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



C 1. 



Correct i. 718. 



[September (?) 1507.] 



The viceroy when he left [Cochin] for Cananor sent to 



Ceylao Diogo de Crasto and Pero Barba in two ships to get the 

 tribute cinnamon. 1 And because the king of Ceylao had not got 

 an exact copy of what he was to give each year, he gave an order 

 to these captains that they were to take by weight the cinnamon 

 that the king gave them of his own free will, and whatever was 

 deficient, of the two thousand quintals that they had to bring, 

 they should buy it of him 2 and pay for it with gold portuguezes, 

 which they carried with them for that purpose, five bares, equal 

 to twenty quintals, 3 being given for a gold portuguez 4 ; and 

 he sent the king his letter, and a piece of crimson velvet, and a 

 large jar full of amfido, 5 and rosewater, and other things of the 

 prizes got in the ships from the strait. 



1 Cor. alone records this mission: his statements, therefore, 1 can 

 neither confirm nor controvert. 



2 Cf. C 4. 



3 Cf. B 1, note 6 . 



4 The gold portuguez was equal to four thousand reis, the real at 

 that time being equal to about • 2297c?. (see TheaPs Beg. of 8. A. History 

 181). 



5 That is, opium (see Hobson-Jobson s.v. " Opium "). 



C 2. 



Instructions given to Diogo Lopes de Sequeira. 1 



[13 February 1508.] 

 ******* 



And hence from the said islands 2 if you should make 



them, or from the country of Ssam Lourengo if you cannot reach 

 them, you shall take your course with the help of Our Lord direct 

 to the point of the island of Qeillam 3 ; and, when you shall take 

 your course for Qeillam, you shall endeavour to take your course 

 by the island of Camdaluz 4 or by Maldiva 5 which we shall be 

 glad to have discovered, and we also believe that you will there 

 find pilots for every part, having such care however in this voyage 

 that you find yourself rather inside of the point of the said island 

 of Qeillam than outside, because this we consider safer navigation ; 



and noting down very exactly all the islands that you 



shall find and how far they are one from the other, and also how 

 much it is from the first land that you shall leave in quest of Qeillam 



