XO. 41.— 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



433 



Chapter V. treats of " The beginning of Constantino de 

 : Sa's Government : he reforms abuses, and continues the war 

 with success." 



The first thing that the new Governor did was to 

 re-organize the Portuguese military forces in the Island, 

 a task which he carried out with firmness and tact. He then 

 sent a conciliatory embassy to the King of Kandy, who res- 

 ponded in like manner. The " rebels " under " Madune"* 

 however, showed no desire to come to terms ; and it was 

 therefore resolved to take the field against them : and as a 

 preliminary to this a fortress was built in Sabaragamuwa. 



In the heading of chapter VI. we read how " Constantino 

 de Sa conquers Madune, and destroys his power and drives 

 him from the Island ; finishes the fortress of Safragan ; 

 repairs and garrisons that of Gale ; relieves that of Manar ; 

 drives the English from the Bay of Triquilimale and of 

 Cottar ; and finally beheads Gangarache, and the renegade 

 Barreto dies by the hands of his own men." 



The " English," who are said here to have been driven out 

 from Trincomalee, become "heretics of Denmark" in the 

 chapter itself ; and presumably the reference is to the Danish 

 embassy under Ove Giedde ; if so the date given is wrong, 

 and the story of the encounter and defeat is pure invention. 



Chapter VII. treats of the " Conquest of Jafanapatan ; the 

 General introduces the monopoly of cinnamon ; the Conde 

 de Redondo dies ; and Hernando de Alboquerque succeeds 

 to the Government, recalls Constantino de Sa from Ceylan, 

 and sends him to the relief of Ormus, dies, and the Conde de 

 la Vidiguera, Admiral of India, arrives, who restores our 

 General to the Island." 



The details given of the history of Jaffna are interesting, 

 but probably largely taken from other writers. The removal 

 of Constantino de Sa from the Governorship of Ceylon 

 was a piece of jobbery, the Viceroy appointing his own son 

 to the post, which, however, the young man held for only a 

 short time, his father dying in 1623 and the new Viceroy 

 •restoring the status quo ante, and sending Constantino de Sa 

 back to Colombo in April, 1623. During his absence Jorge 

 de Alboquerque had governed cautiously, the most note- 

 worthy event of his rule being the erection of a fort at 

 Kalutara. 



In chapter VIII. we are told how "Constantino de Sa 

 enters the second time on the government of Ceylan, erects 

 the fortress of Triquilimale, and by prudence established a 

 peaceable government." 



* Maya Dunne — not to be confounded with the illustrious father of Raja 

 Sinha I., who died 1581. — B., Hon. Sec. 



