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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XII. 



various officials and merchants, all within the walls ; two 

 parishes, that of the Mother Church and that of St. Lawrence ; 

 five convents of monks, that of St, Francis,* St. Dominick, 

 St, Augustine, the Capuchins, and the College of the 

 Fathers of the Company, with classes in Latin and philoso- 

 phy ; the house of the Santa Misericordia, a royal hospital ; 

 and outside the walls seven parishes. All the inhabitants 

 were enrolled in companies, the Portuguese in some and the 

 natives in others ; all took their turns as guards at the 

 bastions and posts with their arms, with which they were 

 expert, and well ammunitioned. When a company of 

 Portuguese went on guard, if there were eighty or ninety 

 men, they made it two hundred, all armed, because the 

 servants and followers on these occasions accompanied their 

 masters and lords." 



Saar gives the following description of Colombo at the 

 time of the siege : — 



" The city is prettily situated on a plain, and is quite open 

 on the sea side. Large ships cannot enter the harbour, and 

 must remain lying half a league therefrom. On its right side 

 it is provided with a large water-fortf called S. Croix, on 

 which, when we come before it, were sixteen metal cannon, 

 which could command the sea and the harbour. On the 

 shore on the right hand,J before one came into the city, was 

 the gate called the Elephant, over against which stood the 

 Vice Roy's residence. Along the shore there it was enclosed 

 by a low wall, where was also a small bastion by name 

 S. Vincenz, not far from which was a small water-port, and 

 near it the bastion Allegresse. Further along, on the shore, 

 stood the bastion of S. Joan, built high with stones* and the 

 last bastion on the harbour, which it could half flanker and 

 half also the land, near which also a large gateway led into 



* Le Grand r-tays " of the Cordeliers." 



f In the original Wasserpasz ; in Dutch Waterpas. (See Daalmans' 

 description of Colombo in C. B. R. A. S. Journal, So. 35, vol. X., 1887, p. 163.) 



% Saar is describing the city as viewed from the harbour, aod he makes 

 the circuit from right to left ; Ribeiro takes the opposite direction. 



