32 



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



A LETTER FROM THE KING- OF PORTUGAL 

 TO RAJA SINHA II. 



By X). W. Ferguson. 



On the 10th of January, 1645, the ten years' truce agreed 

 to by the King of Portugal and the States-General of Holland 

 was proclaimed in Colombo amid general rejoicing. Two 

 years of the truce had, however, already expired ; so that in 

 Ceylon it was to have effect for only eight years. During 

 this period the Portuguese, under the lax rule of the aged 

 Manuel Mascarenhas Homem, took matters very easily ; 

 while the Dutch, on the other hand, were continually 

 making preparations for a renewal of hostilities. 



In writing to the Viceroy of India on 6th March, 1649, and 

 15th February, 1650, the king urged the greatest vigilance, as 

 no faith was to be put in either the Dutch or the King of 

 Kandy ; and on 14th March, 1652, in acknowledging the 

 receipt of a letter of 24th December, 1650, from the late 

 Viceroy, Dom Philippe Mascarenhas, he wrote to the newly- 

 appointed Viceroy, the Conde de Obidos,* impressing upon 

 him the need of continuing this* attitude of watchfulness 

 and being ready to succour Ceylon at the earliest opportunity. 



In addition to this letter the king addressed the following 

 two to the Viceroy, with one to Raja Sinha himself. This last 

 epistle appears to be the only one that has come down to us 

 of the letters addressed by the sovereigns of Portugal to the 

 potentates of Ceylon : at least, I have come across no other. 

 The Portuguese text of these letters I have transcribed from 

 the copies in Additional Manuscript 20,878 of the British 

 Museum Library. 



* The Conde de Aveiras, having been appointed Viceroy for the second 

 time, left Lisbon early in 1650 to succeed Don Philippe Mascarenhas, but 

 died on the voyage out ; and the Government was therefore carried on by 

 three Commissioners until the arrival at Goa, on 3rd September, 1652, of 

 the Conde de Obidos, who had left Lisbon on 25th March. — D. F. 



