770 
A Defcripion of C E Y L O N. 
News. 
PV'^- mifs'd with much Refped, but were 
Baklam. f^arce got out of the City, when they 
s^^VN.^ were overtaken by a moft dreadful Storm 
of Rain, Thunder and Lightning. 
T\\t iph AlvaYO Rodrigo Boralbo kill'd 
a Soldier as he was going over to the 
Enemy. 
Tl.vy fend The 26th an Advice-Boat was dif- 
ati Advice- patciiM to get Intelligence whether there 
Ho.tt for vvere any hopes of Succours for Columho ^ 
but all the News we could learn, was that 
the Viceroy of Goa (the only Perfon we 
put our Confidence in next to God ) was 
lately dead which tho it was doleful 
News for us, yet was it refolv'd to hold 
out to the laft Extremity, which was 
perfornfd to the greateft nicety, the 
Dutch never being able to become Mafters 
of the Place, till moft of us were 
confumed either by the Sword or Fa- 
mine. Advice was alfo broiight us, that 
Bonfires had been made at Goa^ upon 
certain Advice brought by fome Negroes 
( under Protedion of the Butch ) taken 
at Putelaon in Ceylon^ that Columho was 
not in fo defpcrate a Condition as had 
been reprefented, which they had re- 
ported upon the Credit of a certain 
Dutch Mafter of a Veflel. 
The I'-jth of March one of our Ser- 
jeants was devour'd by a Crocodile in the 
Fens, his Clothes and Arms being found 
afterwards. At this time a Parra of 
Rice was fold at 25 Seraphy/is^ or Gilders ^ 
and all our Church-yards being fill'd with 
dead Corps, we were forc'd to have 
another confecrated for that purpofe. 
The 28t/; in the Morning the Enemy 
had thrown up another Redoubt near the 
Wall of the Gate of Rajuha. One of the 
Inhabitants, a Native of Cranganor^ went 
over to the Enemy from the Baftion of 
S. John, being forced thereunto by Hun- 
ger, which was grown fo exce/Tive, that 
bogs. Cats and Rats, and other fuch 
like things were fold at a very high 
rate. 
The 317^ two Soldiers and sl Lafcaryn 
went over to the Enemy. The next 
Morning we faw fome fmall Batteries 
raifed againft the Redoubt of S. John's 
Baftion, where our People had made 
Ibme Entrenchments raifed like fteps of 
TO Paces high, cover'd with a Breaftwork 
like a cover'd way, call'd Aleapaon by 
the Pornigucfes. At the fame time we 
began to work on a Countermine, vtrith- 
in 20 Paces of the Enemy's Mine at 
S. John's Baftion. The fame day above 
50 of our fick died in the Hofpital, be- 
fides what were daily found dead in the 
Cats and 
Vogs jold 
at a great 
i'rice. 
H0U(£ 
•ad Streets, the Ammunition- 
Bread being by this time become a moft 
precious Commodity. 
The firft of J^nl one of the Enemy's 
Advice-Boats came into the Road. The 
fecond 7 Lafcarym deferted, and ever 
after 20 or 30 a day went over to the 
Enemy. The third two Dutch Yachts 
came into the Road, aboard one of which 
was a Chirurgeon. At the fame time a 
Parra of Rice was fold for 59 Seraphyns, 
or Gilders •, but the worft was, that there 
was not enough of it, and could not be 
purchas'd but with ready Mony. The 
Governor's Steward (tho without his 
knowledg ) * refufing to part with any * Semper 
without ready Gold, to the great Difre- j"veniun- 
putation of his Mafter, who tho a Gen- j"'^^"'^!^" 
tleraan of great Honour, yet was highly manaruni 
blam'd for committing a thing of fuch calamica- 
moment to the management of fo ava- ^^m.BafiL 
ritious a Perfon. 
The ^th of April the Enemy had raifed 
a new Redoubt and Battery provided with 
two pieces of Cannon, near the Gate of 
Rajuhaj wherewith they had fo batter'd 
our Palifado's, and other wooden Fences, 
that there was no lafe paffing betwixt 
the Fortifications and the Wall on the 
other fide of the Ditch. The Enemy 
receiv'd a Succour of two Ships, and the 
next day four more. The Enemy made 
their Approaches with fo much Circum- 
fpeftion, that they advanc'd to the Ditch 
(where it was dry) with the lofs of a few 
of their Men, who im providently ex- 
pofed themfelves to our Fire-Arras. 
The 6th we begun another Counter- 
mine, and the 'jth the Enemy threw a- 
bundance of Fafcines and Faggots into 
the dry Ditch, and fet fire to our Pali- 
fado's, which was foon quenched by 
the induftry of our Menj whilft the 
Dutch were employ'd on the other lide to 
cut a Breach with Pickaxes in the Wall, 
but were foon chafed from thence by our 
Firelocks, not without confiderable lofs. 
The Sth of A{'ril wc began another 
Countermine, which being fenced with 
a kind of Palifado Beams cover'd with 
Earth to refift the Enemies Fire-works, 
was carried on under the Condud of the 
Maftec of the Ordnance Antonio do Melo 
deCaftrOj the Serjeant-Major Antonio de 
Leaon^ Diego de Souza, and Manoel de 
S. Jago Garcia. The fame day at leaft 
70 fick Perfons (moft Europeans') died 
in the Hofpital ^ many of the Negroes 
lay dead in the Street for want of room 
to be buried in, which produced a moft 
naufeous fcent. The Hunger was cn» 
creafed by this time to fuch a degree, 
that they began to feed upon Mens Flefh •, 
feveral 
