no Columbo', the Capital o f Ceylon.>
CHAPTER V.
Description o f Columbo-^-The Foft— Pettah-^Harbwr— Inhabi-
tants— IircMc— Dafence o f living.
C o LUMBO, the capital ©£-Cpyldif, and the seat©fr government,;
is a pia*te of very considerable eiten t, Although Trincomalee,
on accoxfnfc of its situation and harbour, -be: of more consequence,
to this nation to retain, y e t Columbo in every, other respect
is- greatly superior*: The. nuniberr.of; its inhabitants (is11 jnuch.
g reatet;^® fia ian d b la ck "tow n are much,larger; th e ^ o u # ry
where it is situated far more fertile, and the.rich distoicf&cle.-;
j^ildmg- upon it much wider, being not less than twenty leagues,,
in length, and ten in breadth. I t is situated in the west, $ r .
rather towards the south-west part of the island, in about 7
north latitude, and 78° east longitude from London. Columbo
is usually supposed to have been first fortified by the Porju-
guese, 'an d this account is strengthened byythe opinion of .the
Dutch as well as their own writers- I have, however,' reason
to question the truth of this statement ; for it appears that
Laurence De Almeyda, after his first treaty with the King ..of
‘ the island, found the Moors and Malabars had.a, fortress „here,
on which were some guns planted, which had been got out of
ships wrecked on this coast.' The part of the fort where these
ancient works stood is now strongly fortified, and shewn as the
first works of the Portuguese. I t - is in a manner detached
from the main body of the fort, being' separated from it by
' 4
W oton<ahd\F(^t:i^i^^u>^0 >
an entrenchment' and wall gwilhfe a .fosse ,or ditch ispOyr almost,
clioaked. up. Thi^fortificatiop; bears top, appearance^ ofr a, much
moEe fintieht co®ffltr»ciipn3; ;althf|lh ^ . ''t l ^ ! ^ je. s^, has
beenaltered, ai*i'^trel^thcncd‘iwithyjg^cri),b^tip|^and;|^after|es.. .
y h e ^ o rt is placed dir. a peninsula' proj Ccting j ,iqtq t^e }sea.(
Erem this situation itidetives many adypnlgges, as ith s .exposed
Qfijalfe|l|tes td y fte ate j^ ’brepfS|>Vfe ¥ b lch],<!me^,ngf tfrqjair. re n ^
dered temperate and healtey,.dfjpugh; sq heryfjipearj t^bei,equator-f
Theifdrtfji^ upwards iipf .a- mile ■ii^..cjdfGU^eren?pjJuand/ii j iq a
greatamcasure, indebted |p na fu re -fp r its. stren g th ; though it^ is;
alsOatolej^l^y^Sh fortified fbyraftAt ^ y ^ .Du^Ghj^efc jerMycare--;
less-.iuofriiproving;, ifi? natural adyantfages;; and Hggleeflfd jpany.
obvious opportuiiifcies, both, without apd; within of, rendering it>
neatly impregnable»;:pThere isy-no hill o r (Eisingl)g5pp%lf] i® the
neighbo'erhopd1 Sufficiently elevated; rte command it; and but
few iplaces near f t ' jw^ergbboafe can laud. with safety, j On the
south side the surf tpn%s@* high,; and tlie shdre ^ Y ^ I ^ l f e f f r
that:fit| would ibe dangerous*; tp!approaeh?iit. On , thej side
of) tlip: bay inhere the .sea isv^mopther, and near the ,w]harf or
landing r place, qwhich at ,;all seasons ;sof the year is . safe for
boats, tlie only. attempt could bp ;niade; ...but these quarters
are ;SO utell; defended'fry.the,batteries which, command the; harbour,,
that! there is hardly any probability pLiis sncceeding.
. ;;,Qn the west-reide- of. f thg' fort *, and facing the sea, ^re.two very
fine batteries,, -era barbet, intended fpr 'the security^ ofr. th e . harbour.
[;They .stand on a part that projects a consideraldqr yfay
from thq main body of they/fort,;! frppi .which they arp ■ separated
by; a 'high /wall. and. ditch flanked (With^b^tions^ and have . gates
th at commniiieate, withothe^ptcsicrnpfotb^fqrk! I t fis th at
thp w^arf or: ilanding p;lacff;4^ fo r^ e d b Ib^copsistSs of..large piles
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