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



The General seeing his men now thrown into confusion, 

 after he had done all he could as a brave and experienced 

 Captain, amid the groans of the wounded and the remon- 

 strances of his Portuguese soldiers, the bravest of whom were 

 already dead, and the few faithful Zingalas that were left, 

 as a last resource took up a position with two of his own 

 retainers, who exchanged arquebuses with him, and with 

 these he kept firing, inflicting such loss on the enemy that 

 none of them dared approach him. They all desired to take 

 him, for the enemy's princes had given strict injunctions 

 and offered great rewards to whoever would take him alive, 

 thinking it the only way to secure victory. It was wonder- 

 ful the activity the bravest barbarians displayed to obey 

 their king ; but as love of life is more powerful amongst 

 them than fidelity, they would not venture near, but kept 

 at a safe distance, astonished at the undaunted courage with 

 which he held them at bay over a pile of dead bodies. At 

 last his two retainers who helped him with their arquebuses 

 were killed, and lifting up his sword like a brave lion he 

 rushed into the thick of the enemy with the courage of 

 despair, and with his own arm killed seventeen of them 

 before they managed to wound him : such was the havoc 

 he made that they declared he sent sixty of them to hell 

 before he had done. The barbarians informed the King of 

 Gandia of this death roll, assuring him that the General's 

 valour was sufficient to destroy the whole of them ; for 

 some exaggerated his skill, others his strength, and every one 

 of them his valour, as he never missed a stroke, and rushing 

 into the press wherever there was the greatest danger, he 

 seemed to recover strength, and in the wholesale slaughter 

 of his adversaries to find new life and renewed courage. 

 With this the idolater of Candid gave permission to kill him ; 

 then they rained shot and arrows on the General ; and one 

 having traversed his breast, and another his back, leaning 

 upon his confessor, and whilst on his knees receiving his last 

 absolution, came an arrow which clove through both their 

 heads, when their united spirits fled to Him who created them. 



