4^8 ^pfendrx\ 
cultivated to their summits, interspersed with villages, rivulets, and cattle; well trodden 
foot paths in all directions; fruit tul vallies, with groves of areka, jacca, cocoa-nut, limeSy 
oranges, plantain, pumplemose trees ; with fine villages, and fields of paddy and other 
grains; the paddy fields well watered by the streams rushing down from the moun- 
tains; altogether forming such striking scenery as is seldom beheld. We marched into 
Candy on the evening of the 20th, and found it wholly deserted ; the King having 
removed all the treasure from the palace, and the inhabitants, from their houses. 
The palace, when we entered it, was partially on fire. It is an immense pile of 
building, and perhaps inferior only to Seringapatam. The town is about two miles 
long ; it consists of one principal street, terminated by the palace at the upper end ;• 
there are also many lesser streets branching off at both sides, but of no great length. 
The houses are chiefly of mud, and raised above the level of the street about five feet. 
You ascend by steps. A few of the houses at the upper end of the street are 
tiled and whitewashed. The palace is built of a kind of cheenam or cement, per- 
fectly white, with stone gateways : it is a square of immense extent, one face of 
which is new and not yet finished. In the center is a small square inclosure, or 
cemetry, which contains the tombs of their ancient kings of Candy. The palace 
contains a great number of rooms, the walls of which are painted in the most 
grotesque manner, and covered with a multitude of inscriptions. Many of the walls 
are covered with immense pier glasses of about 7 feet by 4 . In one room is a gigan- 
tic figure of brass of Buddou, in a sitting posture, with two smaller ones at his 
feet. The river of Candy is a noble one, and swarming with fish, as the King 
would never allow them to be molested. We saw five beautiful milk white deer 
in the palace, which was noticed as a very extraordinary thing. We are now en- 
camped about two miles from the capital on this side the river, and Colonel Barbut 
has been detatched with the Malay regiment for the purpose of escorting, it is said, 
a successor to the throne. As the King had removed all his treasure before our 
arrival, we have not got any prize money.” 
While the army were employed at Candy, attacks were made on different parts 
of our settlements by detached bodies of the Candians. Our troops, however, without 
any regard to the disproportion of numbers, continually attacked them, and were as 
constantly successful. 
General Macdowal, during his stay at Candy, attempted to procure an interview 
with the King, in the hopes of settling all differences ; but, after a time and place of 
meeting being appointed, the King pretended sickness, as an excuse for not making 
\ his appearance. He calculated, indeed, not without just grounds, on the climate 
soon ridding him of an enemy whom he was unable to expel by force. The result 
sufficiently shews, what we might have previously been convinced of from the ex- 
perience of the Dutch., that an attempt to retain possession of the interior of Ceylon 
with European troops, must ever be attended with fatal consequences. 
After a residence of about a month at Columbo, General Macdowal and several 
of the other officers vrere compelled bv a, severe attack of the jungle fever to re. 
