NO. 42.— -1891.] SIEGE OF COLOMBO. 



103 



expressly on this account, inasmuch as they understood that 

 he wanted him for his captain, and therefore they at once 

 arranged for him to embark, and during the days that he 

 remained they placed a body of soldiers in guard over him, 

 not allowing him to leave the house, bragging to him of the 

 favour of not delivering him up. The King had sent to 

 make offers to this same Figueira ; but he did not care to 

 give heed to his many promises, although he knew well 

 that he wanted him more to take command of his army than 

 to do him harm for the victories that he had won over him ; 

 and he was mourning over the last one up to the time when 

 we surrendered.^ 



On the 19th of the same month the King broke peace with 

 them and fought a battle with them in the great stockade, 

 in which he was the victor, and he would no longer 

 grant the terms of peace which they solicited, because 

 with this war he remained absolute ruler of the whole 

 of Ceilao, and the Hollanders retained possession of only 

 the forts £and some towns which were near the seashore ;3 

 which derive nothing from the interior country : and 

 should the King have to come to an agreement with them, 

 of necessity he would have to give up to them all the 

 lands that belonged and still do to the Crown of Portugal : 

 in such manner that in order that the King may remain ruler 

 of CeilSo, he has to carry on war with the Hollanders, and 

 there remains to them more of loss than of gain. The 

 advantage that they have is that the little cinnamon that is 

 produced by the Island is at their disposal, and they can 

 ship it, because the King does not trouble about it. 51 



