100 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
\ts being the place to which they sent their sick slaves. It 
is a remarkably pleasant spot, full of cocoa-nut trees. A bat- 
talion of Malays is stationed here. There is also an excellent 
house built by the Dutch, which they employed as a mason’s 
lodge, with a very pretty garden attached to it. This island 
is very convenient, as it lies so contiguous to the fort, and 
opens the nearest way to the cinnamon gardens, which are 
close by it. 
The fort has three gates ; the principal one where the main- 
guard is stationed, is called the Delft gate, and leads into the 
pettah or black town. It has two draw-bridges to pass over 
the ditch, which here forms an angle. At each of the gates 
are guard houses with a subaltern’s guard placed over them. 
The plan of Columbo is regular. It is nearly divided into 
four equal quarters by two principal streets, which cross each 
other, and extend the whole length of the town. To these, 
smaller ones run parallel, with connecting lanes between them. 
At the foot of the ramparts on the inside is a broad street 
or way, which goes round the whole fort, and communicates 
with the bastions and soldiers’ barracks ; and also affords, at 
the different angles, open spaces for their private parading. 
The grand parade is by no means sufficient for the garri- 
son, as it can hardly contain one complete regiment. On one 
side of it are ranges of public offices for the civil and mili- 
tary departments, with the town or stadt-house in the centre 
of them, where the Dutch held their High Court of Justice. 
On our arrival here we found a rack and wheel, with a great 
