 

 Admiral's yacht " Armuyden," to inform him that there had 

 been sent to his army from the King of Kandy two persons 

 to announce to us His Majesty's (intended) arrival. 



April 23. — Early in the morning Vice-Commander Coster 

 and Captain-Major Martin Scholtes went ashore with about 

 forty sailors and a good number of soldiers to cut the growth 

 of creepers on the sides of the road a little, so as to fit it 

 for the transport of cannon and mortars, and to select a good 

 spot to encamp, and, further, to throw up a battery. Those in 

 the Fort fired shots at our workmen from some volkcens 

 and guns, without doing us any injury the whole day. There 

 was also sent from the Fort a certain mansehouw, in which 

 were about thirty blacks, so far as we could make out. These 

 rowed straight to where our men were working in their 

 ambuscade unconscious how many there were of us to* 

 receive them. When they came sufficiently within range 

 our men fired on them with their muskets, whereby every one 

 in the mans cliouiv was disheartened, and leaving some oars 

 floating about retired to the Fort. In the afternoon Com- 

 mander Caen again went ashore to inspect afresh the 

 situation of the Fort, and to find a suitable place whence 

 to bombard the batteries and approaches to the Fort till they 

 became masters of it. Those from within fired again three or 

 four times with their heavy guns on us, but, as before, injured 

 nobody. 



April 24. — At daybreak a good party of sailors and soldiers 

 went ashore again to build some batteries, under the 

 superintendence of Vice-Commander Coster, in order that as 

 soon as our guns were landed an attempt might be made on the 

 Fort, and chiefly to prevent those within the Fort from 



