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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



he came to govern, feeling the pulse as it were of the inha- 

 bitants, he discovered in the Zingalas great malice and 

 faithlessness, faithful to our Empire through fear rather than 

 from their own free-will ; the Portuguese had grown licen- 

 tious with power ; the half-castes utterly corrupted by the 

 intermixture of races, and the soldiers by trade. Seeing 

 many things which, although they were not exactly crimes, 

 it was important should be prevented (for if not wiped out in 

 time, they might cause the loss of the Island), his aim was 

 more to correct than to punish ; and after great deliberation 

 and forethought he decided not to put everything down at 

 once, but overlooked some of the lesser evils in order to 

 prevent the greater. 



In this way he established peace in Golumbo to the great 

 satisfaction of the citizens; for being the capital, on its tranquil- 

 lity depended the safety of the remainder of the Island. 

 Summoning to his side a council of the most experienced 

 and able captains at Manicravare, he undertook with their 

 advice to reform the Portuguese army, which was found to 

 be only the shadow of one : so miserable and poor it was 

 that it barely numbered six hundred king's soldiers. 



He first began by appointing to the post of Captain-Major 

 of the Camp Philip de Oliveyra, an old soldier of great valour 

 and experience in these wars. It was an opening to the 

 most deserving, and gave all who wished to work for these 

 posts hopes of obtaining them. He was unanimously chosen 

 by the most capable and experienced, not only for his merits 

 as a person worthy of such a post, but for the principles the 

 General acted on by which he gained the praise of all. 



With these provisions he also made it easier to introduce 

 the discipline he wished into the army, but using severer 

 measures than those who had allowed such disorders to 

 prevail. For these ends he raised some companies of old 

 and better trained soldiers ; he removed those officials who 

 had during their command and whilst in power made use of 

 their offices for their own private ends and had ignored the 

 public good ; and binding over the raw recruits he had 



