I 
114 Capture of Columho 
' Stewart was the Mutwal river, at the distance of about four 
miles from Colmnbo ; and here tiie enemy, -who made their 
appearance for .the first time, seemed determined to dispute 
the passage. Nature had done every thing in her power to 
render their resistance eftectuaL The river was here half a 
mile broad, and ran in such a direction as nearly to cut olf, 
and insulate for three or four miles, that tract of country which 
immediately presented itself to our army. A little neck of 
land on the south side afforded the only entrance to this tract, 
which from its strength was called the Grand Pass. A bat- 
tery erected by the Dutch on the Columbo side commanded 
the passages, and general Stewart rvas of course obliged to 
halt. The army lay here for two days preparing themselves 
for a difficult enterprise, when they were astonished to learn 
that the Dutch had thrown the guns of the battery into the 
river, evacuated the post, and retreated precipitately into the 
garrison of Columbo. The British at first doubted the truth 
of the intelligence, and then supposed it was a stratagem of 
the enemy to draw them across, and afterwards attack them 
with advantage. As no opposition, however, now presented it- 
self on the other side of the river, it was resolved to carry 
over the army, which was speedily effected on rafts of bamboe, 
and a few boats from our ships lying at anchor off the mouth 
of the river. Our troops then encamped in a large grove of 
cocoa-nut trees, with a Malay Village in front. The position 
was very advantageous, as the river, from its winding course, 
protected our right Hank and rear, while the left was skirted 
by a very thick wood or jungle, which extended nearly to the 
Black town of Columbo. Our ships, which lay at no great 
distance, were ready to furnish the army with every thing ne-* 
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