o, did at this time eminent service against the enemy; and a
soldier of vast strength, named Jose Fernandez, having broken his spear,
threw several of the enemy behind him to be slain by those in his rear.
On learning the danger of Colombo, the city of Cochin fitted out six
ships for its relief, with a supply of men and ammunition, which were
placed under the command of Nuno Alvarez de Atouguia. Before their
arrival, Raju gave another general assault by sea and land, in which the
danger was so pressing that even the religious were forced to act as
officers and soldiers to defend the walls, and the enemy were again
repulsed with great slaughter. 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 th