29 
under the Portuguese. 
procured a truce with the Caiidians, and then plied the work 
with so much vigour, as to erect in a short time a strong tri- 
angular fort, which they mounted with several pieces of cannon 
from their own ships and from the wreck of a Danish vessel. 
The King of Candy, who had not at first suspected the pur- 
pose for which the truce was required, no sooner understood the 
progress made in this undertaking, than he sent a force to 
demolish the works; but they were defeated in their attempt.. 
The Portuguese, perceiving the security they might derive from 
a number of such forts, began to pursue the system of erecting 
them with increased ardour. The King of Candy, being un- 
able for the present effectually to oppose them, agreed to 
enter into a treaty with them provided they desisted from 
building more forts. The Portuguese agreed to the condition^ 
but were so far from observing it, that they employed them- 
selves with more assiduity than ever in fortifying all the prin- 
cipal inlets into the island, at the same time taking proper 
precautions to conceal their operations from the King. At 
length having discovered that there was an access to Candy by 
the river Paligamore, they sent an engineer to chuse a proper 
situation for the erection of a fort, which they soon after com- 
pleted in spite of the efforts of the King to prevent them. 
The Candian Monarch now began to perceive the frauds 
that had been practised on him. He learnt that the Portu- 
guese had erected seven strong forts by which he was in a 
manner cooped up in his kingdom, and almost totally excluded 
from any communication with foreign countries ; and they had 
now begun to push their forts into the very heart of his do- 
minions. ' He therefore resolved to make a yiolent effort to free 
himself from ‘these new fetters; and being joined by a large 
0 
