124 



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



[Vol. XX. 



custodio was the father Frey Antonio do Padrao, a devout man 

 who was the first commissary-general that went out to India. 

 These friars were directed to distribute themselves over the 

 island of Ceilao, in order to plant in those untilled lands the 

 doctrine of the gospel (because the kings of Portugal always 

 claimed in this conquest of the East so to unite the two powers, 

 spiritual and temporal, that at no time should one be exer- 

 cised without the other). These apostolic men, having 

 arrived in Ceilao in company with the ambassadors 1 , were 

 very well received by the king of Cota, who gave them leave 

 to preach the law of Christ throughout the whole of his realms. 

 And these evangelist conquerors, not neglectful of their obli- 

 gation, began to break up in several places the untilled soil, 

 and to sow therein the gospel seed, which began to fructify 

 like that grain of mustard in the gospel, erecting several 

 temples, in which the most high God began to be honoured 

 and venerated by all. And the first places in which they were 

 built were Panature, Macu 2 , Berberi, Galle, and BelMguao, 

 all seaports, in which they brought within the pale of the 

 church a great number of those heathens. 



And penetrating into the heart of the island 3 , there arrived 

 in the kingdom of Candea one Prey Pascoal with two 

 companions 4 , who were well received by that king Javira 

 Bandar 5 , first cousin to Madune, son of a brother of his 



1 Correa (iv. 310) says that the ships from Portugal arrived at Goa on 

 3 September 1543, and he also tells us (see C. Lit. Reg. iii. 237) that 

 the Sinhalese ambassador left for Ceylon (presumably in September 

 1543) with Francisco d'Ayora, who was taking a galleon for the cinna- 

 mon and a ship. But he does not mention the arrival at Goa or depar- 

 ture for Ceylon of any friars. In a document printed in Arch. Port.-Or. 

 iii. (733) the guardian of St. Francis in Lisbon is made to say (in 15.97) 

 that the Franciscans had sustained Christianity in Ceylon for forty-four 

 years; but I think this must be an error for fifty-four (1597 - 54—1543). 



2 " Macu " is Maggona. From a comparison of this list with that 

 given on p. 170 infra (where we read of the anti-Christian campaign waged 

 in 1554-5 by Vidiye Baiictara), it would seem that by an error " Cale- 

 ture " has been omitted after " Panature." 



3 This was probably in 1545-6. 



4 These were, as far as I know, the first Europeans to visit Kandyan 

 territory. 



5 Jayavira of the Rdjdvaliya (72, 75, 81, &c.) ; Vlra Vikkama of the 

 Mahdvansa (323), which expatiates on his merits as a devout Buddhist. 

 Apparently he founded the city of Senkhand asela Sirivaddhana (Kandy), 

 and made it his seat ; but the exact date of its foundation is uncertain, 

 as is the year of his accession to the throne (c/. Rdjdv. 72, 75, 81, with 

 Mdhdv. 323, which gives 1542 as the year ; and see C. P. Gaz. 125, 688) 



