768 
A Dejcripion 0/ C E Y L O N. 
People againft the Granadoes, which 
Baldam. £,iemy threw in without IntermilTion. 
^-^''^ Xhis Poft being recommended to the 
care of Domingos Codbo^ he ftrengthen'd 
the fame by Pallifadoes, from whence he 
commanded the Paflage over the Ditch 
with his Fire-arms ; and Mamcl Rodrigos 
tranco, and Manoel de S. Jago Garcia, 
would often skirmifli with the Enemy on 
their own Bridges two whole Companies 
under the faid Coelbo, and Diego de Souz.a 
de Cajlroj being appointed to fecond them 
as Necellity requir'd. 
The lothand nth of Jan. the Enemy 
advanc'd to the Ditch in two Places, viz.. 
thro the before-mention'd Breaft-work, 
and fomewiiat lower : From the firft Place 
they played with a great Cannon, and on 
the other fide having made a great Breach 
thro the Wall, they threw Fafcines, Logs 
of Wood, Baskets with Earth, and fuch 
like Materials into the Ditch 5 and the 
better to cover their Workmen, and af- 
ford an eafy Palfage to their Souldiers, 
they fix'd their Gallery : but Emamel Guer- 
reiro at the Head of his Company, Do- 
mingos Coelbo d^ AUa, Emanuel de S. Jago 
Garcia, and Diego de Souz.a Cajtro, did re- 
ceive them fo courageouOy, that from 
JO at Night till break of Day, there was 
nothing to be heard or feen but firing, 
both at the entrance of the Mine, and 
from the Ballion of St. John, from whence 
Don Diego rafconcelhos did confiderable 
Mifchief to the Dutch with his great Can- 
r.on, who meeting with founexpedfed a 
Reception, thought fit to retire with 
confiderable Lofs, leaving moft of their 
Materials behind them, which were 
brought into the City. We loft only two 
Men in this Adion, and the Dutch for e- 
ver after were not fo forward to come fo 
near us, but ply'd us chiefly with their 
Cannon-balis, Stones and Bombs j where- 
as we had but one Mortar, which was 
ufelefs to us (for want of expert Can- 
noneers) till Simon Lopes de Baflo came 
over to us, who now and then faluted the 
Enemy with Stones out of that Mortar, 
who anfwer'd us briskly, tho moft of 
th^m broke in the Air, and did no other 
Mifchief but to fome Houfes, that were 
raiferably ftiatter'd. One of the Enemies 
E-'iver of happening to fall entire upon the 
Matthias Ground, Matthias d' u4lbuquerque, a Na- 
Albuquer- tive of Goa, ftanding hard by, took it 
q;te up, and threw it into the next Dutch Mine, 
with an unparallel'd Courage, with fuch 
Succefs, that it blew up into the Airim- 
rnediately. 
TheiSi/i of Jan. four Ships arriv'd 
from Caky and foon after two more.^ 
which with the 14 that were in the Bay 
before, made up 20 in all. The fame 
day the Dutch planted a Crofs upon the 
Redoubt calFd Conception, under the 
tripple Difcharge of their Cannon and 
Small Arras. This Redoubt had been 
made by the Direction and AfTiftance of 
the Governor, the Mafter of the Ord- 
nance, and feveral of our beft Officers, and 
the Dijfavcs. That day two new lifted 
Men, belonging to Don Rodrigo de Cafiro 
his Company,deferted to the Enemy ^ and ' 
Fernaon Martinhode 5oj{^^ the Governor's 
Son, a Gentleman who had given feveral j-^,,, (-j^^^. 
Proofs of his Courage, was unfortunate- mfs Sm 
ly fhot with a Mufquet-ball in the Head on ki'l^d. 
the Baftion of S. John^ of which Wound 
he died foon after. About the fame time 
died alfo Anthonio Barboz,a Pinbeiro, one 
of our Captains of the Artillery, a Per- 
fon of indefatigable Care, and who had 
fignaliz'd himfelf upon many Occafions, 
both in the Field and the City. 
Theiy^of Feb. two other new lifted 
Soldiers of Manoel de deigns bis Company 
deferted to the Enemy, and the 6tb nine 
Ships return'd from the Bay to By 
this time we began to be reduc'd to great 
Extremity for want of Provifions, a lit- 
tle Meafure of Rice being then fold at 
half a Seraphyn , fo that we favv the poor 
Wretches ( as v^ell Europeans as 
groes ) drop down dead in the Streets : 
The Berbery, Bloody-Flux and fpotted 
Fevers being grown fo common, that fev» 
were free from them. To be ftiort, we 
were in a conftant Conflict with three 
moft dreadful Enemies, the Plague, Hun- 
ger and Sword. To add to our Affli£l:i- 
on, the Heat was fo exceilive for want of 
Rain (which ufually falls inCeylon) ih^t 
many were ftifled tor want of Air, wiiich 
made us drive about 500 ofthefe miferable 
Creatures (unfit for Service) out of the jv^^ro-,? 
City on the 8^&,who were forc'd to return forced out 
by the Dutch the cith. The iitb, $00 of the cii^^ 
Negroes were forc'd out of the City, 
but were fent back by the Hollanders the 
fame day. The I'-jth, we faw divers 
Gibbets erefted without our Walls, on 
which they did hang divers of the mi- 
ferable Creatures that were forc'd out of 
the Town. We had fo many dead in 
the City, that we wanted room to bury 
them. The igth tvvo of our Soldiers de- 
ferted, pne whereof being taken, was 
hang'd up immediately. The isd, 50 
Negroes (the Remnants of the laft 500) 
return'd to the City. The ijth^ the 
Bridgmade by the Enemy on this fide of 
their Trenches, was fet on fire from the 
Baftion of St.. John^ but the Fire was foon 
quench'd,. 
