Immediately After This The Relief Arrived
Under Atouguia From Cochin, And Nearly At The Same Time Arrived From St
Thomases And Other Places Several Ships Brought By Private Individuals
Of Their Own Accord; And In September Six Ships And A Galley Arrived
With Reinforcements From Goa Under Bernardin De Carvallo.
On the arrival
of such numerous reinforcements, Raju, giving up all hopes of carrying
the place by assault, endeavoured to undermine the walls; but this
attempt was effectually counteracted by Thomas de Sousa, who found out a
way of destroying the miners while engaged in the work.
[Footnote 407: It will be afterwards seen in the particular history and
travels in Ceylon, that this person was the native sovereign of the
central region or kingdom of Ceylon, called Candy or Candea from the
name of the capital, who had acquired the same in the text in
baptism. - E.]
Foiled in all his attempts to gain possession of Columbo, Raju now
endeavoured to attain his end by treachery, and prevailed on some of his
wizards to pretend discontent, and desert to the town, that they might
poison the water in the garrison and bewitch the defenders. Being
suspected, these men were put to the torture; on which they confessed
their intentions, and were put to death. "While one of the wizards was
on the rack, he uttered certain mysterious words which deprived the
executioners of their senses, and left them struggling under convulsions
for twenty-four hours." Treachery failing, Raju had again recourse to
open force, and ordered his fleet to attack that of the Portuguese
commanded by Thomas de Sousa; but two of the Ceylon ships were sunk and
two taken, in which most of the men were slain, and those who survived
were hanged at the yard-arms. In this naval battle 300 of the enemy were
slain, with the loss of two men only on the side of the Portuguese.
Raju was so enraged at the bad success of the naval attack, that he
ordered two of his principal sea-officers to be beheaded. Soon after
this a ship arrived with ammunition sent by the viceroy, and the enemy
made another assault by night on the works, in which, as in all the
others, they were beat off with great slaughter. After this, Juan de
Gamboa arrived in a galley with a reinforcement of 150 men; and De Brito
finding himself now confident in the strength of his garrison, sent out
Pedro Alfonzo with a squadron to destroy the towns on the coast
belonging to the enemy. In this expedition, the towns of Belicot,
Berberii, and Beligao were plundered and burnt, and the Portuguese in
their haste to get possession of the pendents and bracelets of the women
barbarously cut off their hands and ears. After making prodigious havock
in many other places, Alfonzo returned to Columbo with mach spoil and
many prisoners.
At this time sickness attacked the garrison of Columbo, and threatened
to do more for Raju than all his force had been able to effect. The
disease, which began in the neighbouring towns and spread to Columbo,
baffled every attempt of the physicians for its cure. On opening some
who died of it, the entrails were found impostumated, which was supposed
owing to uncommon heat and drought, which had prevailed that year beyond
any other in remembrance of the people. By the application of cold and
dry remedies the disease decreased. By the beginning of January[408]
Raju made two other attempts to gain Columbo by assault, in the last of
which the bastions of St Sebastian, St Gonzalo, and St Jago were in
great danger, but the enemy were repulsed in both with great slaughter.
In the meanwhile the fleet was again sent out under the command of
Thomas de Sousa, who ravaged the coast of Ceylon, and destroyed the
villages of Coscore, Madania, Guinderem, Gale, Beligao, Mature, and
Tanavar. To this last place the idolaters had imagined the Portuguese
arms could never penetrate, as protected by the supposed sanctity of a
pagoda in its neighbourhood. This pagoda was situated on a hill near the
town, and appeared from sea like a city. It was above a league in
circumference, ornamented with numerous domes, all of which were covered
with copper splendidly gilt. In this pagoda there were above 1000 idols
in the several chapels or large cloisters; the temple being surrounded
with streets full of shops for the supply of the pilgrims and votaries
who resorted thither from all quarters. Taking possession of this
temple, Sousa cast down and destroyed all the idols, demolished all the
curious workmanship of the pagoda, and carried away every thing that
could be removed, after which he killed some cows in its most sacred
recesses, which is the greatest possible profanation in the opinion of
the idolaters.
[Footnote 408: Probably of the year 1588; as the death of the viceroy,
who died in that year, is soon afterwards mentioned by De Faria. - E.]
Among the prisoners taken at Cascore was a young woman who happened to
be a bride. When the ships were about to weigh anchor, a young man came
hastily to the place where the young woman was, and embraced her with
much affection. By means of an interpreter, it was learned that this man
was her destined husband, who had been absent when the town was
attacked, and came now to offer himself for a slave rather than live
free in separation from the woman of his affections. When this was told
to Sousa, he determined not to part such true lovers, and ordered them
to be both set at liberty; but they were so much affected by this act of
generosity, that they requested to remain in his service. They lived
afterwards in Columbo, where the man faithfully served the Portuguese on
many occasions.
Scarcely had Sousa returned to Columbo from this last expedition, when
Raju decamped, and began to march away, but the Portuguese fell upon the
rear of his army, and cut off many of his men.
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