CiiAP. I.] DEATH OF KAJA SIXGHA. 21 



ruins of the pagoda and the surrounding buildings to a.d. 

 the flames.1 ^^^^• 



Kaja Singha, stunned by the intelligence of these 

 disasters, disheartened by tiie utter faihu'e of his re- 

 peated assaidts on Colombo, and alarmed by the inteUi- 

 gence of the arrival of large reinforcements to the 

 garrison from Goa, suddenly abandoned the siege, and 

 drew off his forces to the interior. 



He survived his discomfiture at Colombo but a very 

 few years, and died at Sita-wacca, in 1592, at an ex- 

 tremely advanced age.^ Authority and success seem 

 equally to have deserted him towards the close of liis 

 career ; the Portuguese taking advantage of his involve- 

 ments and anxieties during the siege, contrived to 

 excite a formidable diversion by rousing the Kandyans 

 to revolt ; and Kunappoo Bandar of Peradenia, a 

 Singhalese of royal blood who had embraced Christi- 

 anit}^, taldng at his baptism the name of Don Juan^, 

 was despatched with an armed force to prepare the 

 way for enthroning Donna Catharina, the daughter 

 of the late fugitive Idng Jaya-weira, who had been 

 educated at Manaar. The expedition was signally suc- 

 cessfid ; the Kandyans not only asserted their own in- 

 dependence, but descending to the territories of Eaja 

 Singha, laid waste his country to the walls of his palace 

 at Sita-wacca.* Don Juan, intoxicated by his victories, 

 and indignant that the Portuguese, whilst continuing him 

 in his mihtary command, shoidd have conferred the 

 sovereignty of the interior on Don Pliihp, a rival on 

 whom they intended also to bestow the hand of Queen 

 Catharina, turned his arms against his allies, and drove 

 the Portuguese from Kandy, removed Don Phdip by 

 poison, and conducted on his own account hostihties 



' De Couto, dec. x. ch. xv. vol. vi. 

 pt. ii. p. 6()o. 



^ The Portuguese say Raja Singha 

 was upwards of 120 years old when 

 he died ; but this is an obvious exag- 

 geration. 



^ Rajavali, p. 310 : Eibetro, b. i. 

 ch. V. Valentyn says he was chris- 

 tened Don Juan, to compliment Don 

 John of Austria, the hero of Lepanto. 



* ElBEYEO, ch. \ . 



c 3 



