' ^iim/dnS Harhour qf Coiumbo.
with rffoany>>oe5p:]?e&sia®S nof esatisfactibmvahd' * triumph ’at" - the'
e s^ lfrtl * '-.1
AjTty% p ' -cefiktoe bbrlibfti p rira ^ a l ldsre#tis a tejy'ehandsome ra n #
lofty!-hpuse, which, belonged to - ih e Dutch governor,'' i M*Vad
AirriebecW •’Ateprfesent it is -the jesidencetof general JVIacdo’wal,
wliorcommasids our forces ©fa the ’island. There is atfo* »another
vei’ya^handsona® and'; spacious horfse -for the. commandant ’of the
garrispife with*!suitable .offices and gardens;
r/Thefjhospital, which »is designed fist 'SoMierAand.1 sailors, ^i^,
n frmijr dnd hoiLvenienb I t - is' very .properly edividichiintb' di&tmdfc
wards, ' so as do.--keep tjhe siekdof^diferent s disorders>t®m’plcstdy;
separate^ and'.thus prevent ihfectioffrrfiomu spreading. Cld^jtby
itiis/^ar h u d ^ ^ h rifith e fchief surgeohy «Kefe'. all .thfc*rhospital
ahhfiSi-are. prepared'and kepi. I t bsSyyfitl^ much pleasure I ad’dy
that this ',rjhospitai '(an institution sorind-ispeaSably 'netdssary ...»
thpse-hot-climate) f*sdext|emely welf-managed$ and that ?every!
attc^tioaiafe Paid itbr the health of the troops -who? afe sent-.here
|p f , medical'| assistance; &
1;iT'he fortf pf iGohimbo, being of ii s c l f ^ r y exteosml, and its
outworks and„ detached,, posts numerous, ^requires . a s tr e 'n g ^ r -
rison. Thfffe- or four battalions are ^suanj^i.stationedc herb.
The regular guards placed; on tliejT'® fe ,en;f
eighty Europeans, and three >ctijsgt that number -of iiatidq ;t*oops;
Besides . these, - other guards are1 ./stationed iffefhe bazars- and
p^ tS j T which .arc .established round: the garrison, - and' al£b; in
. the;-, : tfoopgi » Cta i»J5 ai^BT#! in ;179€f
^lejgarrison -consisted of the 734 / regiment, half the Madias.
European; regiment, two companies ©f Bengal arfihery; aiid three
battalions of Sepoys, i The4 immediate.conpaand ofsthe troops
is given tp the oldest officer. of the battalions on duty . here.
W m m ‘
Harbour of. Columbo. 120
The hrabour of Colombo, which lies ion the west'side, i i
' nothing more, than ah open1 road, affording good -and 1 safe
anchorage to ''ships' for only four months of tliêfeyear, ^from
Dé’eè'mWF to |A p ril • DürfiigSfhf^|period' ‘the north-west v u»ds,
to which this road is 'much exposed, do not. prevail to any
iüolerit ^öegrèfe; and'1 ships- pf India- put fjtp.
riiejre 4h)Atratlei B u ^ ^ p u t May,^Sfhhnfï*riie-4<:ihohs8fei sets iff
; 4an d |%^ |® ^0 iï| ;rfSl^ge#:p:^Étheb/west
epast olMfey^tajr, ■dh^fo'i^fqf^^lumbö*3a0^1M&|frafFard -any
p^toeotioh. - Vfessels, slielteri i>n> ’roe'fmoré ‘seburè^fjorts
|-öj|rTrgnjÉjlipaf^e'and Point dé%&hlj,e, -andksèldom v e n t u r e t l hV-
■'foaffsbfed*'’ thè-Kfollowing 'éf^bt^ méiitlislj hffoliunbo - is by" this
means Jcüt' bff frdm any interfcoursfelby S'sea; with7t-He!i-rest of the
island fqr !two th ird sib ^ k ê i^ l'^ f.1 MAs ^ïa^Mft'e^ch'ief^l^latfë
for the^ta|jlèi tr-adÓ ©f^GeylbHI *thé'’disadvantages arising* from
these t ci^cunrstaneds are>7^ y . ^ n s i d ^ l ^ 8 b u € v’sueh A^l4eiift5i>y;
of dhe.,ipbnsqbn'hurriqaïies'hefe, ■ that 'thï^fêaibonly-bg’'obviated
by imploding the cómmiMiéations by land1 between Columbo
and the - mote * secure, harbours pn Jth’eb east coast of'* thé
island. *
For she,rfionths-'of' ’the. stormy season, 'ihi§?shfe of’th e island
Is^ubjeÖti'to astonishingly heavy falls of raiid^^ompanied^with
dreadful thunder < and^rlighthmg, band viSlfeiït’- Winds blowing in
shore. In the$®fè|innirig óf -Mèy 1790, a thunder storai broke
on- the ‘ fort’ ói^|lolumbo ; ® am 3* se^ëtal * houses, ‘pariióularly ón
tbë^foü&4ide;-!were'^rucHdnd.i daiiinaged^ About-baff-1 a! milfe'
frombthfe - fórt a number -of goats-and oien was -at5!pdfetuiëf
under tbê fare of-a'boy;- when h'6', 'and' two, 'and .ÓT the?
pottle, wevifes steuck dead on th e4 p o t^b y brierflash? ifP^^itningfi
A -Woman, iff th ó l.black‘tbWn;’tiwaé°aKb>fSt the same f^ne';^ffl'edfi
m m ■