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



clear from him that the escutcheons should be, as he says, " em cruz," 

 or cross-wise (Os Lusiadas, canto III., lii. and liv.). The besants 

 are, however, correctly placed saltire-wise. 



As regards the characters 1501, they may either stand for the date 

 1501 or for some such words as "Jesus Salvator Orientalium Indi- 

 corum." Here arises a difficulty. The Portuguese and Dutch historians 

 of Ceylon fix the date of the arrival of the Portuguese in Ceylon as 

 1505, although they do not seem to be agreed whether they (the 

 Portuguese) first landed at Galle or at Colombo (see Ceylon Literary 

 Register, vol. IV., p. 188, 1896 ; vol. III., pp. 133, 143, and 180). 



I should, however, hesitate before I conclude that 1501 is a mistake. 

 According to Mr. C. A. L. van Troostenburg de Bruyn, in his 

 Hervormde Kerhe (Reformed Church), p, 1, Vasco de Gama left 

 Portugal for the East in 1497, taking with him in his ship two " Trini- 

 tarian " monks. One died on the voyage, the other, Pedro de 

 Corilham, landed with him at Calicut on May 9, 1498, but suffered 

 martyrdom the same year. So that three years previous to 1501 a 

 Christian Mission was started in India not far from Ceylon. 



The cross also is significant, and points to the engraving on the rock 

 being the work of a Christian Mission to Ceylon about the year 1501. 



Yasco de Grama's second voyage to the East was in 1502, when he 

 took with him some missionaries of the Franciscan Order. It might 

 be he touched at Colombo on his return voyage, which must have been 

 about 1501. It must be noted that the cross is not so well engraved 

 as the rest of the arms, being evidently done in a hurry. 



I venture to suggest that an ornamental railing should be put round 

 the rock, and this very interesting relic of past times be thus preserved. 



I am, &c, 



F. H. de Vos. 



V. — Mr. A. E. Buultjens to Mr. GL A. Joseph. 



Colombo, November 25, 1898. 



Sir, — In reply to your letter of the 14th instant on the above 

 subject, I have the honour to send you some information (translations) 

 from the Portuguese authors, and if I am permitted to make a personal 

 examination of the boulder, I might be in a position to throw more 

 light on the subject. 



2. Three questions suggest themselves with regard to the dis- 

 covery : — 



(a) What signification had the coat of arms, the cross, and the 

 date? 



(5) Who engraved them ? 

 (c) At what time ? 



