NO. 41.— 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



505 



ambush amid rocks enclosed with thick jungle which blocked 

 up the pass. Here they were posted in such a manner that 

 they became both vanguard and rearguard to the enemy, and 

 in their retreat served as a bait to entice them on and draw 

 them in closer to Sofragan. So blind were they and sure of 

 victory that they had the audacity to surround Teixeira's band 

 in a loose and struggling crowd, which gave him time to carry 

 out his design ; then suddenly pouncing clown on their rear 

 and charging them, they fell into the very same trap they 

 had prepared for us, and in their confusion shared the same 

 fate as our men had, and fled in great disorder. The 

 General then charged them and completed the rout, cutting 

 up more than eight thousand Zing alas without the loss of 

 a single Portuguese and less than five hundred lascarins. 

 Madune saved himself, and also the renegade Barreto, 

 but Gangarache with eight other principal chiefs of the 

 enemy remained our prisoners. 



Madune did not lose heart with such a defeat, neither did 

 he lose the opinion of his followers (such was the devotion 

 they had to him). He retired to fortify himself in the Two 

 Corlas. In the meanwhile Barreto, with shame and fear, for 

 his evil conscience weighed him down, flying from his own 

 men and mistrusting the fidelity of his friends, disguised, 

 and badly wounded in the leg, hid himself in the mountains. 



Constantino de Sa, elated by such a victory, halted in 

 Sofragan, where he publicly proclaimed Cangarache a traitor 

 and rebel to his king, and ordered his head to be cut off. 

 When he saw the smallpox on the increase and spreading 

 from the natives to the Portuguese, he sent these away to 

 their homes rewarded and contented : and leaving the garrison 

 of Sofragan in command of Philip de Oliveira, together 

 with the company of Luis Cabral de Faria and a great 

 store of provisions, which that Captain had brought from the 

 Four Corlas, where he had served all that time, he marched 

 to Malvana, and from thence to Columbo. 



Here there came tidings by despatch-boat from the Captain 

 of Manar that six paraos (small ships) of Malabar vw were 



