Chap.XXX VI. A Defcripion o/C E Y L O 
749 
been detain'd Prifoner in the Baftion of 
S. Stephen^ and made his efcape with 
four of his Servants through Don Fran- 
cijlo de Rolynh Houfe by means of a Boat. 
He entertained the new General for a 
confiderable time. It was in the mean 
time refolv'd to delay t|ie AfTault upon 
the Baftion of S. Stephen'^ for two or three 
days. Our Interpreter George Bloem re- 
turn'd alfo with the following Letter of 
Condolea nee from his Majefty. 
Raja Slnga Rajou^ molt potent Emperor 
of Ctj'/oWjWifhes Health to Mr. Adrian 
van der Meydm^ Governor of the 
Imperial Fortrefs of Gale. 
Letter of "V'OLIR Letter dated in the Evening 
Console- " ^ at feven a Clock on Monday the 
am from u joj/jof ^pril^ did arrive in the Impe- 
Empe- „ ^j^j ^^^^p ^^^^^ Midnight, and was 
" deliver'd to our Imperial Majeity on 
" Tuefday about Noon. The Death of 
" our Direftor-General has caufed an ex- 
*' ceffive Afflidion in our Imperial Heart. 
*' Whilft our beloved Director was at 
" our Court, I was unwilling (accord- 
" ing to the fingular Love I bore to his 
" Ferfon ) to let him know my Illnefs ^ 
" but being now on the mending hand, 
" I am forced to hear of his Death, 
*^ which now we muft commit to Provi- 
" dence, and fubmit to his Will, Our 
Imperial Majefty has likewife under- 
" flood by your Excellency's Letter that 
" you are inverted with the fame Power 
as our beloved Direftor-General was. 
" It is a general receiv'd Cuitom in the 
" Courts of all the great Monarchs, that 
in cafe a Perfon of note, and in good 
" efteem with them dies, his Succeflbr 
*' appears before the faid Monarch, and 
receives his Confirmation and Bleffing 
" at his hands. As you have always 
" been ferviceable to us, it is our Plea- 
" fure that you come to Court ( in the 
fame manner as the Direftor-General 
did) in order to receive the Honours 
" due to your Merits i being fenfible that 
you have render'd us confiderable Ser- 
vices, without having receiv'd any Re- 
*' ward hitherto •, wherefore it is my 
" Pleafure, that when you refolve to 
come, you give notice thereof before- 
hand what day you have pitch'd upon, 
" in order to receive you with the fame 
" Llefped as the Diredor-General your 
*' PredecefTor. I doubt not in the mean 
" while but you will be very careful in 
*' your high Station. At the clofing of 
this Letter Advice is brought that 
*' the Fortugucfcs exped every day 
" Succours, which has made me give 
ftrift Orders to keep a ftrid Guard i^s/^-^ 
" both by Sea and Land. Bald^m^. 
In the Camp and 
Court of Re^- 
gamwattL\ 1 5 
Ap'il 16 $6. 
Raja Singa RajoUy 
Moft Potent Emperor 
of Ceylon. 
In the night 2 Portuguefes^ 3 Topaffes^ n Lafca- 
and 1 1 Lafcaryn Deferters gave a doleful ryn, 3X0- 
accountof the miferable condition of the P/"^'' ^ 
City, and of the Sicknefs and Mortality lH'^'jj, 
that reign'd there. The i6f^we play'd jencn. 
moft furioufly againft the Gate of Rajiiha^ 
and the General having fent Advice of 
the expected Succours in the City to the 
Emperor, gave Orders to Commodore 
Rootham to keep the Fluffing^ Pofkensburgb 
and Lion Yachts in readinefs to purlue 
the Enemy's Squadron. About the fame 
time a Portuguefe Captain came over to ^^^'^ 
us with 18 Lafcaryns and thrcQ Top ajfes -J 
his pretence was, that having receiv'd an 
Affront from the Governor, he had taken 
this method to revenge himfelf. Diedelof 
van der Beek writ from Mapane^ that the 
poor ftarv'd Wretches in the Plain be- 
twixt our Works and the City butchered 
one another, two Women having lately 
devour'd their new-born Babes. The 
1 9th of April a Letter was deliver'd to 
the General from the Emperor. 
" VOUR Excellency was deliver'd ^-^f 
" to me after Midnight, by which 
" you declaring your readinefs to ferve Gene 
" me, the fame was receiv'd with fm- rd. ^"^ 
" gular fitisfadHon, knowing that your 
" Excellency ever fince your landing in 
" this Ifle has fhewn a more than ordi- 
" nary Inclination for our Service, Your 
" Excellency being now through God's 
" Mercy put into this high Station, it is 
" expeded you fhould give more lignal 
Proofs thereof than before. You alfo 
mention the expedted Portuguefe Suc- 
cours, and the Succefs of our faithful 
" Hollanders againft them. I hope in 
" God that this Vidory will prove the 
" forerunner of others. What I writ 
" in my laft concerning your care in 
the Camp, was not intended as if I 
" queftion'd your Condudf, but becaufe 
it belong'd to me to mention it. You 
" further advife, that the Enemy's Squa- 
" dron has orders to fail diredly'for 
" Columbo^ but confidering the ill Treat- 
ment Alanoel Mafcarenha^s Homcm the 
" prefent V^iceroy of Goa met wirh at 
" Columbo (whilft Governor there) it 
" feems to me moft probable, that he 
^' has fent this Fleet rather to be worfted 
by 
Empe- 
Let- 
ter to the 
