7 
88 
A Defcripion of C E Y L O 
Angrccot- 
the Dutch. 
Raja w.z^^ej 
<« Diverjl- 
on iti fa- 
vour of 
the Dutch. 
The Por- 
tuguefes 
^re reiii' 
fivced. 
raarch'd on a fudden with 800 European 
Soldiers and as many Negroes towards 
our Fore of Jngretotte^ which they ob- 
lig'd to a Surrender theSffoof Jan. 1653. 
after a Siege of 1 1 Days, in which they 
loft a coniiderable Number of Men 98 
Germans^ 24 Javamfes, and a greater 
Number of Lafcaryns were made Prifo- 
ners of War, under condition that they 
Ihouid be difmifs'd for a reafonable Ran- 
fora. The fame Afternoon a Body of 
300 Men were fent to their Relief, who 
happened to come too late j tho as the 
cafe flood, their Endeavours would have 
prov'd in vain, confidering the Enemy 
xvas twice as ftrong and advantageoufly 
polled 5 and v;e had not come off at fo 
cheap a rate, had not Ra]a Singa given 
the Enemy a ftrong Diverfion near Cone- 
gore^ whereabouts they attacked the Pafs 
near Columbo with fuch Vigour, that the 
Governor and Deputy-Governor were 
glad to fend for their Forces from Rey- 
gam and Pafdum-Corle to oppofe thelm- 
perialifts. Thefe were no fooner re- 
treated, but the Portuguefes attacked our 
Outguards near Negumbo, and poITefs'd 
themfelvesof the 4 and 7 Corks : But Ra- 
ja Singa rallying his Forces, marclfdfrom 
Ouva to Saffragam (the Capital City of 
the live Corks) the Portuguefe Diffave 
v/asgiad to retreat with his Forces to 
Gurbeville^ and thereby gave us Oppor- 
tunity to-join our Forces, and fecure the 
Countries of Gak and Mature. 
In the mean while, mz.. the loth of 
May^ the Portuguefes in Columbo receiv'd 
a Reinforcement of 12 Frigates, with a 
good number of Officers and Soldiers 
from Goa^ under the Command of Fran- 
ctfco de Melo de Cajlro ^ our Cruizers be- 
ing fcarce two days before (to our great 
Misfortune) forc'd to retreat from their 
Stations by ftrefs of Weather into the 
Harbour of Gak. Notwithftanding 
which, they made no confiderable At- 
tempt againft us, being contented to fe- 
cure only their Workmen employed in 
peeling of the Cinnamon, and other In- 
habitants of the Country againft our Par- 
ties. 
Raja Singa finding that in 1553 in Sep- 
tember, the Portuguefes had receiv'd a 
freih Supply from Tutecoryn^ whereas our 
four Ships did not bring one lingle Sol- 
dier to relieve the reft \ that our Gover- 
nor f'.icob van lOttenfiein had obtain'd 
leave to depart ; and that when Cora- 
raiflary Rijk'.of van Goens touch'd with 
his four Ships towards the latter end of 
October in Ceylon, in his way to Perfia and 
Surane^ without bringing us the leaft 
Succours, he retreated with his half ftar- 
ved tatter'd Troops from CaravaneUa^ 
thro the 7 and 4 Corks to Candy, to re- 
frelh themfelves. 
The Portuguefes finding themfelves fe- 
cure on that lide, did appear with all 
the Forces they could bring into the Field 
before Columbo^ in hopes of drawing our 
Forces out of the Fort j but finding them- 
felves fruftrated in their hopes, they re- 
treated in the beginning of 1654, to- 
wards Reygamn'O.^ Pafdum-Cork, whence 
they fent frequent Parties to take away 
our Cattel, and to fpoil the Fruits of the 
Earth. But Major John van der Laan was 
always at hand with a good Body to ob- 
ferve them. 
The loth of March our Governor ^- 
drian van der Meyden, marched from 
G ale to C aleture and being join'd there 
the 2315? by all his Forces, he foilowMthe 
Portuguefes thro Berberin, Dodangodde, 
and Tiboen, where he attack'd them the 
'2.6th in the Morning, in their advantage- 
ous Poft : the Engagement was very 
fierce for a whole Hour, when our Forces 
feign'd a Retreat, in hopes to draw the E- 
nemy from his Poft, but they were too 
wife to follow us \ they had more Meu 
flain on their fide than we. After our 
Forces had refrefh'd themfelves a little 
while at Ttboen, we march'd to Cakture^ 
and the Enemy retreated out of our Do- 
minions crofs the River to Columbo. 
Soon after 5 Galeons with 1 000 PortU" 
guefe Landmen aboard them, arriving up- 
on our Coaft, engagM three of our Yachts 
caird the Greyhound, the Rhinoceros, and 
Dromedary, and purfu'd them to the Flats 
of Negumbo^ but took none of them, 
our Velfels retiring under the Cannon 
there, and the Portuguefes to Columbo^ 
having loft their Captain-Major, and ma- 
ny others in this Engagement. 
A Council being call'd to confult wha£ 
to do in this Emergency, it was refoiv'd 
to leave Cakture, and to employ our 
whole Force in the defence of Negumbo.^ 
without which we were not in a condition 
to maintain that Fortrefs, which was of 
the greateft confequence to us. Accord- 
ingly Negumbo being well provided with 
what Forces we were able to gather, the 
Enemy (whofe Forces were confiderably 
encreas'd by the late Reinforcements) 
march'd from Galkiffe to Cakture^ and 
thence to Alkaon^ where they pitch'd 
their Tents ; to oppofe which we brought 
into the Field about 200 Europeans, 8© 
Javanefes, and a good Number of Z-iJ/c^J- 
>7«x,wherewith we made a Ihift to defend 
our Country as well as we could. 
AnEng:igs^ 
mcnt be' 
tw'ixt the 
Portugue- 
fes .md 
Dutch. 
<, Portu- 
guefe Gal- 
lies engagt 
3 Dutch 
Vejfeh, 
