B ar tica lo .
M a tu r a ,
and three hundred wounded. In officers we fuffered feverfely.
The captains Lumley, Watt, and Wood fell in the aition. The
lofs of the French was enormous. Four hundred and twelve
men were killed, and fix hundred and feventy-fix were wounded.
The carnage on board the gallant Suffrein's ihip, the Hera,
was unheard in any fight o f any age, it was an unparalleled carnage.
Many o f the French captains had behaved ill, fix were
broke, and fent prifoners to the ifland of Mauritius; and thus
ended the unavailing daughters in the Indian feas.
T h e Ganges o f Ptolemy r u n s in to th is h a r b o u r .
Barticalo is the next port, lying in Lat. 7° 40'. This alfo has
a ftrong fortrefs. Here the Dutch firft landed in 1638, and took
it by capitulation from the Portuguese. The mountain, the
Monk's-hoodfome leagues inland, is a remarkable fea mark.
Barticalo may have been near the fite o f the town called by
Ptolemy, Bocona ; near it is a river which preferves the name,
being called by the natives Ko-bokan-oye, or the river of
Bohan *.
F r o m t h e m o u t h o f Kobahan r i v e r , t h e la n d t r e n d s to t h e
f o u t h -w e f t . N o t h in g r em a r k a b l e o c c u r s t i l l w e r e a c h Malawe;
b e tw e e n th a t p la c e a n d Tangala, is a la r g e p la in , t h i r t y m i le s in
c i r c u m f e r e n c e , n o t e d f o r t h e c h a c e o f e l e p h a n t s ; t h e i r a n t ie n t
p la c e o f em b a r k a t io n , t h e Geyrreweys o f Elypbants van plaets,
is a l i t t l e f a r t h e r to t h e w e f t .
A l it t l e more to the weft is Matura, where the Dutch have
a ftrong fortrefs; their policy is only to fortify the ports.
* D ’Anville, Antiquité de l’Xnde. p. 146.
Dondra-
Dondra-head is next, that point isthemoft fouthern of any D s n d r a -h e a d .
in the ifland. A little to the weft is lanawar, remarkable for T a n a w a r .
having been the Daiana of Ptolemy, facred to the moon ; the
place ftill has its temple, or Pagoda, highly venerated by the
natives. Near it is one of the Dutch pofts, o f which they have
a fucceffion every ten or twelve miles, guards to the internal
parts, and one may fay, to the imprifoned Emperor. The gar-
riions are provided with flags, by which fignals, either o f
internal commotions, or the appearance o f ihips, are conveyed
all along the coafts, even to Colombo, the feat o f the Dutch
government. Almoft every one of thefe pofts are near the
mouth o f fome river, or torrent, which ruih on all iides into
the fea, at fhort intervals from the lofty mountains.
Punta de Galle is a little to the north-weft of Dondra-head, in Porta dr
Lat. 6°, turning almoft due north. The town is ftrongly for- ALlE‘
tified, and is a place o f great trade. The fleets return from
hence to Europe, and generally fail by December 25th. In C olombo.
Lat. 7* we find Colombo, the Dutch feat o f government, and
chief of their cities, built in a beautiful and magnificent manner
; it was, as I have before mentioned, taken by them from
the Portuguefe. The death o f their gallant general, Gerard
Jful/l, caft a gloom over their fuccefs, and caufed their important
acquifition, for a while, to be loft in their forrow.
Nigombo is a fortrefs fome miles to the north o f Colombo, N igomeo.
and is the great guard to the cinnamon country. The whole
interval from Colombo is filled with beautiful villages, and
open