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



105 



and going towards that river, they reached it in the daybreak 

 watch, and under arms entered it, and found the par 6s all 

 fastened together with their sterns on the land, dL,ndtranqueiras 

 erected along the sea with artillery placed in them. Miguel 

 Ferreira attacked the vessels, and at once entered them without 

 meeting with any resistance, and all our men leaping ashore 

 with loud shouts attacked the tranqueiras, in which were nearly 

 two thousand men. And as they took them by surprise, when 

 they wished to run to their arms our men had already entered , 

 and many were severely wounded and killed ; and nevertheless 

 those that were not immediately cut down, hastening to the 

 defence, engaged our men in a hand-to-hand battle, and at the 

 end of it, with the loss of many, they abandoned the tran- 

 queiras, which remained with all the artillery in the possession 

 of our men, some of whom also were left dead and wounded, 

 though only few. Miguel Ferreira ordered the artillery to be 

 embarked, and taking the paros in tow went towards Columbo, 

 where he disembarked with all his men under arms, and thus 

 went marching to the city of Cotta. The king went out to 

 receive him, because he was a great friend of his, and con- 

 gratulated him on his victory, conducting him to the city, 

 where he entertained him well, and gave him an account of 

 all that had passed with his brother 1 , telling him how until then 

 he had kept him besieged, and that as soon as he received 

 news of the defeat of the armada of Pachi Marca he had retired 

 with the latter to Ceitavaca. Miguel Ferreira agreed with 

 the king to go and seek Madune at Ceitavaca, and not to rise 

 from before that city until they had captured him, in order 

 that he might give no more trouble to him, or expense to the 

 state of India with so many succours as had been sent to 

 him. 



And having mustered all the troops that he could, the king 

 commenced to march towards Ceitavaca 2 , Miguel Ferreira 

 going in the van with five hundred Portuguese divided into 

 five companies, and entering Madune's territories, they began 

 to commit great injuries and cruelties. Miguel Ferreira dis- 

 patched a modeliar with a message to Madune, informing him 

 of his arrival, and that he assured him that he was not going 

 to quit that island without leaving him totally destroyed, and 

 the king of Cotta secure and quiet ; that he requested him to 



1 Correa (C. Lit. Reg. iii. 227) has it that the king made bitter com- 

 plaints against the Portuguese factor Pero Vaz Travassos, insisting on 

 his being sent away, and that Miguel Ferreira at last threatened to 

 return to India and leave the king to his fate, and so on. 



2 Correa says they marched along a large river (the Kelani). 



