No. 60. — 1908. ) cotjto : history of ceylon. 



303 



and for that purpose he sent out a body of men in the morning 

 watch ; and in order that they might not be noticed they 

 drove in front some buffaloes (because these were continually 

 accustomed to go about in the lake), and in the midst of these 

 they arrived and threw some grapnels that they carried 

 with thick hawsers on to the foist of Coresma, which was 

 alongside of the bastion of Sao Miguel, and began to haul at it 

 in such silence that some soldiers who were on watch in the 

 same foist did not notice it, only some lurches that the foist 

 gave ; and seeing it to be enemies, they left their beds and 

 retired along the wall. Those on the bastion hearing the 

 noise passed the word, upon which the captain hastened 

 thither with the troops that he led ; and asking what it was, 

 they answered, buffaloes that were wandering about in the 

 water ; and having ordered them to look carefully, they 

 managed to perceive the foist, which was now nearer to 

 the island than to the bastion, where it had been; and 

 having told the captain the truth of the matter, he ordered 

 a postern-gate that was there to be opened, and sent 

 out some men in the direction of Calapete 1 ; and these 

 dashing into the water fell upon the enemy, who had their 

 grapnels on the foist, and had with them a very severe 2 

 fight, in which in the end they made them let go of the foist 

 with many killed, and drove them back as far as the 

 tranqueiras on the island, with much valour and honour. 



Those that distinguished themselves in this affair were 

 Antonio Colaco, Fernao Alvares, Diogo Galvao, Antonio 

 Dias, a native of Ceilao, Jorge Rodrigues 3 the Amouco*, 

 and others ; and with the precipitancy of their going killing 

 the enemy they had not time to cut the hawsers, and returned 

 leaving them hanging on the foist. The enemy took the 

 alarm, and all those of Raju's guard came hurrying up 5 , and 

 on their return they found themselves cut off on the Calapete 

 side ; and seeing themselves in that peril they attacked a 

 squadron of the enemy that was nearest, and fell upon them 

 with such fury that it was a marvel, there ensuing between 

 them all a very severe battle. Here came to their help the 



1 See supra, p. 283, note 7 . 



2 The manuscript has aspera, while the printed edition has crespa 

 (brisk). 



3 The manuscript has Gonsalves. I do not know which is right, as, 

 though the man is mentioned again (see p. 332), it is only by his nick- 

 name. 



4 See Hob. -Job. s.v. " A Muck." 



6 The printed edition has " were frightened." 



