32,8 
CHILOW 
give him up, but without effect. At length Captain Blackwall with 
forty men came to his assistance by water from Negumbo, and 
the Candian army retreated with the utmost expedition. They 
conceived themselves so completely masters of the country, that 
they did no mischief to the village, nor did they carry off any salt, 
of which they were in the greatest want, and of which this is one 
of the chief deposits. The chief of the fishermen deserted to them 
during the siege, and accompanied them in their flight. He is said 
to be erecting a fort for them in the interior, where a force of six 
thousand men is assembled. The advanced guard of two hundred 
is on the frontiers, only twelve miles distant. 
The effect of the general defeat of the Gandians in every point, 
has been the desertion of numerous families of the natives, who 
have sought protection in our provinces. They amount to several 
hundreds in this district, and have proved themselves to be firmly 
allied to us, by giving much valuable information. It was in con- 
sequence of this, that Mr. Campbell made a late irruption into 
their territories, when he burnt a large quantity of grain, and, what 
was of more consequence to them, spoilt one of their largest stores 
of salt. He means, as soon as he can procure the assistance of a few 
Europeans from the garrison of Negumbo, to beat up the quarters 
of these six thousand fellows ; and such is the cowardice and military 
ignorance of the Cingalese, that he will probably completely effect 
this with one hundred men. 
Mr. Campbell received me with his little garrison drawn out at the 
gate of the fort, and led me to his habitation, being the only house in 
the place, the men living in huts formed of palmyra leaves. The 
fort is not one hundred feet square, so that the mounds around 
