78 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XX. 



them forthwith those Portuguese. The king, resenting so 

 great an impertinence, determined to chastise it, of which he 

 told Nuno Freire, who because it concerned him begged of 

 the king that expedition, and he granted it to him, and six 

 hundred men with Samlupur arache their captain to accom- 

 pany him. Nuno Freire set out at night 1 with them and 

 the eight Portuguese, and at dawn reached Columbo, where 

 taking the Malavares on land unawares he defeated them, 

 killed many, and of those that were able to escape, some 

 betook themselves into the jungles, and went to stay at Ceita- 

 vaca, and others threw themselves into the sea, and took 

 refuge in three pardos, leaving the other four in the possession 

 of our people. 



Madune Pandar, mortified at the result, received and lodged 

 the Malavares who had fled to Ceitavaca, who, becoming 

 acquainted with his designs, advised him to send and ask 

 succour of the Qamorim, whereby he would easily attain his 

 object, and they offered to set forward and accompany his 

 ambassadors. Madune approved of the counsel, selected from 

 amongst his followers the ambassadors, and at once dispatched 

 them with a costly present for the Camorij , and articles for 

 his ministers, asking him for a good armada, the expense of 

 which he would pay liberally. 



The Qamorij received Madune's ambassadors well, and per- 

 suaded by the Moors, and mastered by self-interest, he ordered 

 to collect forthwith the ships that had gone out, and to fit out 

 others, and with all speed he got ready an armada of forty- 

 five ships, in which he ordered to embark two thousand men, 

 and as captain of it Ali Abrahem Marca, a Moor who was a 

 great pirate and a bold knight. This armada reached Colum- 

 bo at the beginning of October ; and as Madune was already in 

 the field with a large army, the Moors having joined him, they 

 all proceeded to lay siege to the city of Cota. 



This city is situated in the midst of a large lake, and is 

 joined to the land by a narrow pass by which it is entered. 

 This pass Nuno Freire fortified with a bastion and tranqueira, 

 in which he placed the artillery that had been captured in the 

 four pardos of the Malavares, and arranged that there should 

 be boats to defend the passage against the enemy if they 

 should attempt it in others or in jangadas. 



The king Boenegobago at once dispatched a messenger to 

 the governor, begging him to send and succour him in that 



1 Lavanha, not knowing how close Kotte was to Columbo, probably 

 thought Couto's " daybreak watch" to be an error, so made the ex- 

 pedition start " at night." 



