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



sheets. They called it the sickness of the country, and he 

 who gets over it is safe against many other diseases of the 

 country. In the evening, when it is cool, one imagines one- 

 self to be quite well, and feels quite strong, but as soon as 

 the heat of the day begins one cannot walk twenty steps ; 

 one must sit down, and one's heart beats like the works of a 

 strong clock. 



Anno 1654. 



When, thanks to God's goodness, I had recovered, and 

 there was no early opportunity of going to Europe, I enlisted 

 again in December, 1654, for a period of three years, because 

 they offered me the place of a corporal with the pay of 

 fifteen Dutch florins a month, and I was always to remain 

 with the company that had firearms. Two months after- 

 wards I was ordered into the camp before Galutre ;* and I had 

 the great misfortune that, as I discharged my gun, a native 

 ran just in front of me. If I had aimed at him most care- 

 fully I could not have hit him better, and he fell down stone 

 dead. Nobody knew who had done it, nor did I know it 

 myself ; but when inquiries were made who had fired a 

 shot, and it was heard that a corporal of the firearms under 

 Captain Severin had done it, I was at once put under arrest. 

 The court-martial acquitted me, but I had to give the Indian's 

 widow some money out of my pay. Our parson, however, 

 was a good friend of mine ; and said that an Indian was no 

 better than a dog, and of no consequence. If it had 

 happened to a Christian it would have been difficult to save 

 me from being shot. For when this has once happened, and 

 something has been passed over lightly, no further pardon 

 can be expected. 



Anno 1655.f 



In the month of February two ships arrived at Punte de 

 Galle from Batavia with troops, and brought the news that 



* Kaluter (Dutch e&.). 



f For fuller details of the events which occurred during this and the 

 two following years see Baldreus and Ribeiro. 



