362 journal, r.a.s. (ceylon). [Vol. XIX. 



emperor." The reference is to p. 91, where Valentyn gives the Portu- 

 guese version of the visit of D. Lourenco de Almeida, and adds that the 

 emperor then reigning was, according to his list, " Ruceuley Pracca- 

 ram Bahu Raja " (Irukula Parakrama Bahu Raja), in whose 52nd 

 year, he says, on p. 74, the event took place. As a matter of fact, Sri 

 Parakrama Bahu, the sovereign he names, had been dead half a century 

 when the Portuguese " discovered " Ceylon. 



B 15. 



Rdjdvaliya 73. 1 

 [1522?] [1506.] 



At that time, in the year 1522 of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 there 

 came a ship to the harbour of Colombo from the Portuguese 

 settlement in Jambudvipa, 3 having, by the power of God, 

 escaped the perils of the deep. The men who saw it while lying 

 in the harbour came and thus reported 4 to king Parakrama 

 Bahu : " There is in our harbour of Colombo a race of people fair 

 of skin and comely withal. They don jackets of iron and hats of 

 iron ; they rest not a minute in one place ; they walk here and 

 there ;" and with reference to their use of bread, raisins, and 

 arrack, 5 the informants said, " They eat hunks of stone and 

 drink blood ; they give two or three pieces of gold and silver for 

 one fish, or one lime ; the report of their cannon is louder than 

 thunder when it bursts upon the rock Yugandhara. Their cannon 

 balls fly many a gawwa and shatter fortresses of granite." These 

 and other countless details were brought to the hearing of the king. 



On learning this news , the king Dharma Parakrama Bahu sum- 

 moned his four brothers 6 to the city, and having informed them 

 and other leading persons and wise ministers, inquired. " Shall we 

 live on friendly terms with them, or shall we fight ?" Thereupon 

 prince Chakrayuddha 7 said : " I will myself- go, and after seeing 

 with my own eyes what manner of men they be, advise one of the 

 two courses." Having so said, he disguised himself and went to 

 Colombo harbour, watched the actions of the Portuguese, and 

 having formed his opinion, returned to the city and addressed the 

 king: " To fight with these men is useless ; it will be well to give 

 them audience." The king accordingly gave audience to one or 

 two of the Portuguese, made them presents, and in return re- 

 ceived presents and curiosities from them ; and likewise, sending 

 many tokens of respect to the great king of Portugal, lived on 

 very friendly terms with him. Let it be noted, that from that 

 day the Portuguese gained a footing in Colombo. 



1 This passage is extracted from the translation by B. Gunasekara 

 ( 1900). Though the date of its composition and its authorship are un- 

 known, it was probably written in the seventeenth century. In spite 

 of its erroneous chronology it is a wgrk of much historical value, 

 especially as regards the period of Portuguese occupation in Ceylon. 



