NO. 50.— 1899.] SAMAN DEVALE MURAL STONE. 



Ill 



The third document is as follows : — 



Governadores amigos.—Eu El Rey vos envio muito saudar, como 

 aquelles que amo. Vi hua consulta do conselho do estado, que 

 enviastes no despacho de 15 do passado, sobre Fernao Pinhao, cappitao 

 de Gale, e porque se refere q elle com sua industria assistencia, e 

 trabalho, e muito pouca despeza de minha fazenda, tem feito aly hua 

 fortaleza mui bem f undada, que brevemente se accabaria, e paria em 

 estado deffensavel, Iley por bem que se escreva ao conde Yissorey 

 da India q sendo assy faca em meu nome merce a Fernao Pinha5 do 

 habito de hua das ordes militares, com a tencja ordinaria de doze mil 

 rs. Escritta em M d a 7 de Marco de 1623.— Rey.— El duque de villa 

 hermosa Conde de Ficalo. — (Para os governadores de Portugal.)* 



Translation. 



Friends, Governors, — 1 the king send you all greeting as to those 

 whom I love. I have seen a decree of the council of state, which you 

 forwarded in the dispatch of the 15th ultimo, regarding Fernao 

 Pinhao, captain of Gale ; and because it is stated that he, by his 

 industry, assistance, and labour, and with very little expenditure of my 

 revenue, has erected there a fortress very well built, which will shortly 

 be finished, and will remain in a defensible condition, I think well 

 that the count viceroy of India be written to, that, this being so, he 

 grant in my name to Fernao Pinhao the habit of one of the military 

 orders, with the ordinary allowance of twelve thousand rais. — Written 

 in Madrid, the 7th of March, 1623.— The King Duque de Yillahermosa. 

 Oonde de Ficalho. — (For the governors of Portugal.) 



From the second of the above documents Ave learn two 

 important facts regarding Simao Pinhao, viz., (1) that up to 

 1609 he had had nineteen years' service in India, so that he 

 must have gone out in 1590 — probably with the viceroy, 

 Mathias de Albuquerque, whose ship did not reach Goa until 

 May, 1591, having been just over a year on the voyage ; and 

 (2) that his death took place before 16iy.f It is evident, 

 therefore, that the figures given on the mural stone at Ratna- 

 pura cannot he 23 ; but I have no data to prove what the 

 figures really are. 



With respect to Simoa Pinhao's nephew and heir, the 

 captain of Galle Fort, I may say that on 1st March, 1625, the 

 king wrote to the viceroy recapitulating his letter of 15th 



* Colleccao do Mosteire de S. Vicente, vol. 19, fob 124. 

 t It must have occurred in 1617 or 1618, and the statement towards the 

 end of my paper, that it " probably occurred circa 1620," needs correction. 

 D. W. F. 



