No. 60. — 1908.] couto : history of ceylon. 



299 



running eastwards down the valley, and came out on the 

 other side in front of the bastion of Santo Estevao 1 , where 

 was built a fine 2 bulwark for greater defence, whereby all 

 that part was shut in ; and in the same way they proceeded 

 with another tranqueira on that part of the rising ground 

 that descends to the strait 3 that divides the island from the 

 mainland, and they even brought it lower down, and carried 

 it back to join the one above. And because this tranqueira 

 was very near to the fortress, whilst work was being carried 

 on at it the captain sent some lascarins of the country to 

 attack it, who entered it, and with many pots of powder set 

 fire to those that were in it, and captured one alive, with 

 whom they returned, and with much wood that was intended 

 for the tranqueira ; and on most of the days they made these 

 assaults on them, from which the lascarins always returned 

 With their swords dyed and with some captives. 



Raju as soon as he was fortified below near the island 

 forthwith took in hand to drain the lake by means of the ditch 

 that he had made during the other siege, the excavation of 

 which he ordered to be continued until it should enter the 

 lake, and upon this work he put all the artisans that he had 

 brought ; and before reaching the water they came upon a 

 layer of rock so hard that there were no pickaxes that would 

 penetrate it : which Raju having seen commanded to bring 

 plenty of sour milk, which they call dain 4 , and much vinegar, 

 all of which was thrown on the top of it, and he then com- 

 manded to put fire on it, by which means the layer of rock 

 was softened in such fashion that it was very easily ex- 

 cavated and cut. From this can be seen how great a captain 

 was Raju, since he was not lacking in that device, which 

 is recorded of Hannibal in opening the roads over the Alps 

 with vinegar and fire when he crossed into Italy. At this 

 work the enemy continued with such activity that in less 

 than twenty days they had carried the ditch to the lake, 

 by means of which they began to drain it, emptying it into 



1 It is difficult to make out from this description what direction the 

 tranqueiras took. There seems to be some confusion, which I cannot 

 resolve. The bastion of S. Estevao stood probably somewhere near the 

 present Kayman's Gate. 



2 Fermosa. The printed edition has " /«mosa." 



3 Estreito. The printed edition omits this essential word. 



4 " They " cannot mean the Sinhalese, who call sour milk di. The 

 form given by Couto seems to represent Hindi dahl, with the Portuguese 

 nasal added. (According to Fallon's Hind. -Eng. Diet., however, the 

 rustic Hindustani is dahm.) 



