NO. 59. — 1907.] PORTUGUESE IN CEYLON. 



319 



His successor, Alfonso de Albuquerque, did not share the 

 viceroy's views on this point*; but though, as Barros tells 

 us (see C 24), King Manuel repeatedly urged the matter 

 upon him, and though apparently he had the opportunity 

 in 1513 of fulfilling the king's wish (see C 15), he likewise 

 failed to carry out the work. The reason for this is doubtless 

 to be found in Albuquerque's letter of 4 November 1510 (see 

 C 7), from which it would seem that he regarded a fortress 

 in Ceylon as needless. That this was so as regards the supply 

 of cinnamon is evident, enough being brought each year 

 to Cochin by Portuguese or Moorish vessels for the loading 

 of the homeward-bound ships. t 



It was not until 1518, therefore, that Albuquerque's suc- 

 cessor, Lopo Soares de Albergaria,J disappointed with his 

 ill-success at the mouth of the Red Sea,§ and knowing 

 that a new governor was on his way out, resolved, in order 

 to leave some task fulfilled, to carry out the long-deferred 

 work (see C 24). This was successfully accomplished, in spite 

 of opposition on the part of the king of Cota and his people, || 

 in October-November 151 8^f ; but the fortress was such a 

 flimsy structure that it had to be rebuilt in 1520.** 



because if on it we be not powerful, which our Lord forfend, everything 

 will forthwith be against us, and if the king of Cochym chose to be dis- 

 loyal, forthwith all would be destroyed, because the past wars were with 

 beasts, now we have it with Venetians and Turks of the Soldan." 



* See Morse Stephens's Albuquerque 39-40, 72-73 ; Whiteway's Rise 

 of Port. Power in India 169-70. 



f Cf. the letters of Antonio Real and Louren§o Moreno quoted infra 

 <C 12 and C 17). 



$ Regarding this man's governorship see White way op. cit. 179-89. 

 § See Whiteway op. cit. 184-86. 



|| Whiteway {op. cit. 180) sarcastically observes of Diogo Lopes that 

 " his solitary success consisted in building a fort among the unwarlike 

 Sinhalese." 



If See Cast. iii. c. xlii.-xliii. (Ceylon Lit. Reg. iv. 196-97, 203-4), Bar. 

 III. ii. ii., Cor. ii. 539-47 (G. Lit. Reg. iii. 179-81, 197-98, 204). For 

 a view of the fortress see the plate opposite, reproduced from 

 Cor. ii. 541. 



** One of the earliest acts of King Manuel's successor Dom Joao III. 

 was to order its demolition, which was carried out at the end of 1524 

 (see Bar. III. ix. ii.). 



