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



General began to receive olas warning him of treachery, a 

 faithful Arachchi, moreover, confirming these suspicions 

 by word of mouth. Constantino de Sa laid the matter 

 before his captains, and also summoned to his presence 

 the traitors, who after some delay appeared, accompanied 

 by a strong guard of their lascarins, thus confirming 

 the General's fears. He, however, asked them for their 

 advice, and they replied that as the insult received from 

 the Prince of Uva had been sufficiently avenged by the 

 burning of his capital, it would be advisable for the General 

 to return to Colombo. The Portuguese army was encamped 

 ou the summit of a mountain facing Badulla ; and now on 

 the slopes below the enemy began to appear in large 

 numbers, which continually increased, the estimates varying 

 from twenty to eighty thousand fighting men. The General 

 now saw that he was entrapped ; and addressing his Portu- 

 guese troops urged them to fight like men, and advised that 

 each man should put in his girdle enough rice for a couple 

 of days, and that taking their arms they should commit 

 everything else to the flames. This was done ; and the 

 night was spent in preparation for the morrow's battle. 



When the day was dawning the traitors came to the General 

 and asked that they might lead the van, which was granted 

 them ; and at eight o'clock the camp was raised and the 

 march was commenced. Dom Cosme led the vanguard, 

 followed by the other three traitor Mudaliyars with their 

 lascarins, Dom Aleixo coming last. The Portuguese formed 

 one squadron, flanked by a few faithful Sinhalese ; and the 

 General went from one division to another encouraging his 

 men. The enemy prepared to receive them ; and now Dom 

 Cosme gave the signal of revolt by killing a Portuguese near 

 him, cutting off his head, and raising it aloft on a pike. 

 The lascarins thereupon faced about and attacked the 

 Portuguese in front, while the enemy fell upon their flanks. 

 The battle raged all day; and when night came the Portu- 

 guese force was reduced to three hundred men, with a few 

 natives. Scarcely had the survivors lain down to rest and 

 eat than a terrible thunderstorm burst upon them, with 

 torrents of rain and hail, which lasted for several hours, 

 saturating their food and ammunition as well as the unhappy 

 Portuguese themselves. They now gave themselves up for 

 lost, and spent the night in prayer and exhortation. One of 

 the captains tried to persuade the General to escape to 

 Colombo with a guard of fifty picked soldiers ; but his 

 entreaties were in vain, Constantino de Sa replying that he 

 was resolved to die with his men. Next morning the small 

 band of heroes was again in motion ; but their swords were 

 now the only weapons they could use, and the Sinhalese 



