Chap. X LII I. A Defcripion 0/ C E Y L O 
VanGoens 
beats the 
Gakons. 
Some Sup- 
ylks 
brought to 
the Dutch. 
The Dutch 
pafs the 
River A- 
licaon. 
BeM the 
Porcugue- 
Ics. 
About this time Commiffary -z/^jw Goens 
in his return from Pcrfia and Suratte to 
Ceylon^ had the good Fortune to beat the 
Galeons near the Cape du Ramos^ and 
thereby to releafe 20 of our People made 
Prifonersat Angretotte^ who were feta- 
Ihore at Pmtegale, This was the reafon 
that the Portugueses could not fpaire many 
Men for the uie of their Frigates, having 
fuftain'd a confiderable Lofs of them in 
the late Engagement with Mr. vanGoens^ 
nt2iV Achier a ^ neither were they fo aftive 
in the Field till the enfuing 'July^ when we 
having receiv'd fome Reinforcements, ap- 
pointed our Rendcvouz at BentottCj in 
light of the Enemy, having only a River 
betwixt us and them. We kill'd the Por- 
tuguefes about 30 Europeans in divers Skir- 
mifhes, and took from them divers Boats, 
which made them not fo eager afterwards 
to attack our Countries, in order to 
fpoilour Cinnamon and Areck Harvelt, 
and the taking of Elephants, wherein 
confifls the chief Revenue of this Ifle, 
belonging to our Company. 
The i^th of Septemb. the Yachts the 
Turtle-Dove, the Red- Lyon and the Had- 
dock, arriv'd with frefh Supplies and 50 
Soldiers. The 4th of Dccemb. the Yacht 
the Kanien brought us a Supply of 54 
Soldiers more i befides which, 159 Sea- 
men were taken out of four Ships (come 
with the Diref^or Henry van Gent into 
Cale^ to provide themfelves with frefh 
Water) all which being join'd with our 
Forces encamp'd at Bentotte, we embark- 
ed the 1 6th of Decemb. all our Forces, 
690 ftrong (including Officers) corapo- 
fed of Seamen, Land -Soldiers, Javane- 
fes and Cingalefes, in 20 Catapaneels or 
Land-Boats, and thus pafled the River 
Aljcaon. 
But fcarce had we reach'd the oppofite 
Bank of the River, but we met with fo 
warm a Reception from 300 chofen Por- 
tuguefes, and {ornQTopaffes and Cingalefes, 
that moft of our Indian Forces betook 
themfelves to their Heels ; but being ral- 
lied again upon the Bank of the River, 
return'd to the Charge •, and being brave- 
ly feconded by the reft, forced the Enemy 
to retreat, leaving one of their Cannon 
of 1000 Pounds Weight behind them, 
5oflain, and many more wounded. They 
behaved themfelves bravely, but were 
forc'd after this Defeat to retire by the 
way of Malvane to Columbo. 
The Portuguefes finding us not ready to 
attack Caleture (after they had given the 
ufual Pay to the Soldiers) they broke up 
in the beginning of 1 655, and furpriz'd 
Faja^% Forces, under the Command of the 
and being re- 
Baldaiis. 
?\i]i's. 
routed. 
routed dp 
' Sect, 
no 
Dijfave of the four Carles ^ 
intorced by feme other Forces from Jaf- 
napatnam and Manaar,^ beltdes a good 
Number of Lafcaryns, they purfiied the 
Dijfave of the feven Corks, as far as to 
theStraitsof Candy, piundring all the 
Country thro which they palled : which 
fo exafperated the King, that he order'd 
all his Forces to appear in the Field ; but 
his Van being routed in April n'^ar Att apt- 
tin by Cafpar Figeiro, the King quitted the 
Field full of Diffatisfaftion. 
It happen'd to our good Fortune, that 
the new Governor and Portuguefe Admi- 
ral, Anthonto de Souz^a Coutmho (under 
whofe Government Columho was loft) 
coming with 8 Frigates and 500 Land- 
men into thefe Parts, was the x^tb of 
May forc'd towards the Coaft of Gale : 
We fent out two Yachts, viz.. the Lyon TheVamv 
and Kanieny who coming up with them, guefes 
took two with all the Men and Provifions 
and forc'd two more afhore ; fo that 
more than two or three of them got 
fafe to Columbo, and Coutinho himfelf was 
forc'd to take his Courfe round the Point 
das Pedras to Jafnapatnam and Manaar, 
from whence he came with a good Troop 
by the way of Putdaon^ Calpentyn, and 
the feven Corks ; in Augujl to Columbo^ 
where he was no fooner eftablifh'd in his 
Dignity, but he vilited with Anthonto 
Mendes d^ Arangie the Fort of Caleture^ 
where he left a Garifon of 300 Europeans, 
and a good Number of Negroes, but re- 
folv'd to keep Cafpar Figctro near his Per- 
fon. 
By that time the Diredor-General Ge- 
rard Huljl came in Company of Mr. John 
van der Laan (a Perfon well verfed in 
the Affairs of Ceylon') into thofe parts. 
About the middle of Septemb. three 
Yachts were difpatch'd from Cape Como- 
ryn, in order to obferve the Frigates fent 
from Columbo to Tutecoryn for Provifions, 
and either to take them or to block them 
up betwixt the Iflands. It was alfo re- 
folved to force the Portuguefes to quit Ca- 
leture, whilft the Enemy were yet under 
apprehenfion of the Strength of the For- 
ces comealongwith the Direftor-Generaly 
and lately landed at Negumbo, from 
whence he intended to give the Enemy a 
Vifit on the other fide of the River at 
Aiontual. 
However the Portuguefe Squadnon, 
confifting of 20 Frigates and fonie Barks, 
loaden with all forts of Neceflaries at 
Jafnapatnam, and fome other Places on 
the Indian Coaft, made (hifc to pafs by 
with full Sails within fight of NegUmbo 
(where our Ships lay at anchor) and to 
our 
