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



largest number that had ever been seen united together in 

 the Island ), came out to meet him with all the demonstra- 

 tions of a repentant and most obedient vassal. He kissed the 

 hand of Catalina. acknowledging her with every sign of 

 submission and recognition as his lawful queen and mistress, 

 and with great cunning and dissimulation showed himself 

 most officious and pressing in giving quarters to our soldiers ; 

 so that the whole army entered within the walls of the 

 city of Candicr with confidence and assurance. Pedro 

 Lopez being completely deceived by all these outward 

 demonstrations of loyalty, on a Sunday of the year 1591, 

 at about the same hour that the French suffered at the 

 Sicilian Vespers, he (the apostate) put to the sword all our 

 troops, the General Pedro Lopez being the first to pay the 

 penalty of his over-confidence, when he was carelessly en- 

 joying the hospitality and trusting to the great faith of the 

 Zing alas, f 



« It is said that the Portuguese, when they entered Kandy, began to 

 abuse their power, which they seemed to think irresistible, and on every 

 occasion openly manifested their contempt for the natives by numerous 

 acts of injustice and oppression. The wives and daughters of the natives 

 were compelled to minister to their passions, and if any resisted such 

 deeds of violence they were butchered by these merciless wretches, and 

 their villages burnt to the ground. 



Ribeyro's account of this expedition of De Souza differs considerably from 

 this of De Sa. 



f One of the barbarous and brutal customs mentioned by Knox was on this 

 occasion resorted to by Don John, and, according to Ribeyro, before the 

 whole army, to ensure the permanent possession of his captive's person, and 

 she was compelled by this public disgrace to accept him as her husband. 

 Through her Don John appears to have obtained a firm hold on the minds 

 as well as on the persons of his subjects ; the petty chiefs submitted to his 

 authority, and, with the most abject humility, hastened to the Court with 

 numerous presents and prostrated themselves before his person in sign of 

 his supremacy ; and so completely was the power of the Portuguese cur- 

 bed by this fatal day, that for four whole years they shut themselves up in 

 Colombo and G-alle, unable either to revenge their loss, or to attempt any- 

 thing of importance. Don John, in the meanwhile, fortified the western 

 and southern frontier, and formidable obstacles to the entrance of an army 

 were created by his orders. Towers were erected at the various mountain 

 passes, and others in existence put in a state of defence ; a new palace 

 was built at the capital, in the construction of which the Portuguese 

 prisoners were forced to labour as slaves, while the captured banners of 

 Portugal waved beneath the Ceylonese standard above them. — Pridham. 



