A Defcripion of C E Y L O N. 
Figueira 
routed. 
notwithftanding the Enemy's Force con- 
Jiald^m. of 3000 Europeans^ befides a good 
'-"^"^^ number of Bandanefcs and Cingalefes fent 
to their Afllftance by the King of Can- 
dy. 
Accordingly Cafpar Figueira encarap'd 
with his Troops the 16th of Oilober two 
Leagues from Caleture, having received 
Advice before, that the Enemy were al- 
ready pofiefs'd of the Pafs on this fide, 
and had pofted three Companies there. 
Purfuant to this Intelligence he order'd 
fix Companies under the Command of 
Domingo Sarmento and Francifco Antmes 
to attack the Enemy in the Night, which 
they did accordingly with incredible Bra- 
very for a confiderable time, but very 
indifferent Succefs •, for inftead of being 
engag'd with three Companies of 80 
Men each ( as they fuppofed ) they found 
the Enemy much fuperior in Number, to 
charge them fo furiouily both in Front 
and Flank, that they were put into 
Confufion with great Slaughter, before 
they could recoiled themfelves. Figueira 
being by this time come up with the reft 
of his Forces, unadvifedly attack'd the 
Enemy a fecond time ; but thefe opening 
their Ranks on both fides, difcharg'd two 
Cannon among our Forces, which occa- 
lion'd fuch a Confufion, that the Enemy 
improving their advantage, once more 
put us to flight. Figueira and his Lieut. 
A/amcl Cabrcii-a were for trying their For- 
tune once more ^ but finding the Flower 
of their Forces either flain or difperfed, 
and no means left to make them return to 
the Charge, they thought fit to retreat 
and bring off their wounded Men, among 
whom were Sebajlian Pereira and Jofeph 
Antuncs^ the only two that efcaped alive 
of eleven Captains. Of the Reformades, 
John Cordciro^ Manoel Fernandes de Miran- 
da^ Manoel de Santjago Garcia^ with 200 
common Soldiers, came off alive. 
anfleyna- This ill Succefs causM an unfpeakable 
Coniternation in the City of Columbo^ 
fiond by where there was nothing to be heard but 
thii Defeat Qutcries and Lamentations in the Streets 
at coium- gj^^pg ^g^.g j^yj the Gates 
kept clofe, with ftridt Orders that no- 
body fhould appear arm'd without doors. 
The next thing to be done, was to give 
an account of their prefent ill Condition 
to the Viceroy of Goa % and the fame be- 
ing (at their earnefl requeft) commit- 
ted to the care of Damian Fieira a Jefuit, 
3nd Ad.inoel Saraiva^ an Inhabitant of 
Manaar^ the la ft of thefe two went no 
further than from Columbo toManaar^irom 
whence he difpatch'd the Letters to Anto- 
,'vci Jmir.1l de Mcnefes at Jafnaj^atnarrif 
bo. 
a Negledf that deferv'd a very fevere Pu- 
nifhment. 
By this time the Hofpital was fill'd 
with the fick and wounded Soldiers, 
where Brother Golfal an Auflin Frier 
did both the Duty of a devout, religious, 
and charitable Lay-man: The number 
of thofe that died here for want of good 
looking after, being fcarce inferior to 
what was loft in the Engagement. 
On the other hand, the Dutch had pur- 
chas'd this Vidory with very little lofs 
on their fide j notwithftanding which 
Major Van der Laan ( a mortal Enemy of 
the Portugueses^ and a zealous Heretick ) 
having receiv'd a Wound in the Cheek, 
took a moft barbarous Revenge from all 
the Portuguefes he met with, who were 
all mafTacred in the Woods ( fometimes 
20 and 30 together) by his Orders in 
cool Blood, he having often been heard 
to fay. That if the Portuguefes were at h'vs Thu mv/t 
difpofal^ he would cut them all off at one ^ 
firoke. Their General Mr. Hulfi being ^ 
or a more companionate Temper, or- 
der'd Quarter to be given to the new 
lifted Forces, but this Heretick told him. 
that they ought to be cut to pieces, in re- 
taliation of what they did to the Dutch^ 
whom they never gave any Quarter ^ 
However through the General's Mercy 
about 60 of the new lifted Men had their 
Lives given them. In this Engagement 
the brave Francifco Antunes^ who had 
render'd his Name fo famous in Ceylon 
by his many Vidories, alfo loft his Life 
in a Wood, who deferv'd to have had a 
Maufolaum ereded to his Memory. 
Thus the Enemy by this Vidory be- 
coming Mafter of the Field, afterwards 
foon made himfelf Mafter of the whole 
Ifland of Ceylon^ the City of Colutnb^ 
( after the lofs of Caleture ) expeding no 
lefs than to be reduc'd to the utmoft ex- 
tremity. For after they had endur'd for 
fome days all the Inconveniences of Hun- 
ger in Caleture, Anthonio Mendes d'Aran- 
ba reprefented to his Soldiers, that they 
had rather try the utmoft, than to pe- 
rifh for want of Food, exhorting them 
to fight their way with Sword in hand 
through the Enemy. He prevail'd at 
laft fo far with them, as to agree witii 
them in his Refolutions ^ but the appoin- 
ted time approaching, they found them« 
felves fo enfeebled for want of good 
Food, that not being able to put their 
Defign in Execution, they were forced 
to fnrrender, upon Condition that they Simenisr 
fhould march out with their Arras, drc. of Calc- 
Thus the King of Portugal loft at once a 
ftrong Fortrefs, one of his moft expe- 
lienc'd 
