No. 36.— 1888.J 



CAPTAIN JUAO RIBEIRO. 



279 



Dutch, however, give it as two hundred ; for with respect 

 to its area they make it fifty-six and a half leagues in 

 breadth, and its length they reckon also as fifty-six and a 

 half leagues from Ponte de Galle to Triquinimale : whereas 

 Jean Ribeyro only gives it forty-seven leagues in its 

 greatest breadth, and likewise reckons only forty-six from 

 Ponte de Galle to Triquinimale ; which shows that there 

 is the difference of one-fifth in the method of reckoning 

 of our Author as compared with that of the Dutch, and 

 that thus it is not so difficult to reconcile them; and that 

 if the Island of Ceylon is one hundred and sixty-six 

 Portuguese leagues in circumference, it must be about two 

 hundred leagues, following the scale of the Dutch." All 

 this is very ingenious, but is completely beside the mark ; 

 for Ribeiro agrees perfectly with himself in this chapter 

 and the first in making the circumference of the Island 

 one hundred and ninety leagues. The fact is, that the careless 

 copyist of B. (Le Grand's MS.) has omitted several lines 

 referring to Batticaloa, which give the very figures (24) 

 required to make up the 190. 



Chapter V. — LeG, gives a fair, though rather free, trans- 

 lation of this chapter. I may simply mention that the 

 statement that the emperor of Ceylon sent " two " ambassa- 

 dors and " a crown of gold " to the king of Portugal 

 is an interpolation of Le Grand's. Ribeiro says that on his 

 baptism the emperor took the name of "D. Joao Parea 

 Pandar " : LeG. transforms " Parea " (or " Parca," as B. 

 has it) into " Parera," and this Lee further alters into 

 " Perera " ! LeG. has two lengthy Additions to this chapter, 

 in which he supplements from other sources the information 

 given by Ribeiro. 



Chapter VI. — Le Grand's translation is again somewhat 

 free, but a fair representation of the original. He has an 

 Addition to this chapter also. 



Chapter VII. — There is nothing particular to remark on this 

 chapter, except that LeG. has here (as elsewhere) rendered the 

 " oZa" of the original ("olla" in B.) by the word "lettre" 



