352 



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



[Vol. XX. 



being seen by a soldier, Luis de Pina by name, getting astride 

 on the top of the coping of the mud-wall with his body 

 thrown outwards, he hurled upon the enemy many pots of 

 powder, wherewith they were driving away those below 1 , with 

 which he did much harm ; and afterwards with a fire -lance 

 pointed downwards, on account of that part being low, he 

 did so much, that setting the stonemasons on fire with it he 

 made them withdraw and quit the work. The shouting and 

 clamour and trumpetings of the elephants were more alarming 

 than their arms, because in all parts there was so much of 

 this, that it might have caused fear to anyone who had not so 

 lost it as had our men, who knew how much more the Chinga- 

 las fight with the tongue than with the hands 2 ; and neverthe- 

 less among the women and the wretched folk it inspired a 

 terror , as they thought that the city had been entered, and from 

 the windows with cries and lamentations to heaven they 

 begged the divine favour, which our men not lacking, they so 

 harassed the enemy, that after many times attacking suddenly 

 at all parts, and the elephants trying to pull down the 

 mud- walls, and the stonemasons to undermine them, until 

 the day had fully dawned, they_ entirely gave over the 

 assault, by going away well scathed, leaving in their hurry 

 all the tackling that they had brought for scaling the walls ; 

 because when it was day there were found at the foot of 

 them many picks, alavangas, mattocks, and many mante- 

 lets and ladders, all of which was brought inside. And it 

 was presumed that they had killed many of them : as 

 those that remain alive are obliged to carry off the dead, 

 nothing was known amongst our people more than what 

 the spies said afterwards, whom in this matter and in 

 others I hold as very suspect, because at times they speak 

 according to the wish of the captains, who delight in 

 magnifying their affairs, chiefly in the certificates that they 

 issue, in which there are always exact numbers, as if they 

 had gone to count them. But nevertheless Raju lost many 

 men, and his people much credit with him, and he his hopes of 

 taking Columbo, which he understood well that he could not 

 do by assaults, since he knew that his people would never 

 scale walls that Portuguese defended ; but he wished to wear 

 out our people by alarms, even though at the cost of his own 

 men, because his intention was to bring his mines to some 

 part where he might cause some breach, in order to enter by 

 it to do them some harm. 



1 The printed edition omits this clause. 



2 Of. supra, p. 325. 



