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An Account of the War in ] 803. 
Davie. The Candians told Major Davie that it was unnecessary to make rafts, as next 
day a number of doneys would be procured, in which they might all pass. 
Next day however, Sunday, no doneys came, and it was proposed to send some 
person across the. river to fasten a cord, by which they might pass : that he, the 
deponent, swam across the river, and fastened a cord to the other side, after which 
he returned, but while he was doing so a Candian cut the cord. 
Soon afterwards there cam.e an order from the Adigar to Major Davie, to make 
his men lay down their arms, and return to Candy, which, after some time, they 
did; that between Candy and Allungantotte, there is a village called Gevantotte, 
where two cannon were placed, and where the Malays were placed, and where the 
Malays were ordered to separate from the rest, and proceed to Candy, which they 
all did, except four native officers, who remained with Major Davie. 
Soon afterwards all the prisoners were taken, two by two, and delivered over to 
Candians, who took them to a little distance and cut their heads off ; that they 
were likewise going to kill the women, but this was put a stop to by order of the 
Adigar. Major Davie, and the captain of artillery, with the four Malay officers 
who had not followed their countrymen, were carried off, as he supposes, to the 
Adigar. The Seapoys and Bengal Lascars were not put to death. A Malay ser- 
vant of Captain Nouradin, whom he saw, told him that the two English officers 
and the four Malays were with the Adigar. 
Upon Monday he saw the two English officers, and was told they were to be car- 
ried to Hargaroonketti, where the King was. In the evening of that day the 
Adigar collected all the effects which the English had left, and ordered the cannon 
to be fired without ball, as a mark of rejoicing. 
That having heard afterwards that the coolies, lascoryns. See. might return, he 
set out on Friday night, and came to Colombo yesterday evening, the 5th of July. 
Taken down by me from the interpretation of Mr. Jonville and the Maha- 
moodelier. 
(Signed) Robert Arbuthnot, 
Colimbo, 6 th July 1803. Chief Secretary to Government. 
Ceybn Gazette, July 13, 1803. 
The public mind has been in great anxiety ever since it was known that the Can- 
dians had, on the 23d June, without any notice, broke the truce which had 
hitherto been religiously observed on both sides, and surprised the outpost of Ger- 
riagame and Galle Gederah. We have since received the dreadful account of the 
massacre of the British troops which formed the garrison of Candy upon the 26th 
ult., after thev had evacuated that fort under a solemn, capitulation that they should pro- 
ceed with arms and ammunition, and without molestation to Trincomalee; and also that 
the sick should be taken care of, and carried down to Columbo after their recovery. 
The details of this horrible event have been related by several natives, eye witnesses 
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