334 



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



have been given, but because it would be a matter of very great 

 pleasure and satisfaction to us that you and our fortress should 

 be in Taprobana, although it is now called Ceyllam ; regarding 

 which, by all the authors of the world, so much has been said and 

 written, and which has been held in such high honour, for its 

 riches and other advantages ; wherefore it will afford us very 

 great pleasure if you do this here, and if your principal residence 

 be in this island of Ceylam, since it appears that from here you 

 can better provide for and assist in all things , than from any other 

 part, on account of your being in the centre of all the fortresses 

 and things that we have there, and, although it may seem that these 

 things are many to be done in this voyage, since the beginning of 

 them, and also the end to which they are brought, was all more 

 by the hand of God, and done by him, through his infinite com- 

 passion, than for any other reason that there might be for it, as 

 we hope in him that in everything he will grant us, in his com- 

 passion, help, — we are pleased to command that in all things it 

 be so understood, and we hope that, for the accomplishment 

 thereof, he may grant you his help ; and we beg you earnestly 

 that, for your part, you endeavour thus to do this on this journey, 

 and as well as we trust in you to do ; and we are very certain that 

 what may be for our service cannot seem to you troublesome ; 

 and this matter we consider to be one of the principal in which 

 you can serve us there. 



1 This was first printed in Annaes Maritimas e Coloniaes, 4 ser. 

 (1844), pte. nao off. 112-18. It is also printed in Cartas de Aff. de 

 Alb. iii. 268 ff. It is draft of a letter from the king to D. Francisco 

 de Almeida, and is not dated ; but as the letter was probably sent by 

 the fleet of Tristao da Cunha and Affonso de Albuquerque, which left 

 Lisbon in March or April 1506, it may safely be assigned to that period. 



2 The greater part of the letter is occupied with instructions to the 

 viceroy to go in person to Malacca, build a fortress there, &c. ; he is 

 also told to inquire about Sumatra, its trade, &c. The last paragraph 

 of the letter is the one here translated. 



3 Cf. Barbosa 179-80. 



4 Cael (see supra, A 16, note 2 ). 



5 Twelve thousand. The 44 twelve thousand islands" are, of course, 

 the Maldives (see Bell's Maldive Islands 4-5). Cf. C 20. 



6 Cf. A 22. 



A 22. 



Letter from King Manuel to Cardinal Alpedrinha. 1 • 

 [? May 1506.] 



IT i dent enim iam futurum preter omnium mortalium 



spem : quia facilis sit indies armorum nostrorum continens per 

 uagatio ac transitus non solum in plerasque alias orientales terras 

 ac insulas innumeras et ipsam denique Taprobanam, alteram 



