794 
A Dsfcriftion 0/ C E Y L O 
fsJ'^ ly in Rice, which produces a hundred- 
Maldaus^fQl^ Crop i but the worft is, the Ele- 
'^-^^"""''^^ phants do great Mifchief in thofe parts 
that are not very populous. 
It is very remarkable what John de 
Lucena obferves in the Life of Xaverius, 
Winter and wz.. That on the Cape Comoryn^ and all 
Summer ^jong that Ttaft of the Eafi'lndies^ whilft 
At once m Summer and dry Seafon on the 
yin! of Weft-lide of the Cape, the Winter and 
Ceylon, rainy Seafon appears on the oppofite 
iide : the fame is to be obfetv'd in the 
Ifle of Ceylon. For whilft the Winter 
continues about Jafna^atnam^ the Wannias 
and Manaar^ during the Months of Odfo- 
ber, November and December, it is Sum- 
mer in all the other parts : On the con- 
trary, in the Months of j4pril and May, 
whilft it is Summer about Jafnapatnam, 
which continues fix or feven Months, it 
is Winter and rainy Weather at Co- 
lumho. Gale, and the Countries there- 
abouts. In the Low- Lands remote from 
the mountainous part of Ceylon, there 
blow only two Winds ; but about Co- 
lumbo. Gale, and fome other places, you 
have duly a Day and Night- Wind,as upon 
the Coaft of Coromandel. From j4prjl till 
Odoher the Wind blows conftantly a 
brisk Gale from the South with a clear 
Air and bright Sun-fliine, as does the 
North-wind from November till April. 
In January, February and March it is ge- 
nerally very calm, with intolerable Heat 
but a Dew falls in the Night, which be- 
ing very unwholefora, the Inhabitants re- 
turn with Sun-fet into their Houfes : and 
were it not for thefe Dews and the 
ftrong Winds which cool the Air, the 
Heat would be unfupportable here. 
Our March As we march'd through the Country 
from Ma- of Wannias, we kept a fnoft exaft Difci- 
naar to p|ijje . and as we had no great plenty of 
Jafnapac- p^ovilions, we allowed only a fmall mea- 
ilire Rice every day to each Soldier, ra- 
ther than incommode the Inhabitants: 
• and finding our Forces to be extremely 
tir'd by long Marches, and confequently 
uncapable of engaging with the fame 
advantage with the Enemy in cafe they 
fiiould be attack'd, it was refolv'd inftead 
of marching up to the head of the River 
through the fandy ground, to pafs the 
River in Boats, tho it would require near 
an hour and a half for every Boat to pafs 
it. 
F^iffage 0- The worft was, that upon our arrival 
versheRi' on the Other fide of the River we ex- 
peded the Enemy ready to give us a warm 
Reception, becaufe we could not tranf- 
T)ort above 200 or at moft 300 Men at 
ver. 
once over the River, and that the Bank 
was very muddy y for I remember that 
fome years after two Elephants paffing o- 
verto thtJafnapatnamMc,one of them 
ftuck in the Mud, and was kill'd by the 
Inhabitants, nothing being more common 
than for the Elephants to come crofs the 
River to feed upon the Fruits of the 
Palm-trees, to come at which they tram- 
ple the Roots of the Trees fo long with 
their Feet till they loofen, and afterwards 
throw them down with their Bodies, and 
fo eat the Froit. 
However the lirft Troop of our Forces 
got over without any oppolition, and no 
iboner had put themfelves in order of 
Battel, but receiv'd Intelligence that the 
Enemy were retreated from thence the 
day before, in order to expedt us at the 
head Spring of the River. 
After we had tranfported all our Forces Wc fnaub 
over the River, the Inhabitants treated tn-»Ard> 
us very civilly, and fornifh'd us with plen- J^fi'T-i!:' 
ty of Provillons and Fruits. The firft 
place we came to was the chief Church 
of the Province of Temnarache, call'd 
Chavagatz.ari^ where after we had re- 
frefh'd our felves with a good Dinner, 
we march'd forward the fame day with 
two Field-pieces to Navacouli ( two hours 
from Jafnapatnam ) where we encamp'd 
that night. 
The next day ( after Morning-Prayer ) 
we march'd on to the River, where we 
expe!fted to meet with a vigorous Oppo- 
fition J but finding noRefiftance, we ad- 
vanced by degrees towards the Caftle 
near the Church of Sundecouli^ where in 
the Evening we had a fmart Skirmifh Asl^irmijh 
with the Portuguefes^ of whom we kill'd wnh the 
many upon the Ipot, and pofted our felves Porm- 
that night round about the before-men- g"^^^^'- 
tioned Church. 
The next following day we advanc'd 77;eCr7;/^f 
to the City, which being without any J;!fJJ^/X'„ 
Fortifications, we broke through the Wall 
and Houfes ; and purfuing the Enemy 
from Street to Street, under the favour 
of our Cannon, which opened us the 
way, we advanc'd towards the Caftle. 
The c)tb of Mixrcb we made our felves 
Mafters of the Jefuits Church and Col- 
lege at the Weft-End of the City, and 
the \2tb following of the Church and 
Monaftery of the Dominicans on the Eaft- 
fide : which made us give publick Thanks 
to God Almighty lor his Bleflings, the 
Text being the -;th Verfe of the ictb 
Pfalm- 
The Enemy being thus forced to quit 
their Houfes, had no other way !e}"t than 
to 
