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



351 



and Joao Correa de Brito sent and begged Philippe de Carvallio 

 that he would not disembark that day, because he was that 

 night expecting an attack from Raju, and that he would re- 

 main guarding the port with the rest of the ships, so that the 

 enemy's armada should not come and attempt the vessels and 

 the ship in which had come the relief of that fortress. And 

 because he was advised that Raju was to deliver an assault that 

 night he prepared to receive him ; but he failed to deliver it on 

 account of its raining heavily 1 ; and on the following night in 

 the daybreak watch he commanded to attempt the fortress by 

 assault , which they did, bearing in front more than fifty mante- 

 lets made of thick mats in order to reach the wall, so that the 

 stonemasons, who were more than a thousand, might under- 

 mine the walls, and others with ladders to attempt an entrance 

 all round. As our people were on the alert, on observing the 

 enemy each one took his*place with his arms, discharging upon 

 those below many pots of powder, with which they set fire to 

 them ; and where the attempt was made with greatest 

 force was at the bastion of Santo Antonio, the captain of 

 which was Luis Dorta, where the harquebusery was 

 heavier and more ladders were set up ; but our men so 

 burnt them with fire and scathed 2 them with everything that 

 came to their hand, that they made them quit the contest. 

 Bernardim d ; Carvallio and the fidalgos of his company and 

 Nuno Alvres Datouguia with the captains of his armada 

 went to help at the parts that seemed to them most in need, 

 encouraging those that were fighting, and doing it themselves 

 with much spirit ; and the captain 3 who was at the bastion of 

 Madre de Deus with the captains of the round sent from there 

 to see and learn the needs that existed anywhere, in order to 

 provide for them. On the bastion of Sao Sebastiao, the 

 captain of which was Luis Correa da Silva, there was like- 

 wise a great attack, and there were found Vasco de Carvalho, 

 who had embarked from Goa with Bernardim de Carvalho, 

 in which he fought like a very good soldier. And on the bastion 

 of Santo Estevao the labour was great, and on the stretch of 

 wall adjoining it, because there they experienced a greater 

 weight of the enemy, and these were undermining the wall : 

 wherefore they hastened with much fire, but it fell upon the 

 mantelets, and did not impede those beneath : the which 



1 With this statement contrast that made at the end of chap. xi. 

 below (p. 359). 



2 Couto is here alliterative, using in close sequence the words escadas, 

 escalddram, escalavrdram. 



3 Estevao Correa (see supra*, p. 295). 



