THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
101 
variety of other implements of torture, which had been used 
for inflicting punishment on criminals, particularly slaves; but 
these modes of punishment, so shocking to human nature, and 
so abhorrent to the feelings of a Briton, were immediately 
abolished by our government. 
On the other side of the grand parade stand the cinnamon 
store-houses, or go-doums, as they are called here. At the 
bottom of the parade stands a small building, used as the 
fort major’s office, which is only worthy of notice from a cu- 
rious circumstance, that gives a very poor idea of the state 
of civilization among the Dutch at Ceylon. While General 
Stewart was on his march hither from Nigumbo, during a 
thunder storm, a very usual occurrence in this part of the 
world, a weather-cock on the top of this building happened 
to be struck by lightning; a circumstance which made a very 
deep impression on the minds of the Dutch, and was consi- 
dered as an omen of their future ill-success. 
At the upper end of the parade, the Dutch government 
had begun to erect a church, but it has never been finished. 
The Dutch usually attended divine service at a very handsome 
and spacious church in the black town, about a mite distant 
from the fort ; and worship is still performed there for the 
English, either before or after that of the Dutch inhabitants. 
The march to this church was attended with considerable in- 
convenience to our troops, in this sultry climate; on which 
account Governor North was about to roof in the church* 
within the fort, for their accommodation. 
