120 
Columbo, the Capital of Cexjlon^ 
CHAPTER V, 
Description of Columbo — The Fort — Pett ah— -Harbour — Inhabit 
tants — Trade — Expence of living. 
Columbo, the capital of Ceylon, and the seat of government, 
is a place of very considerable extent. Although Trincomalee, 
on account of its situation and harbour, be of more consequence 
to this nation to retain, yet Columbo in every other respect 
is greatly superior. The number of its inhabitants is much 
greater ; its fort and black town are much larger ; the country 
where it is situated far more fertile, and the rich district de- 
pending upon it much wider, being not less than twenty leagues 
in length, and ten in breadth. It is situated in the west, or 
rather towards the south-west part of the island, in about 7** 
north latitude, and 7S° east longitude from London. Columbo 
is usually supposed to have been first fortified by the Portu- 
guese, and this account is strengthened by the opinion of the 
Dutch as well as their own writers. I have, however, reason 
to question the truth of this statement; for it appears that 
Laurence De Almeyda, after his first treaty with the King of 
the island, found the Moors and Malabars had a fortress here, 
on which were some guns planted, wdiich had been got out of 
ships wrecked on this coast. The part of the fort wdiere these 
ancient works stood is now strongly fortified, and shewn as the 
first works of the Portuguese. It is in a manner detached 
from the main body of the fort, being separated from it by 
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