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



[Vol. XII. 



of the Company of Jesus, 34 a man who was indefatigable 

 and of notable courage ; seeing that if the enemy attacked us 

 with this battery in a few days the city would be open, and 

 they would without much trouble make themselves masters 

 thereof ; because already at this time there remained very 

 few defenders : he asked some of those who he thought 

 would accompany him in any enterprise, as he had done in 

 others, to come with him ; and without revealing what he 

 intended, he obtained a promise from thirteen 35 that they 

 would assemble at the hours of midday, and having obtained 

 leave, which he himself asked of the Captain-General, he 

 sallied forth in command of these few, and without being 

 perceived gained an entrance to the battery, where the sword- 

 blows gave the alarm, so that some were able to save 

 their lives, and in the space of an hour he destroyed the 

 battery, which was constructed of palm-trees and fascines, 

 and having set fire to the whole, was able to retire with 

 those who followed him without any harm, leaving the 

 enemy astonished and confounded ; and there is no doubt, 

 that if it had been three hundred who were with him, the 

 courage of our monk would have left not a Hollander alive. 



On Sunday, the 7th of May, at eight 36 o'clock in the 

 morning, only the captain of the garrison, a sentinel, and a 

 gunner 37 being in the bastion of S. Joao, the enemy rushed 

 up on to it, which was not difficult for them, it being so 

 ruined by the batteries, and scarped, that they could do it easier 

 than they could have done with a hill, and having killed the 

 three, without opposition became masters thereof : immedi- 

 ately the alarm was beaten, and all hastened to their posts, 

 those that there were having been hearing mass, and some 

 thirty coming up met the enemy descending the street, where 

 they were set upon by our men with such doggedness that 

 they were evidently determined to sell their lives dearly, and 

 such a hard fight was it, that seventy-six of the enemy were 

 killed, among them three captains, and the rest retreated to 

 the bastion, leaving five banners, without being bold enough 

 to descend any further down the street. As the enemy had 



