596 



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



for, as a philosopher has said, whosoever smothers his con- 

 science it will never trouble him. They did not wish to obey 

 the General's mandate ; although afterwards, as if repentant, 

 they came to his presence in company with their advisers 

 and comrades, whom they brought with them as a guard, 

 and from their words and bearing, which seemed to show 

 forth their treachery, the General gave himself up for lost. 

 But he concealed his feelings so well and appeared so trust- 

 ing that he never allowed them once to remark the least 

 suspicion, nor at the same time the slightest insight into 

 what he was resolved to do ; because the guard they had was 

 a strong one, which showed the mood they were in. In order 

 to disguise his own mind the General asked them what he 

 should do on the occasion. They replied that it would be best 

 for him to go back to Colnmbo, since the insult he had 

 received from the Prince of Uva had been fully revenged. 

 His Highness should be content in having destroyed and 

 razed to the ground the principal city of his State, and 

 compelled him to retire into a corner of the mountains, with 

 great loss of reputation for having fled from such unequal 

 numbers, and that it was a warning to him henceforth not to 

 attempt any further attack. He did not deserve such whole- 

 some counsel from such weak minds. With this they 

 retired, thinking they had left the General satisfied of their 

 obedience. 



Our army was formed up on the summit of a mountain 

 facing the city of Betule ; and on its slopes the enemy appeared 

 in such an array of barbarism that they spread over the 

 whole mountains and country round about, being in such 

 numbers that, according to some accounts, they swarmed 

 in increasing numbers every instant in order to surround 

 us. Some make the number of the enemy to have been 

 80,000 fighting men, others less ; but there is no account 

 that says they did not exceed 20,000. Now they form up 

 in a circle, now they divide into companies, and soon after, 

 although they are a good way off, they threaten the Christians 

 by discharging arquebuses, as men expecting orders to 



