Chap. XXIX. A Defcripim 0/ C E Y L O N. 
729 
Smc Let- 
ter^ inter- 
tepted. 
New In- 
firuSiions 
fent to the 
Dutch 
Fleet. 
Letters 
from Co- 
romandel. 
* A certain 
JHeafure. 
f Areek is 
a certain 
Indian 
Fruit of 
which they 
make Jhotig 
liqkQrs. 
tain'd in the following PalTage taken out 
of Lorenfo Sarboz^a\ Letter direfted to 
Don Francifco de Souz.a. 
" Your Fleet could not make the Cape 
" Cowo^'w^becaufe they came too late, and 
" were overtaken by a violent Tempeit ; 
" the Soldiers aboard were fent by Land 
" to lutecoryn^ and from thence by Sea 
" to Manaar. That they underftood 
" that great Endeavours were ufed to 
" equip a Squadron of great Ships and 
" Frigots, to be joyn'd by 8 Galeons 
" for the relief of Co/Mwto, and that they 
" had certain Advice that the Galeons 
were getting ready for that purpofe : 
That the reft they would be inform'd 
of by the Captain-Major's Letter to the 
" Governor, h-'c^ 
The faid Prifoners reported that u4n- 
thonio Jlmiral had brought a Reinforce- 
ment of fix Companies from Jafna^atnam 
to Manaar\ and that it was reported 
there, that 5 Galeons and 28 Frigots 
were to come from Goa^ and being joyn'd 
with fome other Veflels and Forces at 
Mamar were to fail to the relief of Co- 
lumho : whereupon the General fent his 
Inftruftions to our Squadron to watch the 
coming of the Enemy, but efpecially to our 
Cruifers, the Workmn^ po^kenshurgh^ Mars 
and Erafmui Yachts ^ 30 Bandanefe Soldi- 
ers, and as many Mardykers were aifo 
orderM aboard thefe VefTels, and a Negro 
Deferter reported that thofe come from 
Manaar to Colutnbo were half naked, and 
had brought no Letters, one of them be- 
ing wounded, but knew nothing further. 
The i5t/3 of January iome of our Laf- 
caryns brought in a Spy, whom they had 
taken under pretence of going into the 
City to fell Tobacco j but upon the Evi- 
dence of two Cingakfe Carpenters that 
he was a Spy, he was hang'd on a Gibbet 
near the place where he intended to have 
got into the place. 
The 19th Letters were brought to the 
Camp, fent by Laurence Pit^ then Go- 
vernor of Coromandel, intimating that 
we might expedt a Supply of 35000 
Pounds weight of Gunpowder with the 
Yachts the Codfifh^ Rabbity and Patience \ 
that for the reft the Company had loft 
50 loads of Rice, and 250 Ammenams* 
of Areek f by an accidental Fire. That 
feveral private Merchants having lately 
fent certain Ships loaden with all forts of 
Frovifions, we need not fear any thing 
upon that account. The Rabbit alone 
had a Cargo of 26822 Pounds weight of 
Gunpowder, 50 Packs of Guinea Linen 
Cloth, and 10 Loads of Rice, valued al- 
together at 23850 Gilders. 
Vol IIL * 
It was further advifed, that in all pro- CVV^^ 
bability the King of Golconda was like- ^^T^ 
ly to be erabroil'd in a War with Mirz.ci 
Mula his General, who had put ftrong 
Garifons in the FortrelTes of Gendecalte^ 
Gronconde and Goeti. That the General 
Chan Channe was lately retir'd with the 
Forces of ri/iapoiir^ confifting of 8000 
Horfe, and 40000 Foot^ from relour to 
Fiftapour^ but for what reafon was not 
known. A Copy was alfo fent of a Let- 
ter written by Leonard Johnfon Faftor^ 
Decemb. 8. from Wingurla to Bataviay 
whence it appear'd that they were making 
great Preparations at Goa for the relief 
of Columbo. " But, added he, the Pot' 
" tuguefe Viceroy having fufficient Intel- 
ligence of our Strength before Co- 
" lumbo^ it feems to me to be rather a 
" Bravado than a real Defign, unlcfs it 
" were (as fome affirm) that the Re- 
" lief of that City was fo pofitively com- 
" manded by the King of Portugal^ that 
the Viceroy would be forced to attempt 
it, unlefs he were prevented by the 
" Dutch blocking up the Harbour of Goa 
^' before that time. That it was ru- 
" mour'd there that the Portuguefe Sq\- 
" diets ftiould be oblig'd by Oath, con- 
" firmM by the BlefTed Sacrament, that 
" in cafe they were not able to worft the 
" Dutch Fleet, they ftiould fet fire to 
" their own Ships ^ but he hoped that 
" the City would fall iato our hands 
" before they could put their Defign in 
" Execution. But, as it were not fafe to 
defpife ones Enemy, fo he would take 
" care to give from time to time Jntelli- 
" gence of what he could learn tp the 
" Diredlor- General Gerard Huljl with all 
imaginable fpeed, for which purpofe 
he hoped to purchafe the Diligence of 
fome of the Natives by Mony. The 
following Lift wasannex'd of fuch Shi^s Lifl of ths 
as were to be employ'd in the faid Expe- Porcu- 
dition, 2 Cara<iuesy 2 large Galeons, one 
leffer one, 2 Caravah^ 6 Patacho's ovf/,'/\[^L 
Yachts, 20 light Frigots, 24 more from of CoIuiS 
the Coaft of Sipaveneick^ with fome Ga- bo. 
leons, and other Boats call'd Singaz.eeles. 
His further opinion was, that the faid 
Squadron might be ready towards the 
end of January^ and that the fame was 
to be reinforcM by fome Yachts from 
Chauly that befides the Garifon to be 
left at Goa^ 2000 Europeans^ not reckoning 
the Mifiices and Negroes, were to be 
embark'd aboard the faid Flcft, He 
advifed further, that two EngUjh Ships 
being fome days before come to an Aa- 
chor before Goa, the Viceroy had offer'd 
the Captains a confiderable Sum of Mony, 
B b b b b pro- 
