NO. 41. — 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



513 



The General, crowned with success, returned to Columbo 

 after pitching his camp again at Manicravare, where we shall 

 leave him to return to Jafanapatan, the conquest of which 

 was being so courageously pushed on by Philip de Oliveira, 

 as will be seen in the following chapter. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Conquest of Jafanapatan. Monopoly of Cinnamon. 

 Death of the Count de Redondo, and the Suc- 

 cession to the Government of Hernando de 

 Alboquerque, who orders Constantino de Sa 

 from ceylan, and sends him to the relief of 

 Ormus. Death of Alboquerque, and arrival of 

 the Count de la Vidigueira, Admiral of India, 

 who restores our general to* the island. 



I PURPOSE to relate briefly the events which occurred at 

 Jafanapatan; for its reduction and conquest was one of the 

 most glorious campaigns that Constantino de Sa undertook 

 during his government, resulting in the acquisition of a 

 rich and powerful kingdom to the Portuguese dominion. 

 Situated in nine and two-thirds degree of latitude at the 

 northern point of the Island, and separated from it by a salt- 

 water channel, Constantino de Sa conquered it in the year 

 1618, in the Viceroyalty of Count de Redondo. 



The language of this nation is quite different, and has 

 little in common or nothing with the Zingala. 



Close to it is a small island belonging to its dominion, 

 which goes by the name of the Isle of Cobras (goats), because 

 of the number of those animals found on it, and in whose 

 stomachs are found the bezoar stones (piedras besares) which, 

 although they are small, are the finest and beat in the East, 

 and a singular antidote against poison, owing to the pasture 

 of wholesome herbs these animals eat. They are called 

 Besares, which is derived (according to an ecclesiastical 

 writer) from two Hebrew words baal, which means " lord," 



