Pigera retires
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Pigera proceeded to attack a Dutch army that had encamped in Thebuwana.
He besieged Anguruwatota and fired shots, till they fully surrendered. Immediately the Dutch gave up the land acquired and fled. Even the army stationed in Kalutara, left the place.
As a result, Pigera did not get a chance of attacking King Rajasinghe’s army in the Four Korales. He left Four Korales too. On his way, he killed the Dissawa, named Konduwe. He was a commander. He marched to Ruwanwella via Bulathgama, to capture the king.
The king who suspected this, went to the village named Vedawa and from there, he went to Kandy. Pigera ruined the lands in Four Korales. He collected enough food stocks and other essentials for his army. He made Arandara his centre of activity and made the army put up camp there.
He stationed army contingents in all the following cities. Alawwa, Pitigaldeniya, Gurubavila, Attapitiya and Kotuwegoda were those places. Meanwhile, the Viceroy in India appointed a new General to send to Sri Lanka. He was Francisco De Melo de Castro by name. He was an elderly person.
However, still no investigations were made regarding the charges made against the former General Mascarenhas. The new General landed in Sri Lanka in the month of May 1658. The serving General Gasper de Pigera had to leave his post.
By Halaliye Karunathilake,
Edited and translated by Kamala Silva
Illustrated by Saman Kalubowila