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



was always three hundred men, but for the Hollanders half the 

 number is sufficient, and every six months they are re victual- 

 led from Columbo, from which it is seven miles distant. To 

 that place, from this very fortress of Calutre, Mr. Richlof 

 vonGuntz,* of Emden, then Extraordinary Councillor of India 

 and Commissioner of War, had a good road made, so that 

 where formerly only one man could hardly march now eight 

 men can march abreast, and can take with them small field 

 guns which carry a charge of four pounds iron. 



Anno 1652. 



% * * * * 



In the month of June, a Lieutenant of the name of Fetting^ 

 a native of Dantsic, lost his life because, when drunk, he had 

 killed an Ambassador of the Emperor of Ceilon, and there- 

 fore had to be shot two months afterwards. They put three 

 bullets into his hand, which he had to distribute to whom 

 he liked : he gave the first to me, that I should fire the first 

 shot ; the other to a man from Olmiitz, named Andreas 

 Mott ; the third to Christian of Cologne. He prayed fer- 

 vently to God, and begged of our officer that they should 

 have him buried decently. 



When the Indians have to die at the hands of the Hol- 

 landers they ask who is to feed them when they come into 

 the other world. When new soldiers arrive, and one of 

 them resembles a man who died perhaps three or four years 

 ago, the natives believe that he died in India, was resusci- 

 tated in Holland, and has now come again to India. This they 

 believe so firmly that it is impossible to dissuade them from 

 it. When they must die they take it very calmly, and think 

 that it has thus been ordained. When they have to face an 

 enemy, however, they are very much afraid of losing their 

 lives. 



* * * * * 



e " Rijklof van Gunts (Dutch ed.). 



