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



Having made provision for these matters , Lopo Soarez depart- 

 ed for Cochij, and in going out of the port, by a disaster 

 the galley of Joam de Mello was lost, but the people were 

 saved 1 



Dec. III., Bk. ii., Chap. iii. 



Of what happened to Dom Joam da Silveira in the islands of 

 Maldiva, whither Lopo Soarez sent him 2 , and also in 

 Bengdlla where he went, until he arrived at Ceilam to be 

 placed in possession of the captaincy of the fortress of 

 Columbo. 



And that on the way he was to pass by the island 



of Ceilam 3 , and from the port of Columbo, whither our people 

 were accustomed to go to seek cinnamon, he was to take pilots 

 to carry him to Bengalla ; and also that he was secretly to 

 inspect and take soundings in this port of Columbo, and the 

 lie of the land, in order with his advice to come to a determina- 

 tion on what had to be done by command of the king, which 

 was a fortress in that place 4 , the captaincy of which was to be 

 his (Dom Joam's). Who, having set out with the four ships 

 with which he went to the islands of Maldiva, reached Colum- 

 bo 5 , and having taken note of the place and obtained pilots, 



took his way for Bengalla : the discovery of which 



deceit 6 caused him to determine to make his voyage to Ceilam, 

 where he knew that Lopo Soarez was sure to be at that time 

 building the fortress, of the captaincy of which he had given 

 him his promise, and on his arrival he put him in possession 

 (as we have said) 



1 Correa's version is that the galley ran on a sand-bank outside the 

 port (of which sand-bank we shall read again in Couto), but lost only 

 her keel and a quantity of cinnamon that wa,s thrown overboard in 

 the confusion. 



2 In April 1518. The events recorded in this chapter preceded those 

 described in the foregoing one. 



3 This is from the orders given by Lopo Soares to D. Joao da Silveira 

 when he was about to leave Cochin for Bengal. 



4 As I have said above, Lopo Soares had, after all, to decide without 

 waiting for Dom Joao's opinion. 



5 Probably in August 1518. 



6 An attempt by the ambassador of the king of Arakan to entrap the 

 Portuguese ships in the river. 



