77^ 
A Defcripion 0/ C E Y L O N 
Qy)^ i tjion i^opes dc Bafio ^ being not in a condi- 
Saldam ^-^^^ refiife him, he order'd immedi- 
ately the faid Simon LopcSy with a certain 
Aratcheoi Negumho^ and fome DMtc/;De- 
lerters, to be deliver'd to him, who were 
all hang'd on a Gibbet foon after in light 
of the Portuguefes^ who were forc'd to 
be Eye-witnefles of the miferable Exit 
of this Simon Lopes^ who for the fignal 
Services he had done them in the Siege, 
deferv'd to havea Monument of Brafs e- 
redled to his Memory. To the Shame of 
thofe be it fpoken, who ought to have en- 
deavour'd to afford him a much better 
Recompence for his paft Services, and 
rather expofed him in a Boat to the chance 
of the Seas, than to a certain fhameful 
Death. 
The Hollanders were fufficiently fenfi- 
ble of the Bravery of the Portuguefes du- 
ring this Siege, which lafted 7 Months 
(without receiving the leaft Succours or 
Supplies) by the Lofs they fuftain'd of 
their braveft Soldiers and bell Officers, 
which amounted to 3000 Men, beHdes 
the wounded and maimed^ belides that 
the Charges of the Siege amounted to 
more than would have built fuch another 
Columbo. 
The General and Mr, John van der 
Laan were no fooner fettled in their Ha- 
bitations, but they gave Liberty to the 
Soldiers to plunder the Place (contrary 
to their Parole) for one day, which was 
extended to five by Mr. van der Laan^ 
viz. from the time of their coming into 
the City, till the time we march'd out, 
which was perform'd by the Hereticks 
^-ewi^ifp.'! with the utmoft Rigour ; nay whilfl our 
wiZ/'/'Vrft Soldiers were embarking, and the Inha- 
^fjfihalln bitants within three days after, they con- 
^'^ "'^ tinned their Robberies even upon the Sea- 
(hoar. Almoft all our People went aboard 
along with them, except a few who 
ftaid behind with the Governor and De- 
puty-Governor ^ and fome, that (by great 
Fromifes) were engag'd in the King of 
C^;?(i>''s Service, which perhaps hashap- 
pen'd by a fingular Providence of God, 
as a means to influence that King's Coun- 
fels, in order to expel the Dutch one time 
or other out of the Ifle of Ceylon. 
Our People were tranfported to Nega- 
patan^ where they were molt kindly re- 
ceived and provided with Medicines, 
Clothing and other Neceffaries by the 
Inhabitants, till they received their Pay, 
after the Arrival of Antonio Amiral de 
yJ/(?Me^,ei Governor of Jafnapatnam, who 
at the fame time intreated Anthonio Men- 
dcs d' Aranha (who after having been de- 
tain'd a Prifoner at Gale, was now come 
This h a 
grofs falfc 
hood, a 
Soldier 
to Ncgapatan J to go along with him to 
Jafnapatnamy in the Quality of his E3e- 
puty-Governor, as not qiieftioning but 
that he fliould be the next againft whom 
the Enemy would exert their utmofl Ef- 
forts, which he accepted of i thoconlide- 
ring the T'atigues and Miferies he had en- 
dured of late, he might very well havs 
excaied the fame, as well asthereil of 
the Soldiers ^ who notvvichllanding this, 
half lick and half flarv'd as they were, 
did embark for one of the mo!l dange- 
rous Places in Ceylon^ to give freQi Proofs 
of their Bravery. 
This was the end of this Siege, one of 
themoft remarkable in all its Circuni- 
flances that ever was heard of, conlider- 
ing that a Place of that bignefs was de- 
fended by fo flender a Number for the 
fpace of feven Months (without the leaft 
Supplies) againfl a powerful Force of the 
Dutch and Cingakfcs, who firll defeated 
the Portuguefe Forces (compofed of the 
Flower of their Men) in two fmart En- 
gagements ^ fo that the whole Number 
of the Portuguefes was at laft: reduc'd to 
200 Souls, The Account of this Siege 
being fpread among the Eaflrern Moors 
and Pagans by feverai Perfons, who had 
been Eye-WitnelTes of the great Aftions 
perform'd there, did beget an incredible 
Reputation of the Bravery of the Fortu- 
guefes among thofe Nations, tho the fame 
proved unfortunate in the end. 
Thus his Majcfly of Portugal lofc a 
Place, and with ic a whole Kingdom, 
three times bigger than Portugal it felf, 
and much richer and more plentiful, the 
very Center of the World, the richeft 
Traftof Land under the Sun, and with 
it (probably) all that is in the poflefFion 
of the Portuguefes^ to the South of Cape 
Comoryn. His Majefty loft a confiderabie 
Squadron of Ships fent to the Relief of 
Columbo. The firlt Squadron intended for 
this Expedition, did come no higher than 
the Cape Comoryn, the pretended Suc- 
cours from Manaar came to nothing : 
And the fecond Squadron promifcd by 
the Viceroy of Goa in January, did not 
fet fail till the ipt/j of March, and was 
forced to retreat without effeding any 
thing. 
The want of Money was alledged as ^'w/c fn 
the main Reafonot this delay, when it ' ' 
is fufficiently known that the King had 
both Ships and Mony enough at G^O(?,vvhich 
could not have been better employed than 
for the Relief of a Place of fuch valt Im- 
portance : We know what valt SumsNun-j 
Alvares Botalho confumed at Jfofambiquc^ 
which was neverthelefs not difapproved 
by 
tfiiccs for 
the not r!' 
I icving 0/ 
C jl'.imbo.' 
