350 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XX 



opposite coast in order to go to Ceilaowith some companions, 

 who in company with Antonio de Brito reached the port of 

 Columbo , where they were warmly welcomed by our people, 

 and lodged at the most dangerous posts. 



After this expedition the captain sent to attack Raju's 

 great trangueira Antonio Loureneo, Francisco Gomes Leitao, 

 Dom Joao modeliar 1 , and the oraches Manoel Pereira and Pero 

 Afonsowith their lascarins, who one morning suddenly attacked 

 the first fort with many fire -lances and pots of powder, 

 with which they made a way to get in, where they had a 

 very perilous fight, which lasted for the space of an hour and 

 a half, killing many of their people, and three captains and 

 two bombardiers, and then retired without more harm than 

 slight wounds. This being over, Francisco Gomes Leitao 

 went out with thirty soldiers ; and assaulting the enemy's 

 bastion, they entered it by force of many lance thrusts and 

 cuts, and killed many of their men ; and as the enemy went on 

 being reinforced they retired without danger, and on getting 

 back to the fortress they went through an embrasure one by 

 one ; and the last of all, whom Fate would seem to have 

 summoned for that hour, after they_were inside, turned and 

 went out again because the enemy had come near ; and as 

 Death summoned him. he said to his companions : "I must 

 go out once again," and he did so at the moment when they 

 fired at him a musket shot, of which he presently died. 

 And on All Saints' Day, in another sally that our people made, 

 the enemy swarmed on to the plain, and there began to open 

 from our posts a fine play of bombard shots and harquebusery 

 which made very good practice upon them, the whole plain 

 being covered. 



The affairs having passed, and many other assaults that our 

 people made upon them daily with loss to the enemy, there 

 arrived at Columbo on the 4th of November the ship in which 

 Philippe de Carvalho had left with the provision 2 , and brought 

 a galleon that had set out from the Fishery laden with rice, 

 which she found on the opposite coast almost lost, and went 

 to her help, and assisted her continually, and brought her 

 with her as far as that port without leaving her, and in sight 

 of the coast of Ceilao they were both storm-stayed by the 

 cachao wind, which beat down upon them very fiercely, and 

 as it is there a cross-wind, at great risk they rode it out on 

 their cables. This succour was to all as if sent from heaven, 



1 This is the third and last time that Konappu Bahdara is mentioned 

 in this Decade. For his subsequent history see infra, XL, Sum. of 

 Events, p. 389 et seq. 



2 See supra, p. 343. 



