502 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON).. [VOL. XI, 



courage, and knowing the danger the Portuguese empire 

 was in, if they did not stamp out Madune 1 s designs, 

 which from a smouldering fire had burst into name, they 

 determined to circumvent him, offering their lives, honour, 

 and all they possessed for the service of God and their 

 king. 



With these deliberations they told the General that they 

 would take the field whenever he wished, and would build 

 a fortress in Sofragan, being the most open pass in the 

 Island, and situated almost in the centre of it, the inlying 

 lands being easy to defend by the Caleture river, which 

 served to protect its walls and keep its port closed. It was 

 the Gorla of a Disawa of the same name, a fertile country, 

 most conveniently situated for keeping up a good garrison 

 and holding the enemy in check, and a good situation for a 

 place of arms or base of operations in the expedition, and a 

 convenient place to retire and repair to in the event of a 

 defeat, being on the frontier and the confines of the King- 

 dom of the Two Gorlas, where Madune was strongly 

 fortified. Two sides and bastions would be protected by the 

 lands of friendly natives, and the enemy shut in inside the 

 Two Gorlas would become, in their turn, the besieged. 



This decision of the Council appeared to the General 

 exactly what was wanted, but he feared that Madune 

 would prevent its being carried out with all his power. 



With these considerations he sent the brave but cautious 

 Captain Major Philip de Oliveira, with some Portuguese 

 companies and a regiment of lascarins to commence build- 

 ing the fort ; and to allow them to bring up the materials and 

 guard the works, he placed two companies under two of his 

 bravest Captains, Luis Cabral de Faria and Don Constantino 

 Barreto, in the passes leading thereto : which prevented 

 Madune attempting to intercept them that summer. With 

 this design of keeping Madune in inactivity, the fortress 

 was thrown up and all the necessary preparations for the 

 expedition were made with great secrecy, and within a few 

 days after he sent Felipe de Oliveira. 



