90 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
sentiments which engage them to extend their dominions, do 
not obliterate those by which alone they can be retained and 
defended. 
If their unmolested march seemed unaccountable, the cir- 
cumstances which followed still more surprised our British 
soldiers. The first obstacle which opposed itself to General 
Stewart, was the Mutwal river at the distance of about four 
miles from Columbo ; and here the 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 effectual. The river was here half a 
mile broad, and ran in such a direction as nearly to cut off 
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 battery erected by the Dutch on the Columbo side, com- 
manded the passages, and General Stewart was 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 precipi- 
tately 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 itself on the other side of the river, it was resolved 
