A Befcripion 0/ G E Y L O N. 
rN*A.^^ were very tronblefome to our Subjeds, 
Saldaus. ^i^Q ^gj-g forc'd to leave their Habita- 
^-'''^^ tions for fear of being carried away, and 
that they had wounded fome and purfued 
Outrages them to the River fide. That the two 
cormntttcd ^iratchcs Cannangtre and Pittikeri^ lay en- 
4v laf- camp'd near Alican^ and had fummoned 
aryns. ^j^^ Country thereabouts to join with 
them within three days j that 10 of our 
Lafcarym^ and 42 Labourers fent from 
Calctitrs to Columbo, were carried away 
by a Party of Vagabonds. To prevent 
the like for the future, and efpecially to 
proteft our Workmen imploy'd in the 
peeling of the Cinnamon (call'd ChaltM) 
200 Soldiers were order'd to Bentot^ un- 20° 
der the Command of Martin Scholus.f^f^^^"^ 
Peter Chample and j^oris Hervendoncky who 
for their better Security were to be join'd 
by the Lafcarym under the Captain of 
Gale- Cork, 
CHAP. XLII. 
J I'eajl appointed. Ttvo CafFers come over to us. George Bloem efcafes from 
Candy. A Skirmijh betrvixt the Dutch and Cingaleles. Robbers pumjh*d, 
Nervs of the Portuguefe Squadron. The arrival of jome Dutch Ships^ their 
miftake. A flrange Notion among the Indians concerning Columbo'j being 
impregnable. Negumbo taken and retaken. 
I 
"T being now a Month fince the Sur- 
render of ColumbOy a Thankfgiving 
Day was appointed to give Thanks to 
God Almighty for this great Succefs, and 
to implore his Mercy to blefs our Arms 
for the future. The faid Day is kept ever 
lince on the iitb of May. 
Ra^a Sin- -^^j^ Singa did fend an Anfwer to the 
gaV An- General's Letter, but faid fcarce any 
jwer to no thing in relation to the matter in hand, 
pn>l'"fi' declaring only his fatisfaftion about the 
prefent, and defiring that the Perjian 
Faulkoner might ftay with him, which 
the General (to gratify the Emperor) 
did confent to, at leaft till fuch time that 
the Ships Ihould be ready to return to 
Gamron. However thefe Civilities did 
not anfwer the end for which they were 
intended •, Raja Singa ordering foon after 
his Lafcaryns to take all the Dutch they 
could light on Prifoners, and to cut off 
the Nofes and Ears of all the Negroes, 
dngalefesy Moors and Slaves that ferv'd 
the Hollanders •, but the 200 before-men- 
tion'd Soldiers (truck fuch a Terror into 
the King's Forces, that they retreated 
back, and gave liberty at leaft to 1000 
of the Inhabitants to return to their 
Honfcs. 
Raja Singa in the mean time continued 
now as before his Hoftilities, one of his 
Parties having lately carried away a 
Puria and two Labourers within half a 
League of Columbo^ which oblig'd us to 
be continually upon our Guard. The 
Dutch ftill refiding at Candy, being afraid 
i bey fiiould be detain'd there againll their 
will, writ to the General to haften the 
departure of the Perfian Faulkoner with 
the Hawks, in hopes that thereby the 
King might be brought into a good hu- 
mour to let them depart. 
About the fame time a certain Meffen- 
ger named Chitty Maley czmz to Columbo 
with fome Hawks and other Prefents for 
the Emperor ^ fix Hawks more with their 
Faulkoners were alfo brought from the 
Coaft of Coromandel for the fame pur- 
pofe. 
The 20th of July two Caffers came Tm di- 
over to us, one whereof having been ^^'^ ^<^^ 
the King's Trumpeter, the other a Drum- 
mer, they reported that his Majefty con- 
tinued ftill in his Camp at Reygamwatte, 
but intended fliortly to break up for Rua- 
nelle^ the DiJJave of Matule having been 
fent before already to take care of the 
High-ways through which they were to 
pafs. They further told us, that the 
Emperor having granted to divers Portu- 
guefes certain goodly Villages, this had 
created ill Blood among the Courtiers. 
Our Interpreter George Bloem was 
forced to continue there till he found 
means to make his efcape in the night- 
time from the Camp of Reygamwatte^ by Om Mer- 
means of a Tony or Boat, wherewith P'^'ifr e- 
he got to MoKtual, having deceiv'd his 
Guards by giving them a good dofe of cfthe Em- 
ftrong Liquors. Five other Dutch Men pem. 
who had deferted our Service continued 
with the King at Court. 
News was brought at the fame timej, 
that fome of the King's Forces having 
got Intelligence that Mr. Rabel a brave 
Cingalefe, a Native of Mature in our 
Service, 
