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



might desire to avail themselves of it, and a safeguard was 

 promised them : but no one accepted it. 



The enemy then came and took up its position in Malabar 

 street facing the old Portuguese battery, also at Wolfendahl 

 ( Volsendanne) at the Disavany (Dessavonie), and beyond the 

 lake. 



Captain Legrevisse was entrusted with the defence of the 

 barrier of the ravelin of the Delft gate as far as the powder 

 mill at the Rotterdam gate. Gunners under the command 

 of an officer were stationed at the barrier, as well as at the 

 ravelin, at the bonnet of the covered way of the powder-mill, 

 and at the powder-mill itself. 



Firebombs were thrown during the night from all the 

 batteries and from inside the Fort to enable them to ascertain 

 what was going on on the esplanade, in the lower town, and 

 in the harbour. A strong detachment of Sepoys, com- 

 manded by an European sergeant, patrolled the lower town. 

 He had orders to go as far as Kayman's gate, and went out by 

 a flying bridge communicating between the ravelin and the 

 covered way of the powder-mill. The English on their side 

 communicated throughout the night with their ships at 

 Courteboom : they had lighted fires for this purpose all along 

 the coast. 



On February 14, at 1 P.M., Major Agnew, an officer of 

 the enemy's army, came with a flag of truce to Kayman's 

 gate. They apprised the Governor of it, who sent his Aide-de- 

 Camp, Major Prosalot, in a carriage. He returned with the 

 English officer, preceded by an under-officer carrying a flag of 

 truce and by a drummer. A council was held in the after- 

 noon, and the English officer with the flag of truce returned 

 in the evening. Thereupon the report spread that there was 

 a suspension of hostilities for some days. Indeed the gates 

 remained open, and whoever wished went out as far as 

 Kayman's gate ; part, too, of the Moors, of the artillery, and of 

 those who had been formed into battalions under pretext of 

 going to see their families took advantage of it to desert. 



On February 16, at 6 o'clock in the morning, all the 



