speak with you!" But the King having got atop of the hills, was safe: and so GASPAR retired to his quarters.
This gallant expert Commander, that had so often vanquished the Cingalese; could not cope with another European nation. For when the Hollanders came to besiege Colombo, 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 Cingalese; but against soldiers that would look him in the face. But he made nothing of them, and said that he would serve them as he had served the Cingalese. The Hollanders met him, and they fought; but they 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 Portuguese nearer upon their guns: which, when they had brought them in shot of, they opened on a sudden to the right and left, and fired upon them; and so routed them, and drove them into Colombo.
This GASPAR was in the city, when it was taken; and was himself taken prisoner: who was afterwards sent to Goa; where he died.
And so much of the Portuguese.
* * * * *
The Dutch succeeded the Portuguese. The first occasion of whose coming into this land was that the present King, being wearied and overmatched with the Portuguese, 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 adjoining.
The King of the country keeps up an irreconcilable war against them: the occasion of which is said to have been this.
Upon the besieging of Colombo, which was about the year 1655: it was concluded upon between the King and the Dutch, that their enemies the Portuguese being expelled thence; the city was to be delivered up by the Dutch into the King's hands. Whereupon the King himself in person, with all his power; went down to this war, to assist and and join with the Hollanders: without whose help, as it is generally reported, the Dutch could not have taken the city.
