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



367 



C 5. 



Letter of D. Francisco de Almeida to King Manuel. 1 

 [? September-December 2 1508.] 



Those still able to put to sea 3 are ; and Nuno Vaz 



Pereira, whom I sent to Ceylao, 4 and Diogo de Faria, who will 

 return in October, 5 if it please Our Lord, before the fleet leaves here. 

 ******* 



The seed-pearls and pearls that you command me to send you 

 I cannot get, as they are in Ceylao and Caille, which are the 

 sources of them : 6 I should have to purchase them with my 

 blood, and with my money, which I possess because you have 

 given it to me. 



* * * * * * * 



Regarding Ceylao I have already informed your highness 

 through men that went there, 7 and these who have now come 

 from there 8 found the country quiet, 9 and the padrdo standing 

 as my son placed it. 10 I have said to your highness that a 

 fortress would be good there, 11 because all the vessels that come 

 from the south, that is, from all parts of Malaca, Qamatra, Pedir, 

 Bengala, Pegu, cannot reach the northern region without passing 

 close to this island of Ceylao, but to navigate with certainty are 

 obliged to come in sight of it, and half-a-dozen ships could stop 

 this route to them ; and the fortress could be made without 

 danger on a point that overlooks the port, as at Cananor, in 

 which is a well of excellent water. May it please God to direct 

 us to do this to the increase of your service. 12 



1 This important document , the original of which does not seem to be 

 extant, was printed in 1858 in the Annaes das Sciencias e Lettras ii. from 

 an 18th century copy in the possession of the Academia Real das 

 Sciencias de Lisboa. Fortunately, Gaspar Correa, when compiling his 

 Lendas, embodied therein an earl y copy of the letter, which is printed in 

 torn. i. pp. 897-923. It is from this that I translate the following passages. 



2 The letter bears internal evidence of having been written at 

 various times ; for near the beginning 20 November is mentioned as 

 the date of its writing, while towards the end we find "Today, fifth of 

 December " (see below, note 5 ). Some of Albuquerque's letters also 

 were written de die in diem. 



3 The viceroy is informing the king of what ships had been broken 

 up, and what were still serviceable. 



4 See supra, C 3, C 4. 



5 This shows that the viceroy must have begun writing the letter 

 in September. 



6 Cf. infra, C 18. 



7 Cf. supra, B 10, note 22 . 



8 Nuno Vaz Pereira and Diogo de Faria. This paragraph must 

 have been added in November {cf. supra, C 4). 



9 The viceroy says nothing of the ill-success of the mission and the 

 causes thereof, as chronicled by Barros and Castanheda {supra, C 3, C 4). 



10 Cf. supra, C 3. 



11 See supra, B 2. 



12 Cf. supra, A 21. 



