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



was marvellous the zeal which they displayed in this under- 

 taking, offering themselves to face the greatest dangers, 

 satisfied^with the care and punctuality the General showed 

 to the army in paying them in advance after he had taken 

 over the duties of Royal Treasurer, Superintending the pay- 

 ments himself, he relieved the revenue of many superfluous 

 expenses ; but fully recognised that the military forces were 

 the very | basis and foundation on which depended the safety 

 of the State and the ultimate success of the war, on the 

 prosecution of which so depended the interests of the service 

 of God's.and His Majesty, and which had hitherto been 

 retarded for this very reason : for it is evident that every- 

 thing was lost by the army being badly paid. How many 

 empires are lost through discontented soldiers even more 

 than by the enemy ! And as those soldiers who served in 

 the Island had not the same advantages as those who served 

 in Europe, they were more careful in guarding their quarters 

 and not wasting their supplies nor abandoning their colours ; 

 for these quarters being only in the garrison as it were, there 

 was not a soldier in the whole Island who valued anything 

 more than his pay, which was the only reward for his work 

 and for the blood he spilt, and on which depended the very 

 necessaries of his life. He therefore felt it keenly when his 

 pay was denied him or deferred, especially as there was 

 nothing else he valued. It was even worse when administra- 

 tors (as it happened sometimes in Ceylan), through whose 

 hands the payments were made, spent the money and 

 wasted it in vain ceremonies for show and ambition, only 

 neglecting that on which depended the true greatness of 

 kings. 



This was the most important service Constantino de 

 Sa performed in this matter, bringing over the hearts of 

 the soldiers to a better state than that they had been in, des- 

 pising their Commanders for being poor and of little help 

 to their cares and miseries. And what was more, he showed 

 the King that he had enough money to hold the Island and 

 continue the war without any obligation to the State ; for 



