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



mable ingredients, and made in such a manner that in the 

 lower part in the midst of the tow they carried from twenty 

 to twenty-five barrels, like those of pistols, loaded to the 

 muzzle with two balls ; and putting these bombs into the 

 mortars, they fired with such accuracy that on reaching the 

 height of a fathom or a fathom and a half above us, those 

 barrels went off on all sides, these same barrels doing as 

 much harm as the balls, and finally the bomb exploded. With 

 this device they killed several of our men. What did us 

 most harm, and only the devil himself coald have brought 

 to light such an invention, was, that in place of bombs they 

 filled the mortars with sharp-cornered flints, and large stones, 

 and in the same manner and with the same elevation that they 

 gave to the bombs they fired them, generally at night,] and 

 with this ^infernal] 23 device they killed a large number of 

 our men, [who, as they did not carry muskets, not a person 

 was safe, nor left his post, but each one simply took pains to 

 commend himself to God, expecting sorrow as his lot ; for 

 with one mortar alone they killed seventeen of us at the 

 bastion of S. Estevao. Following their example we brought 

 out from a magazine in which it lay the mortar that D. 

 Filippe Mascarenhas had ordered to be cast, and had taken 

 to Negombo, with which we threw the coconuts into that 

 fort, 24 and even though it was small, we did not fail with 

 stones to cause them considerable loss of men, who were 

 helping in the fortlets and batteries, not giving them an 

 hour of rest the whole night ; and they were in a continual 

 state of uneasiness. 3 Out of the Island we could not venture, 

 nor enter any boat, without being captured, pis the eighteen 

 ships were anchored, and extended across the mouth of the 

 bay ; and when it was night, the pinnaces came and anchored 

 nearer to the land, and in this form the smacks were arranged, 

 which were followed by the launches which were already 

 close to the shore ; a half -moon being formed by the whole, 

 and on the outside went the sloops well armed, forming a 

 patrol, and at daybreak] all proceeded to cast anchor along- 

 side the ships. 25 



