722 
A Defcripion 0/ G E Y L O 
_ (,1 
Gerard Hulfi Admiral of the Fleet, 
belonging to the molt faithful Nation 
of the Dutch. 
" By the Letters fent to me from the 
Governor of our Fortrefs of Gale, I 
" have underftood, that immediately af- 
" ter your Arrival with the Dutch Fleet 
there, you have made your felf Mafter 
" of the Fort of Caleture \ and that one 
" half of the Portuguefe Prifoners were 
fent aboard a Ship, the reft being re- 
ferved for our Service. The News of 
*' your Succefs in the Engagement be- 
" twixt Caleture and Columbo^ without 
" any confiderable Lofs on the fide of 
our faithful Hollanders, being likewife 
receiv'dbyme with fingularSatisfadi- 
on, I fent immediate Orders to all my 
Difaves (Governors) and chief Com- 
manders, to bring into the Field all 
the Forces of our Empire. In the 
mean while I receiv'd an Ola (Letter) 
from the Dijfave of Saffragam^ dated 
Odoh. 23. wherein he informs me, that 
having been fent for by your Excellen- 
cy, you enquired after my Health, 
telling him at the fame time, that you 
" were come to no other end, than to 
deliver the Cities of Columbo^ Mamar 
*' and Jafmpatnam into our Hands 5 
" which done, you would in Perfon ap- 
pear in our Imperial Majefty's Pre- 
" fence. I have been very ill for many 
" Dayspaft, which however has not pre- 
vented my taking the necelfary mea- 
" fures for the raifing of the Forces of 
the Empire. No fooner had Irecei- 
" ved the welcome News of your Excel- 
^' lency, but I was in a manner immedi- 
" ately reftor'd to my former Health, 
" being now twice as flrong as before^ 
*' and able (thro God's Mercy) to afTift 
" in Perfon in the intended Expedition^ 
which I intend to begin theiiof Nov, 
*' I have fent with thii Letter one of the 
Officers of our Court, to enquire after 
" your Excellency's Health, and to bring 
" you a Prefent from me, which I hope 
" your Excellency "/ill value, not fo 
" much in regard of its Value, as in re- 
" fpeft of the Love and good Inclination 
" of the Giver, 
Dated at our Imperial Court in the City 
of Candy, 0(1. 29. 1655. Raja Singa 
Ka]Uy moft Potent Emperor of Ce;^- 
lon. 
CHAP. xxyi. 
Refolutwns and Ujlr unions concemwg the mte^ded General JJfauif ufon the City 
of Columbo. 
A general 
Affuult is 
agreed up- 
on by gene- 
l al Con- 
fenU 
The Diirch 
Generafs 
Letter to 
the Govc}' 
nor of Co- 
iumbo. 
TH E 9th of Nov. a new Battery with 
four great brafs Cannon, having be- 
gan to play againft St. Stephen s Baftion 
a General Council of War was call'd of 
all the Chief Officers, in order to con- 
fult (after having implor'd the Divine 
AlTiftance) whether it were convenient 
to venture a General Affault upon Colum' 
bo : The General having openly declar'd, 
that every one there prefent flionldbe at 
his full Liberty to difcover his real Senti- 
ments concerning this great Undertak- 
ing ^ it was agreed by unanimous Con- 
fent, that feeing the Alacrity of the Sol- 
diers, it was convenient to attempt a Ge- 
neral Allault. 
Soon after the General difpatch'd % 
Trumpeter, bearing a Flag of Truce in 
his Hand, to the Portuguefe Governor, 
ylnthony dc Souz.a Continho^ with the fol- 
lowing Letter. 
The Succefs that has attended our 
" Arms in the taking of Caleturcy^ and the 
" Defeat of the Troops under Cafiar 
Figeiro, near the Shoar of Panature^ 
" together with the Advantages obtain- 
" ed already in the Siege of Columbo^ 
" may as I fuppofe fufficiently entitle 
me to demand, without Vanity, the 
" delivering up of the City, in the Name 
of his Imperial Majefty Raja Singa^ 
" and the moft Noble Dutch-Eafi-Indu 
Company, I hope your Excellency 
*' will not put a wrong Interpretatioii 
" upon this Demand, when you conlidcr 
that,purfuant tothe Tenor of your owa 
*' Letters fent to Don Anthonio Mmdes 
d' Aranha, and Cajpar Figeiro, thefirft 
d&tQd Septemb. 30. and the fecond the. 
" I ith and i<ytho{ Oitob. (both which are 
fallen into our Hands) you were then 
**• fufficiently fenfible, that the Defence 
*^ of Columbo depended on the Preferva- 
tion of the Forces in Caleture^ and 
" thofe under the Command of Cafpar 
" Figeiro. It is upon this fcore that I 
am of Opinion, I don't put the leail 
" -Ble- 
