114 



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



[Vol. XX. 



Josaphat, it seems well to us to record it. We were going in 

 this island of Salsete 1 looking at that rare and marvellous pagode 

 (which they call that of Canara 2 ), made in a mountain, and 

 having many halls cut out of a single rock, and one of them as 

 large as the palace of the Ribeira at Lisbon, and more than 

 three hundred chambers on the mountain above, in the form 

 of a spiral, each one with its cistern at the door, in the same 

 living stone, of the coolest and most, excellent water that 

 could be desired ; and at the doors of the great hall the most 

 beautiful statues as large as giants, of such subtle and perfect 

 workmanship, that better could not be formed in silver ; with 

 many other magnificent objects, which we pass over so as not 

 to be discursive. 



And asking this old man, of whom we have spoken, regard- 

 ing this work, and what he thought as to who had done it, he 

 told us 3 that without doubt it had been done by order of the 

 father of Saint Josaphat, in order that he might be taken and 

 brought up therein, as his legend says. And as we learn from 

 it that he was the son of a great king of India, it may well be, 

 as we have already said, that this was the Budao, of whom 

 they recount so many marvels. 



And continuing with the footprint on the Peak, having 

 taken much trouble to ascertain the truth thereof, and having 

 visited many antiquities of India 4 , it seems to us that it might 

 be that of the blessed apostle St. Thomas ; and likewise 

 certain marks of knees that are impressed at the present day 

 in a large stone that stands in the neighbourhood of the 

 Pedreira at Columbo 5 , which a vicar 6 of that fortress told us 



1 In VII. in. x. Couto describes this island and its caves. (See also 

 Gerson da Cunha's H's f ory and Antiquities of Bassein 188-201.) 



2 In VII. in. x. Couto has, more correctly, Canari ; but he adds, 

 " which is presumed to be the work of the Canaras, and for that reason 

 it is so called." As a fact, the cave temples are the famous ones of 

 Kanheri, a name that h^is no connection with Kanara (see Hob. -Job. 

 s.v. " Kennery "). 



3 In VII. in. x. Couto tells us more about this old man, and repeats 

 there more fully what he tells us here. 



4 Valentyn omits from " on the Peak " to " India." 



5 Of the Pedreira at Columbo we shall hear more in connection 

 with the siege of the fortress by Raja Sinha I. in 1586-8 (see pp. 283, 

 306, 325). The name literally means " quarry," and Valentyn 

 translates " in a part of a quarry " ; but it is a proper name, and was 

 applied to one particular spot near Columbo, the identity of which I 

 shall discuss when we come to the siege referred to. (Ten. ii. 133 has 

 an erroneous note on this statement of Couto's.) 



6 I cannot identify this vicar, unless he be the one mentioned in 

 X. x. iv. (p. 325), Fa. Francisco Vieira. 



