CbpSXVlII. ADefcripion of G E Y L O N. 
727 
(C 
(I 
made, which ftiall be brought by the 
firft Pado that goes from hence ^ the 
other two lhall follow foon after, one 
of them being to be armed for the 
Defence of the other : Their approach 
you will know by the Signals agreed 
upon. Perhaps the Governor of Ma- 
nnar may have got Intelligence of our 
Fleet, and has given you intelligence 
thereof. God prefer ve and deliver 
your Excellency from all danger. 
Jafnapatnam 1 1 , jinthonio Amival de Menezes, 
Aov. 1655. 
The Contents of another Letter were 
as follows. 
*' 1 Writ to your Excellency under Co- 
**■ vert of Sebajlian Martino with the 
Galliots of September^ when I little 
" dream'd of what we heard afterwards 
*^ at Cochin^ and on the Cape Comoryn^ 
*' concerning the prcfent danger of the 
City, and of the lofs of fo brave a 
Captain as Anthonio Mendes d' Aranha^ 
" with a good number of our choiceft 
*' Men. I have fince underftood feveral 
other things of this nature, which 
" have coft me many Tears we did all 
we could to make the Cape Comoryn, 
*' but the contrary Wind prevented us : 
However, tho we have fail'd in this, 
you may affure you felf, that the Vice- 
" roy will not fail to fuccour the City of 
" Co/wmto with all his Forces in the /«- 
" dies. It is rumour'd here, that Don 
Manoel Mafcarenhai^ intends to leave 
this place, there being very bad News 
brought lately from Jafnapatnam ; but 
we hope and pray to God that he will 
be pleafed to preferve the City till Fe- 
bruary, 
II Novemb. 1^55. 
Nicolao Oliver a. 
The reft of the Letters were very near 
the fame, with this addition only, that 
the Portuguefes fet fail in Otiober with i % 
Frigots, but were forc'd back near the 
Cape Comoryn^ fo near that they had land- 
ed feme Soldiers, who were marched by 
Land to Jafnapatnam, with an intention 
to come to Columbo^ to give notice there 
of the Equipment of fix Galeons at Goa 
intended for the Succours of the City; 
and that in cafe the Butch Ihould block 
up that Habour, they would fight their 
way through them. All thefe Letters 
were fent to his Imperial Majefty. 
200 The 12 Decemb. 200 Negroes being 
gfocs mi\e feen to Tally out of the Gate of Mapam, 
« SaUy. ' 
keeping along the Sea-(hore, three Com- r\wA^ 
panics were order'd to attack them \ but 
they no fooner efpied our People advan- ^^'"^ 
cing towards them, than they retreated 
in hafte to the City : However three of 
them deferted to us, and gave an account 
that the reafon of their coming out was 
only to fetch and cut fome Faggot- 
Wood for the repairing of the Baltions 
of S. John^ S. Stephen and S. Philippo ^ and 
that they had made betwixt the two for- 
mer a Retrenchment, in cafe ihey fliould 
be forced to quit the Baflions. 
The fame day we finifh'd our fecond Rcp$rt 0/ 
Redoubt, and the next two Portuguefe f°me De- 
Deferters confirm'd the Report of the 
Negroes, adding that they much dreaded 
our Mines, that the Baftion of S, John 
was guarded by two Companies ( of 25 
or 30 iVIen each) under Cafpar Figeiro^ 
the Gate of Magapane with three,"* and. 
the reft in proportion. At the fame 
time we faw a whole Troop of half- 
ftarv'd Wretches forc'd out of the Town, 
but were made to return from whence 
they came, except a few Portuguefes^ who 
could give good intelligence about the 
Condition of the Place. 
The i^th in the morning 10 or 12. 
Boats came oat of the Town to fetch 
Faggot-wood but finding us prepare 
to attack them, they retir'd with Preci- 
pitation, after they had wounded three of 
our Men. 
The I ^th the General agreed with 20 
Pioneers to work continually (fix at a 
time) in the Trenches, at the rate of 
20 Pence /e*- i/Vw, befides a good Reward 
after they had finifh'd the Work, In the: 
Afternoon a Battery of 6 Guns was or- 
der'd to be erefted. 
The I "Sth a Gunner having out of care- An mfir^ 
lefnefs double charg'd a Gun upon a Bat. ^"n'?^^ 
tery, kill'd three of our own Pioneers, '^"^^"^^ 
and wounded 7 Negroes ^ and in the Even- 
ing four great Cannon were not without 
fome lofs planted upon the before-men- 
tioned Battery. 
The i^th we playM thence mcft in- 
rioufly upon the Baltions of S. John and 
Stephen^ and two more Cannons were 
mounted upon it the fame Evening. 
The 10th a new Redoubt was begun, 
the Trenches being then carried on v/ichia 
two Rods of the Counterfcarp. In the 
Evening we mified Simon Lofes, who was 
agam gone over to the Enemy, 
The 26th three Negro Carpenters 
coming over to us, reported that the 
Portuguefes had undermin'd theBaftion of 
S.Jofcw, and laid 5 large Barrels with Gun- 
powder in five divers places underneath 
it. 
