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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XX. 



with our people were those that were on the work of the ladders 

 which were being made at a little distance where the arrayal 

 was, Fernao de Sousa one night got ready sixty men camisated 

 so as to recognize each other, who in the daybreak watch 

 sallied forth in dead silence ; and falling upon them of a 

 sudden, they cut them down at their will, with such quickness 

 that they tasted death before they perceived our people , and they 

 took from them the ladders, with which they returned safely. 



Dom Antonio de Noronha, who was going to succour them, 

 went marching, Joao Fernandez Correa leading the van, and 

 all along the road they kept fighting with the enemy, who 

 rushed upon them from ambushes ; and he kept such order, 

 that he did not allow a single soldier to fall out until they came 

 in sight of the fortress (which was on the day following their 

 daylight victory of the ladders). The enemy seeing the succour 

 book themselves off. That day and night Dom Antonio de 

 Noronha spent in arranging for the abandonment of the fortress 

 in connection with the things that had to be carried away, 

 which were many, in respect of the manner in which the 

 servants that there were should divide them. 



On the morning of the following day he intrusted the sick to 

 the sailors that he had selected for tha^purpose, and dragged 

 out all the artillery there was, excepting only one large iron 

 piece, which it was not possible to take away, which he 

 ordered to be loaded with powder to the mouth, and fire set 

 to it ; and as it did not burst, he ordered it to be thrown into a 

 deep well, so that the enemy should not make use of it. And 

 amongst the things that Dom Antonio de Noronha found in 

 the fortress was an imperial dais, that was used by those 

 kings at their most solemn feasts, which had many steps, 

 all carved and inlaid with ivory, and of such costly and curious 

 workmanship, that the viceroy had ordered it to be guarded 

 very carefully, in order to convey it to the king Dom Sebastiao 

 for the day when he should take the sceptre 1 , it being an imperial 

 seat, and of much majesty, and as such he commended it much 

 to Dom Antonio de Noronha, who strove all he could to carry 

 it away entire ; but it was not possible, on account of its 

 being a very large structure. So, in order to bring away some 

 part of it as a specimen of its grandeur, he ordered the top to be 

 taken off (which was the most costly part), and intrusted it to 

 persons of confidence to carry. 



These things having been divided amongst the servants, 

 Dom Antonio de Noronha began to march in this order :— 

 Fernao de Sousa de Castellobranco in the vanguard with his 



1 Dom Sebastiao was at this time only six years of age, as stated abov,e 

 (p. 180, note 3 ). 



