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



321 



APPENDICES. 



A 1. 



Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama. 1 

 [1498-9.] 



From this country of Calecut which is called India Alta goes 

 the spicery that is consumed in the west and in the east and in 

 Portugal and indeed also in all the regions of the world ; — there also 

 go from this city called Calecut many precious stones of every sort; 

 — to wit, in this said city there is of its own growth this spicery 

 that follows : much ginger and pepper and cinnamon, although it 

 is not as fine as is that of an island that is called Cillam which is 

 eight days' journey from Calecut: all this cinnamon is brought to 

 this city of Calecut .... 



* * * 5jc >',; * # 



These names written below are of certain kingdoms that are to 

 the south of Calecut ; and the things that each kingdom has and 

 what they are worth ; the which I learnt for very truth from a man 

 who knew our language and had come thirty years before from 

 Alexandria to these parts. 2 



* *— - * * * * * 



Another Kingdom. 

 Ceylam which is an island very large and inhabited by Chris- 

 tians and with a Christian king 3 ; from Calecut by sea with a 

 fair wind it is eight days ; this king can muster four thousand men 

 and also has many elephants for war and for sale : here is all the 

 fine cinnamon that there is in this Imdia, and also sapphire stones 

 and better than others of other countries , and rubies few but good. 



1 This is by an unknown writer, who was on one of the ships of 

 Vasco da Gama's expedition. It was first printed in 1838, a new edi- 

 tion appearing in 1861. An admirably edited English translation by 

 Mr. E. G. Ravenstein was issued by the Hakluyt Society in 1898. As 

 Mr. Ravenstein's version is a little free, I have here given an almost 

 literal translation. 



2 This was the Jew known as Gaspar da Gama or Gaspar da India, 

 regarding whom see Ravenstein's First Voyage of Vasco da Gama 179. 

 He is referred to in the extract A 4 below ; and to him we are indebted 

 for the earliest extant reference to the visit of D. Lourenco de Almeida 

 to Ceylon (see B 1). 



3 The Portuguese, on first arriving in India, mistook the Hindu 

 form of worship for a kind of Christian ritual (see First Voyage of V . 

 da Gama 53). They soon discovered their error, and then termed the 

 Hindus gentiles or pagans (gentios). 



