NO. 41.— 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



603 



way open. The General, although he well knew the zeal and 

 bravery of Lais Gomes (for he had offered his own person 

 instead to remain at the post of danger to the last), listened 

 to him with some degree of impatience, understanding that 

 he was to save himself alone. He replied with his face full 

 of anger : — 



He did not love his life so much as to preserve it at the expense of 

 his honour. He was aware that he could save himself, yet as he had to 

 give an account of his army to his king, and to leave a good name to 

 the world : to die would not be a fault, but to live would be, if 

 they saw that the General had saved himself. What if he took away 

 fifty men, when they were so few already, — what would the rest do, 

 abandoned by their best comrades ? Col umbo and the fortresses of the 

 Island had sufficient garrisons to defend themselves if honour and 

 zeal actuated their Governors and Captains. As to the enemy, what- 

 ever glory remained to them they could not forget that they got it 

 only by treason and treachery on their part, and for that reason now 

 more than ever they had to fear the arms of the incensed Portuguese, 

 burning under insult. That for the post of General there would not be 

 wanting happier and more fortunate subjects who would do credit to 

 the Portuguese nation, and who would revenge the present disaster. 

 It concerned him for that nation to die at his post fighting bravely, 

 and doing his duty faithfully to his God and his king. Heaven would 

 not allow him to desert his Portuguese in their last extremity, when 

 they had followed him and suffered with him through all the dangers 

 gone through in this Island : their fortunes were his, and he would 

 live or die with them. 



With this firm resolution, as soon as day dawned the 

 General raised his camp and commenced his march in the 

 same order as before. The barbarians came swarming round 

 him with renewed fury, and in the form of a half moon, 

 which gradually spread out into a complete circle. Our little 

 force remained in the centre hard pressed and confounded. 

 They tried in vain to discharge their arquebuses, for their 

 powder was wet and useless, and their slow matches extin- 

 guished. They marched on, astonished at the skill with which 

 the enemy wounded them from afar with their arrows and 

 arquebuses ; and having recourse to their swords, which alone 

 they could freely use, the barbarians dared not come to close 

 quarters, for they were killed as soon as they came up to 

 our ranks. 



97—93 iff 



