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



time and by whom that country was discovered, and that was sufficient 

 for royal possession (De Barros and De Couto, Da Asia, Dec. I., 

 lib. II., chap. II., p. 148). 



Extract B. 



1484 a.d. — The King Don Alfonso ordered that Diogo Cam should 

 take a monument of stone of the height of two men, with the 

 escutcheon of the Royal arms of Portugual, and on the sides of it an 

 inscription in Latin and another in Portuguese, which stated that the 

 king sent him to discover that land ; and at what time and by what 

 captain that monument was set up there ; and lastly, at the top a cross 

 of stone inlaid with lead. And the first discoverer who took that 

 monument was Diogo Cam, Knight of the Royal House, in the year 



1484 and he reached a famous river (in Congo), at the mouth 



of which he set up that monument, as he had taken possession of all 

 that coast on behalf of the king. (Dec. I., lib. III., chap. III., p. 171.) 



Extract C. 



1497-1499 a.d. — Vasco de Gama sailed from Lisbon in 1497, and 

 after passing the Cape of Good Hope set up a padrao on the east 

 coast of Africa at Melinda, whence he sailed to India in April, 1498. 

 This padrao was set up with the consent of the King of Melinda, in 

 the name of the Holy Spirit, as a testimony of peace and friendship 

 with him. He remained at Calicut in India for some time, and reached 

 Lisbon in July, 1499. (Dec. I., lib. IY., chap. II., pp. 276, 321.) 



Extract D. 



1500- 1501 a.d. — Pedralvares Cabral sailed from Lisbon on March 8, 

 • 1500, with 30 ships, reached Calicut where he remained for about 



three months, and went as far south as Cochin. Here he saw a vessel 

 come from the Island of Ceylon with seven elephants, which were 

 taken as merchandise by the Moors for the King of Cambaya ; and 

 news was brought that another ship had left the harbour of Ceylon 

 laden with all sorts of spiceries. Pedralvares Cabral left India for 

 Lisbon at the end of January, 1501. (Dec. I., lib, V., chap. VI., 

 pp. 425, 459.) 



Extract E. 



1501- 1502 a.d. — King Don Manuel sent an armada of four ships 

 under John de Nova, which reached Cochin, and returned to Lisbon on 

 September 7, 1502. It was customary to send an armada every year 

 to India from Lisbon in March. 



1501 a.d. — King Don Manuel took the title of " Lord of Navigation, 

 Conquest, and Commerce," in 1501, after the arrival of Vasco de Gama, 

 and especially of Pedralvares Cabral, who had in effect taken possession 

 of all what was discovered, in accordance with the gift and grant of 



His Eminence the Pope (p. 11) The second way of commerce 



at this time was that terms were agreed upon for ever with the king 



