764 
A Defcriftion of C E Y L O 
Baldctm. 
One nj 
Enginci 
di'jcrts. 
Cave and 
Cmdidl of 
the Govcr- 
The before-mention'd three Batteries 
being raifed above 200 Paces from our 
Walls, they ereded another againft the 
Baltion of St. John, within 400 Paces of 
it, from whence they batter'd us molt 
furiouflywich three Demi-Cannon. Im- 
mediately after, one of our Engineers, a 
Hollander by Birth, named John de Rofa^ 
deferted to the Enemy ^ 'tis true, he was 
no great Conjurer in his Art, yet did us 
conliderable Mifchief. For the Enemies 
Batteries play'd fo furiouQy upon aur Out- 
works, that in two days time they were 
all laid level with the Ground, and our 
BalHons and Walls were fo forely batte- 
red, that with much ado we could flop 
the Breaches,which was done by continual 
and indefatigable Labour j each Soldier 
and Oflicer employing the Intervals they 
had, when they were not upon Duty, in 
working like the meaneft Labourer. 
The Governor Anthonio Coutinho fpent 
Day and Night in vifiting the Works, a- 
nimatinghis Soldiers both in Words and 
his Example, leaving his Habitation, and 
contenting himfelf with a fmall Tent 
near the Baftioa of St. Jobn^ where the 
Enemies made their greateft Effort. Af- 
terwards he took up his Quarters in a 
Warehoufe, fcarce undrefllng himfelf all 
the time the Siege lafted, and employ'd 
much of his time in keeping an exaft ac- 
count of the Stores, and diftributing 
Provifions with his own Hands, without 
vv hich Precaution the City could not have 
held out half fo long. Francifco de Me- 
lo de Caftyo followed his Footfteps, having 
not been fcen without his Clothes and 
Arms for feven Months together. The 
City- Major Manoel Mcir({ues Gorjaon did 
allifttheni in his Station, as did likewife 
Cafpar Fijjueira de Serpe^ the DijTaves of 
the Corks of Negumho and of Mature^ 
John Coelbo de Cafiro^ Manoel Gil^ Manoel 
Seixas^ and John Banha^ who were pre- 
fent in all Places, where there was the 
moft danger to encounter. The Clergy, 
but efpecially the Capucins,were very affi- 
duous inconfelTmg the Soldiers, in pray- 
ing and doing all manner of good Offices 
without IntermilTion^ and foraeof them 
would not be backward in being upon the 
Guard with the Soldiery, and give the 
Enemies ample Proofs of their Valour, 
The Enemy thunderM fo furiouQy againft 
the Baltion of St. john^ that it appear'd 
like a heap of Rubbifh *, then they turn'd 
their Fury againft the H. rn-work of St. 
Srcp/jen and the adjacent Pointy hat Ma- 
nod da P'oiga the Commanding Officer on 
the Ballion of St. Sttpbeni, Francifco Gori- 
an FLilhoj John Bcrraon d' Abreu, Gonz^al 
Martinho Piememel^ Manoel Carvalho^ and 
others employ'd in the Defence of the Bravery of 
Works towards St. Sebaflian^ were inde- ^^•'^ Scj-Tc- 
fatigable in repairing the Breaches, and^'^'" 
rendring the Baftions tolerably defenfi- 
ble. 
Hieronymo Lucena fhew'd the fame care 
in the Baftion of Madre de Deos, till he 
was reliev'd by Lewis Tavera de Cunha , 
and the Wall which extended towards St. 
Scbajlian being found very weak, the Ge- 
neral recommended the Defence thereof , 
to the four Captains of the Galliots^ late- 
ly come from Goa. Thefe order'd an 
Entrenchment to be made thereof 150 
Yards long, one broad, and fix Foot high. 
Father I>a?man Vieira the Jefuit being em- 
ploy'd in furthering this Work, a Bullet 
taking away a great piece of the Wall, 
ftruck him on the Head, fo that he 
fell dead upon the Ground ^ but foon re- 
covering himfelf, he fell to his Work a- 
gain, his Servant conllantly attending 
him vvirh a Sword and Fufee, wherewith 
he did confiderable Execution, being com- 
monly one of the foremoft in charging 
the Enemy. Finding that the Baftion of 
Xavcrm (otherwife calFd Courcui) began 
alfo to be forely batter'd by the Enemy, 
the care rliereof was committed to an old 
famous Soldier, Manoel Rodrigos Franco^ 
who foon put it out of all Danger. 
The igth of Novemb. the Dutch Gene- The city 
ral Gerard Hulfl fent a Drummer with a f'^'^rnoned 
white Flag with a AlefTenger into the Ci- 2/™' 
ty, to fummon our Governor to a Surren- 
der, who delaying his Anfwer till next 
day, the Enemy fir'd moft furioufly with 
bis Cannon allthat Night i but the next 
Morning we fent Diego de Souz,a de Cajiro 
and Thotnas Fereire Leite with an Anfwer, 
the laft perfonating a Drummer, in or- 
der to get fome Intelligence of the Con- 
dition of the Enemy •, but they were up- 
on their Guard, and therefore fent a Cap- 
tain and a Lieutenant, attended by two 
Soldiers to receive our Governor's Let- 
ter, wherein he told the General, that 
he wanted neither Will nor Power to de- 
fend the Place to the utmoft for his King's 
Service, being ftill fufficiently provided 
with Powder and Ball, and other Necefia- 
ries j and to add the more weight to his 
Words, wefir'd moft furioufly all that 
Night. 
The Dutch repay'd us in the fame Coin, 
lending us commonly a Prefent of 800 
Cannon-ball and 900 Granadoes every 
Day. The i2t/;of Novemb, they cele- 
brated the Feaft of Sc. Martin the Pope 
by anew Invention of Fireballs, v>?hereof 
they fent a good Number into the City, 
and 
