65 
of Tnncomahc^ 
and driven back into the fort. After a siege of three weeks, 
a breach was at last effected, and the English were preparing 
to storm, when the Dutch governor thought it more prudent 
to trust his safety to the terms of a capitulation than the 
arms of his troops, although they rvere greatly superior in 
number to the force acting against them. 
The town of Trincomalee lies in latitude 8“ 30'. It runs in 
a north-east direction along one branch of the bay. The 
country around it is mountainous and woody ; lie soil uncuk 
tivated and rather barren, and the whole appearance wild. 
The woods, which are very thick, contain abundance of wild 
beasts of various descriptions ; particularly wild hogs, buffaloes, 
and elephants. The latter often come down to the lakes in 
the neighbourhood of the fort to drink and batlie : they have 
been frequently shot within a mile of the town. ' 
Trincomalee from its situation and construction is naturally 
strong. It occupies more ground than Colombo, but contains 
a much smaller number of houses, and those inferior in size 
and appearance to what are to be met with in several towns 
on the south-west coast. The circumference of Trincomalee, 
within the walls, is about three miles : within this space is also 
included a hill or rising point, immediately over the sea, and 
covered with a great quantity of thick jungle in which wild 
deer and other game find shelter. This rising ground is very 
little inhabited, most of the houses being close to the iandino 
pjace, which lies in the lowest part. Even the lower parts of 
the fort were much incumbered with wood till within these 
few years. 
The fort is strong, and commands the principal bays, and in 
particular the entrance into the grand harbour, or inner bay, 
K 
