A Defcripion 0/ C E Y L O N. 
769 
quench'd. The 29th the Befieged made 
a kind of a Gover'd V/ay, near the Gate 
of Rajuha^ from the baikion of Madre de 
Deos^ to that of St. Sebajiian. 
The 2c/ of Manb^ our City-Major was 
fent in a fmall VelTel to Manaar^ to fol- 
licite for Succouv; there, in cafe any 
Ihould have been lately arrived from Por- 
tugal •■, for at Goa they thought of no- 
thing lefs than Ceylon^ for they did not 
want either Men or Ships to fend to M^t' 
cajfar or Afofambique^ but could find none 
for Columbo ^ for tho the Cinnamon was 
Columbo "P°n the King's Account,the reft of their 
ncglclled Cargo belonged to private Perfons, who 
by thole of would not venture their Ships for the 
Goa. Publick, without extraordinary Re- 
wards. 
The fame day an Advice-Boat arriv'd 
from Cale^ and we made the beginning 
of a CavalUer on the Baftion of Madre 
deDeos ^ but finding that the Enemy were 
raifing a Battery againft it, it was not 
brought to Perfeftion. Two Portu^uefes 
and nine Lafcaryns deferted. The 3^/, 
the Enemy began to open their Trenches 
on the fide of the Mapanefe Fields. The 
^ffconeD^k deferted, andthe7ife ano- 
ther did the fame,leaving the Boat, where 
WGVQ {omc Canaryns, who returned. The 
I ith another Soldier belonging to Alvaro 
Kodrigo Boralbo's Company, went over to 
the Enemy, who receiv'd that day a Re- 
inforcement of 10 Ships. 
The I ith early in the Morning we found 
that the Enemy had pofted himfelf upon 
an Eniinency at the Foot of the Baftion of 
St. Criis^ juft over againft our Redoubt, 
and that they had carried on their Tren- 
ches a good way into the Field. A Soldier 
of Manoel Cabreira deferted to the Ene- 
my. Thei3ffe we fent away four PiJc^iij, 
or Advice-boats. The 14?^ we difcove- 
red three Sails with fome Sloops, which 
occafion'd great Joy in the City, think- 
ing that it had been the fo long look'd 
for Succours, but foon found our Miftake •, 
the fame day two Dutch Deferters and a 
Boy came into the Town. The Enemy 
having ftrengthen'd their Battery againft 
the Outworks of the Baftion of St. Ste- 
phensLnd St. John, they laid thei5ffeone 
fide of St. Stephens Baftioa level with the 
Ground, 
Famln? The Famine encreafed every day, a 
rncrcaiey. Fig-Tree or a Papey-Tree was now fold 
for 50 Pardaus : Herbage we had none, 
fome Roots there were, but miferably 
dry, by reafon of the Heat of the Seafon, 
which caufed a great Mortality. 
The I'jth an Aratchc and two Lafcaryns 
went over to the Enemy, and perceiving 
Vol IIL 
that they had raifed an Eminency, in or- ^"^"^-^^^ 
der to ereft a Redoubt and Battery near f^frfiJJ*} 
the Gate of Raiuha^ we deraoliflied the ^^'^^^ 
fame by planting a 28 Pounder againft 
ir. We had an Advice-Boat fent us from 
the Northern-Quarter, and about Mid- 
night the Enemy alarm'd us by a falfe 
Attack. The lOth, five Soldiers being 4 De/er- 
taken that were going over to the Ene- 
my, four of them were hang'd immedi- * 
ately, the fifth who had difcover'd the 
reft, efcaping with his Life. 
Thenyi we made a Countermine, a- 
bout ten Foot from the Enemies, which 
was carried to the Palm-Trees planted on 
the Fortifications ; whilft Simon Lopes de 
Bajlo Mafter of our Ordnance, Manoel 
Fernandes da Miranda, Manoel de S. Jago 
Garcia, Father Damian P^ieira^ and feve- 
ral other Portuguefe Officers, were era- 
ployed in encouraging the Workmen ^ 
one of our Cannon-balls fell among fome 
Granadoes and other Fire-works, which 
caufed a great Alarm in the whole City, 
and the brave John Pereira Corte Real, a 
Native of Negapatnam, who had fignali- 
zed himfelf upon a thoufand Occafions in 
the Service of our Artillery, here lolt 
his Life, being generally regretted by all 
who new his MeriL The iid and 23*/, 
the Enemy continued to perfeQ: their 
Works near the Gate of Rajuha, againft 
which we play'd with a Demi-Cannon 
from behind the Wall of St. Stephen's 
Baftion, 
The Z4.th twoMefiengers from the K. J'^^ 
of Candy brought a Letter to the Cover- SLet- 
nor, and another to the Inhabitants of ters from 
Columbo, in anfwer to a Letter fent to that RajaSinga 
King, at the beginning of the Siege. *® 
They appear'd in Mourning-Apparel, to 
intimate (according to the Guftom of 
that Court) how much concern'd his Ma- 
jefty was at the many Injuries and Affronts 
put upon him during the late War. They 
contain'd in Subftance, that the King 
fummon'd them to a Surrender, promi- 
fing all the Inhabitants the free pofTeffion 
of all their Eflates, Villages, ire. for 
their Suftenance, as the only means to de- 
liver them from the Miferies and Oppref- 
fions they now groan'd undet, alledging 
that the fame were the efFeds of God's 
juft Vengeance for their Ingratitude, 
fhewnuponfo many Occafions to his Im- 
perial Majefty, in return of the many- 
Benefits they had receiv'd at his Hands, 
and not admitting his Ambafiadors fent ' 
to them with Propofals of an Alliance, 
Thefe Letters were likewife fubfcribed by 
the Dutch General Hulfi, which being 
read publickly, the Meflengers were dif- 
G g g g g rallied 
