No. 60. — 1908.] couto : history of ceylon. 



103 



brother utterly, the which he wished to do by war in order to 

 finally consume him. And so, as soon as Martini Afonso de 

 Sousa went away from that island 1 , he began again to solicit 

 the Qamorim for another armada 2 , which he prepared for him, 

 once more intrusting that expedition to Pachi Marca. The 

 king of Cota was soon advised of these preparations, and 

 at once dispatched a message to the governor Nuno da Cunha, 

 begging him to help and support him , since he was a vassal 

 of the king of Portugal's, because he was in great risk of 

 losing that kingdom. This message reached Nuno da Cunha 

 in June past [1538], whereupon he forthwith dispatched 

 patamares (which are couriers 3 ) by land to Sao Thome, where 

 dwelt Miguel Ferreira, a much respected knight, and one that 

 knew the affairs of Ceilao better than all who up till then had 

 been in India 4 ; requesting him by letters to muster all the 

 men and vessels that he could, and go and succour that king, 

 he being there closer at hand ; and that all the expenses that he 

 incurred he would repay very promptly. And that in case 

 there were not men and vessels there for that expedition, as soon 

 as the summer 5 set in he was to come to Goa ; and he should 

 have them. 



These letters were given to Miguel Ferreira, who, fitting 

 out some vessels, as soon as the summer set in left for Goa, 

 because in Sao Thome there was not the material for that 

 expedition. And making haste, he reached the city of Goa on 

 the day that the viceroy received the news of the flight of the 

 galleys 6 ; because although he had left with the intention 

 of getting more vessels and men in Cochim, on arriving at that 

 city, where he found news of the Turks' being before Dio, he 

 thought it more necessary to hasten thither with those vessels 

 that he had brought, than to go to Ceilao, because that business 

 could be carried out at any time. 



1 See supra, pp. 95, 98. 



2 See supra, p. 100. 



3 See Hob.-Job. s.v. " Pattamar." 



4 How he obtained this knowledge Couto does not say, and I cannot 

 discover ; but he had evidently resided in the island, for in V. v. viii. 

 (p. 105) we find him spoken of as a great friend of the king's. He was a 

 man who had had much and varied experience since the time when, in 

 December 1513, he was sent as ambassador to Shah Ismail of Persia by 

 Albuquerque (see Com. of Af. Dalb. iv. 80-1). Couto gives us some 

 personal details regarding him in V. v. viii. (p. 107). At this time he 

 was captain of Coromandel. 



5 That is, the north-east monsoon season, September to April. 



6 The Turkish galleys from before Diu. It was in November 1538 

 that the viceroy received the news. 



