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



of stature, was called o Sousinha; another was Francisco 

 Pereira, a native of the Island of Terceira ; and the third a 

 captain born in this city.3 



As the enemy were at the foot of the bastion, it was very 

 easy for them to take it ; and in case they should succeed in 

 doing this, we made close to them in the inside a counter- 

 bastion of earth and wood to oppose them therewith, and we 

 placed therein two cannon of six pounds *each. 27 [We 

 lacked match-cord everywhere ; wherefore the soldiers tore 

 up their shirts, and those who had none looked for rags of 

 white cloths, with which they remedied this deficiency ;3 

 and as the enemy did not make approaches on the Mapane 

 side, nor had guards posted, because the ground was stony, 

 and the bastion, wall, and ditch all in the modern style, one 

 morning two hundred of us sallied forth, taking the slaves 

 of the inhabitants and a great many hatchets, and we hasten- 

 ed to the wood of N. Senhora dos Milagres, which was half 

 a league distant from the city. There we cut down as many 

 trees of the bark of which rope is made as all of us could 

 carry, and without hindrance we returned ; and the enemy, 

 becoming aware that we had made this sortie, made a strong 

 entrenchment, and placed therein sufficient garrison to 

 prevent our making another similar one. 28 



Chapter XXV. 

 In which the same subject is continued. 

 In order to relate minutely all that happened during this 

 terrible siege, large volumes would be necessary, and I 

 therefore only relate briefly some more noteworthy events, and 

 which time has not blotted out of my memory, as is the case 

 with all things in this world. 29 £Not a little to be wondered 

 at is that which presents itself to us, and this can but serve as 

 a reminder to us to consider the great misery of our frailty, 

 a true mirror of what we are in this lif e.J On the day on 

 which we fought that battle with the Hollanders on the 

 seashore of Maroto, £ which was on October 17, as I 

 have shown, and on the following, the 18th (to this great 



