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



317 



the bastion to the modeliar Biogo da Suva, and taking some 

 companions with him went and took his place in the bastion 

 of Sao Gonsalo, where the confusion was very great, and there 

 in a position in front performed deeds of great merit and of 

 much harm to the enemy. 



The captain seeing him there hastened to the other parts 

 in order to see everything with his own eyes, and came to the 

 bastion of Sao Miguel, which was also surrounded by a fresh 

 body of enemies, who with great emulation strove as to who 

 should be the first to reach the top. This assault was very 

 rigorous, and during it there took place many things, which 

 cannot be particularized , since to any one of our men a special 

 chapter might be devoted : because he that did least did all 

 that could be expected from a valorous soul and of a tireless 

 spirit: and thus all did so much, that with the death of the 

 greater part of the enemy they made them retire, there having 

 been as much more time in which they fought as there had 

 been in the first assault. 



Raju, who every moment had warning of what was passing, 

 on learning that such troops had been once more routed with 

 much greater loss than at first, became like mad, and 

 commanded that all should perish or they should capture 

 Columbo for him, and once more gave the signal for battle, at 

 which they all returned the third time with as much fear of Raju 

 as of our people, and so they made onset 1 on all sides with such 

 shouts and alarms like men that were going to offer themselves 

 to death, which they soon found from such a variety of causes 

 that before half-an-hour they retired at a signal that Raju 

 commanded to make, on account of their telling him that all 

 was at an end. Just at this time the morning dawned, which 

 was for our people as great a joy as comes to those that in 

 some storm thought themselves lost in the darkness of night, 

 when the day breaks upon them clear and serene. 



The enemy having retired, there still went after them an 

 endless number of balls, which all along cut them up ; and so 

 in the whole of Raju's arrayal there was a general lamentation 

 for so great a loss, the sorrow and sadness on one side equalling, 

 though with a different sentiment, the joy and gladness on 

 the other, because in our fortress all that day there were very 

 great festivities, which were noticed in the arrayal, and which 

 made their sorrow all the greater, since thus do things go in 

 the world, that the same things that give pleasure to some 

 cause the loss of it to others : but that in which our people 

 showed the greatest joy and transport for the victory was in 



1 The printed edition by an oversight omits the words "all .... onset." 



