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



309 



before their sight, and in the midst of it they began to perceive 

 the matches in such number that it looked like some great 

 flight of those little insects that shine at night ; and beating to 

 arms they all stood with theirs in their hands, and Joao 

 Correa de Brito hastened and made the round of all the 

 bastions, and posts, and found all already on the alert and full 

 of spirit in expectation of the enemy. Having reached the 

 bastions they began the assault with that confused multitude, 

 according to the custom of all the Moors and heathens of 

 this East, which is not to fight in regular squadrons and 

 distinct ranks, nor to the sound of concerted drums and 

 fifes, but with that barbarous multitude, who can move 

 better to the sound of certain confused beats of certain melan- 

 choly and sad kettledrums that they use : so these with 

 that barbarous determination arrived at the three bastions of 

 Sao Miguel, Sao Gonsalo, and Sao Francisco, against which 

 they straightway set up many ladders, by which they began 

 to climb, and below more than two thousand quarrymen, 

 who had been brought for that purpose, set to work to under- 

 mine and breach the wall with great noise. 



Our men, as soon as they perceived the enemy at the foot 

 of the bastions, discharged upon them the storm of artillery 

 and harquebusery, whereby many remained on the field 

 without parts of their bodies, and others flew through the air in 

 pieces ; and to those that were attempting the ascent they 

 soon showed by the blows that they gave them and by the 

 things that they hurled upon them that that city was not to 

 cost them as cheap as they thought. Pero Toscano, captain 

 of the bastion of Santiago 1 , who was accustomed to watch 

 outside, received that barbarous encounter with much valour 

 and spirit, causing great havoc among the enemy, because 

 they went unexpectant of finding any impediment outside, 

 nor indeed thinking that those that were inside could await 

 their onrush : but just as they deceived themselves in their 

 opinion, so they paid well for their arrogance, because the 

 boldest that came near soon felt in their flesh how different 

 was the purpose of our men. 



The battle being joined, there presently began throughout 

 the city a great hubbub of women, children, and other useless 

 persons, who went about the streets begging for mercy : and 

 thus all that was heard inside and outside was cries, vocifera- 

 tions, and the clashing of arms, by all which was created a 

 confusion. The captain accompanied by the monks went the 

 round of all the bastions, stopping a little in each one, seeing 

 and providing all that was necessery, and encouraging all, and 



1 This should be Sao Gonsalo (see supra, pp. 295, 307, and infra, p. 310). 



