iug one of the outworks, this:-blwe man received a mortal
wound and instantly “expired..0 H e was deeply regretted both-
by his sown countrymen, and Raja; even the Portuguese,
lamented afl enemy who had always proved as jgeneróus .and
haméne' -as* h e ? was! formidable.,.1 He had proved .himself; Tbit all
o^dsiohs sa able statesman' and an .excellent soldier, g a n d e r
Meyden who succeeded him in the command, continued th© ^iege
of Coluinbd with - gfëat wi^^ .and having received supplies
|rom Batavia and T-utocoTeen, . lie*-was' enabled rat-The same
time to réducé several forts along the -‘Coasti. The Portuguese,
'tówefii-, ^fSd^htSwith the .utmost bravery.; and disputed^every
.pass, and everyfortwitib theirantagonists. Their courage seem.“;
ed even to increase with their difficultiesand they still continued
to rCjefet all proposals to surrender Columbo with disdain. At
length, hobeyer, they were attacked by. enemics^;ngafetvswhomi
all valour was in vain. The -place w a s-b u h d il provisioned
for a seigey and as nó supplies eotdd Be thfèwE^hh Famine and
Disease began to subdue those brave spirits whichihad, despised
death in every Other shape After sustaining atsieg e.r^é^v eit
months, and after Waving innumerable hardships', ’the Porth-
M B at last surrendered Columbo to the -ButeM in. , May d656^
Tiiis %iêgê is said to have cost the cambdfontsnot fewer; than
three thousand livès. The garrison, according tè its capitulation,
was sent to Negapatam; and by the fall :of'this-placé,
air end was in fact pu t td the dominion a£ th c P ’ortuguese exact!^
a century aöd a half after the® fust arrival.
A few forts of little consequence still remained to Them in
the more northerhfy parts. In 16ÖS the Dutch under Yander.
Opens took Manaar, and the- Portuguese were-shut up in Jaf~
napatam the only fWt ; which now remained to them. Here,
however, they/.deluded themselves'with, the utmost obstinacy!
and repulsed "everyAktitaoknofritheir numerous assailants. But a
Portuguese' sheet which» attempted to kelifevfe them, being defeated?,'
«aud r-nqt hopeifof !any /sracCour remaining,1 the garrison
at -length surrendered, band The Portuguese' were’/-thus totally
driven- from Ithe island.: H
This- • histdByiiof the smanner in whidhuthe; Portuguese' obtained
•and 4©Tt - possession dfi. Ceylon,* -affords many useful » lessons • to
its •; futuflf)^ pr opr iet^si fut |B y cultivating! a gbod» understanding
■with jtUemativds, they,! might halve? easily. , retained ■ possession -of
the ;waluaMehl8wland countiy; ©pfiby! building y f chain'©#' forM
have secured »their plantations against casual- inSur s-ions.hi»Their
pbideb however, induced them to^attetopt earfyidg every? thifag
with a fhigh'ihaud, tand •theixr lefforts were Wasted» 'On theavi®^
practicable,:: attempt »oof subdiiurg the ■ Candians amidst ipSml
mountains| and dhstffltesles. Their j»ttem,tion fobing {'engrosser! by
tMsWfoqlish.'.ahd.inQffectaah enterprises, the$ neglected the-important
obfedt < of strengthening Their harbours and securing
themselves» against the^attacks of a foreign :GHemy. CtS^hen -ihe
Dutch arrived,r>#ideedp they'seemed to^regain-a portion pf? their
abdimit-v)sparifcjf-;'andf.fought with a valor® - that- '^ se a se d b to
B it th e terrors of their former policy ii-sh-
dered all: .their ocforW ^pMtlessc- £
, „(These persevering and!-prudent republicans wer-e alsw careful
to, assist their GQffimfn(M,s.fwi§J|; Continual re-infoECOlnents^.^hitei
the Portugbiifesr government, in .Eurdpe,'tf^bly trustingbtGfifTh^
rehawiasif fointer eMjJlOitsv left their evaluable colonies to theid
Own. unassisted efforts. The 'Consequences- were inevitable. The»
Portuguese of »Ceylonyhad- ^@»1 internal -rfesqurGes»' to ■ trust!'To.
Their cofomeree Was entifely cut -off by the j$£ehr'if the> p a t c h :