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



offered to take and bring back the persons that he should select 

 for that purpose, who were, Payo de Sousa, 4 who went in the 

 capacity of ambassador, and for his clerk Gaspar Diaz son of 

 Martini Alho a resident of Lisbon, and Diogo Velho 5 a servant 

 of Dom Martinho de Castellobranco the king's comptroller of 

 revenue, who afterwards became Conde de Villanova, and one 

 Fernam Cotrim, 6 and other persons of his service. These being 

 intrusted to the Moors who had arranged this expedition were 

 conducted through such dense thickets that they could scarcely 

 see the sun, taking so many turns that it seemed to them more 

 like a labyrinth than a direct road to any place 7 ; and after travel- 

 ling for a whole day they brought them to an open place, where 

 were many people, and at the end of it were some houses of wood 

 which seemed to be something superior, where they said he [the 

 king] had come to take his pleasure, that place being a kind of 

 country-seat. At the end of this open space, at a good distance 

 from the houses, they made them wait, saying that it was not 

 proper for them to go further without leave of the king ; and they 

 began to go and come with messages and questions to Payo de 

 Sousa, as if they came from the king, feigning to be pleased at his 

 coming. Finally, Payo de Sousa with only two of his company 

 was conducted to that place, where, according to the Moors, was 

 the person of the king ; and as soon as they reached him he at 

 once dispatched them, feigning to be pleased at seeing things of 

 the king of Portugal's, giving thanks to Payo de Sousa for coming 

 and to the captain^major for sending them to him ; and saying 

 that as regarded the peace and amity that he desired to have 

 with the king of Portugal, he would send his ambassadors to 

 Cochij, and that in token thereof he had sent the cinnamon, and 

 would order to be given them whatever they might need for the 

 provision of the armada ; and with this he dispatched him. The 

 which manner of Payo de Sousa's going and coming at the hand 

 of these Moors, and his arrival at this place, and the conversation 

 that he had with this person, who they told him was the king of 

 Ceilam, — the whole was a trick of theirs, and in a way a represen- 

 tation of things that did not exist, part of which Payo de Sousa 

 understood, and afterwards knew of a truth. For this man with 

 whom he spoke, although from the bearing of his person and the 

 reverence paid to him by his people he seemed to be what they said, 

 was not the king of Ceilam, but the lord of the port of Galle 8 ; 

 and others had it that it was not he, but some other noble person- 

 age, who by his order and the artifice of the Moors showed himself 

 to our people in that manner and place, to the end that for that 

 time they might secure their ships ; and whilst they were occupied 

 in this, they would collect the goods that they had on shore, which 

 they did. When Dom Lourenco learnt from Payo de Sousa 

 what had passed, and perceived how matters stood, he dissembled 

 with the Moors ; because, as that island was under a heathen king 

 (although at that time there was no certain knowledge of its 

 affairs), it seemed to him that whether it were he with whom 

 Payo de Sousa spoke, or not, the whole might have been arranged 

 by him, all the heathen kings being very superstitious in their 



