NO. 41. — 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



599 



nearest him at the time, and cutting off his head placed it 

 aloft on a pike, tying a handkerchief round it, which 

 to the enemy was to be the signal of the rebellion. The 

 lascarins who were ignorant of it, now aware of their 

 Captain's intentions, faced about and mixed up with the 

 Portuguese; and Don Alexo ordering his men to run down 

 the friendlies with their pikes, these were compelled to 

 follow their comrades, who, uniting together, attacked us in 

 front, whilst the enemy fell on our flanks. 



The traitors already giving us up for lost, some of them 

 made off for Columbo to place their houses and families 

 beforehand in security against the fury of their opponents, 

 who, although they were friends and bound to them, would 

 be in such numbers that it would be difficult in the first 

 onslaught to distinguish friends from foes. The General 

 had written to Columoo of the peril he was in, and had 

 prepared as much as he could for the defence of that city, 

 on which depended a great district not to be lost. 



The Portuguese and the few Zingalas who still followed 

 them fought the whole of that day with incredible valour, 

 without one moment's respite; for the barbarians, continually 

 reinforced by numbers, fought with great bravery, and 

 although they had lost considerably, there were so many 

 still alive that they made no account of the dead. At last 

 cutting through all this press, our men came down the 

 mountain side, forcing the enemy to retreat with no little 

 loss. But against such swarms what could avail ? Num- 

 bers of our men had fallen, and those who remained were 

 nearly all wounded. The General had no place to entrench 

 his men, but open country, nowhere to retreat, nor place 

 where he could erect a fort or redoubt wherein to shelter 

 himself from the enemy who surrounded him on every 

 side. Holding him encircled the barbarians came on like 

 a pack of mad dogs, who, craving to bite all who pass by 

 them, whenever attacked run, but anon return and bark 

 at a distance, importunate and furious until they seize their 

 prey. 



