An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

[Looses Columbo, and taken Prisoner.] This Gallant expert Commander, that had so often vanquished the Chingulays, could not cope with another Europaean Nation.  For when the Hollanders came to beseige Columbo, he was sent against them with his Army.  They told him before he went, that now he must look to himself, for he was not now to Fight against Chingulays, but against Soldiers, that would look him in the Face.  But he made nothing of them, and said, he would serve them as he had served the Chingulays.  The Hollanders met him, and they fought:  but had before contrived a Stratagem, which he was not aware of:  they had placed some Field-pieces in the Rear of their Army.  And after a small skirmish they retreated as if they had been worsted; which was only to draw the Portugueze nearer upon their Guns.  Which when they had brought them in shot of, they opened on a suddain to the right and left, and fired upon them, and so routed them, and drove them into Columbo.  This Gaspar was in the City when it was taken, and himself taken Prisoner.  Who was afterwards sent to Goa, where he died.  And so much of the Portugueze.

[The Dutch the occasion of their coming in.] The Dutch succeeded the Portugueze.  The first occasion of whose coming into this Land was, that the present King being wearied and overmatched with the Portugueze, sent for them into his aid long ago from Batavia.  And they did him good service, but they feathered their own nests by the means, and are now possessed of all the Sea-Coasts, and considerable Territories thereunto adjoyning.

[The King their implacable enemy, and why!] The King of the Countrey keeps up an irreconcileable War against them.  The occasion of which is said to be this.  Upon the beseiging of Columbo, which was about the year MDCLV. it was concluded upon between the King and the Dutch, that their Enemies the Portugueze being expelled thence, the City was to be delivered up by the Dutch into the Kings hands.  Whereupon the King himself in person with all his Power went down to this War to assist and joyn with the Hollanders, without whose help, as it is generally reported, the Dutch could not have taken the City.  But being surrendred to them, and they gotten into it, the King lay looking, when they would come according to their former Articles, and put him into possession of it.  Mean while they turned on a suddain & fell upon him, contrary to his expectation (whether the King had first broke word with them,) and took Bag and Baggage from him:  Which provoked him in so high a manner, that he maintains a constant hostility against them, detains their Ambassadours, and forbids his People upon pain of Death to hold Commerce with them.

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An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.