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



147 



he came to a window on the outer wall 1 to see them ; and 

 while there a firelock shot struck him in the head, so that he 

 immediately fell dead, without its being known whence it 

 came 2 ; and all rushing in confusion found the king dead 3 , and 

 Tribuly having taken the body went with it to Cota. The 

 army having decamped, after they had performed the funeral 

 ceremonies they placed Prince Dramabella on the royal throne, 

 and proclaimed him king, the grandees doing him obeisance 

 after their manner, his father being the first, and then the 

 alcaide mor, and all the great men of the kingdom ; which 

 took place the same day, without any festivities or pageantry 4 . 



Madune as soon as he learnt of the death of his brother went 

 with his army to the village of Belegale, a league from the city 

 of Cota 5 ; and from there he sent to require the grandees of 

 Cota to do obeisance to him, because that kingdom belonged 

 to him by right. The grandees sent word to him that they 

 had a king and prince who was heir by right, to whom they 

 had already done obeisance ; and that in his service and in 

 defence of his kingdom they were all ready to die. On this 

 reply Madune advanced nearer to the city, and encamped his 

 army in sight of it, a lake lying between them. Tribuly 

 Pandar, seeing that effrontery, collected what troops he could, 

 and with them the Portuguese, and had with him a severe 

 battle, in which our men were in the van and performed such 

 feats that they drove the enemy from the field with the loss 

 of many men, and Madune betook himself to a place called 



1 The Rdjdvaliya (79) says that the king " opened the doors of the 

 uppermost storey of the royal pavilion built over the water." Valentyn 

 (Ceylon 77) has it, that the house belonged to Mayadunne. 



2 The Rdjdvaliya (79) says: — " and, as he walked about, looking up 

 and down the river, the Portuguese fired a shot, which struck the king 

 on the head, and instantly killed him. Some say that this hurt was 

 done of set purpose ; others, that it was done unwittingly : God 

 alone knoweth which is true." Valentyn (u.s.) attributes the act to 

 " a Portuguese," and adds that some said that it was done on purpose, 

 others accidentally ; and yet he gives a ridiculous picture showing a 

 Portuguese soldier taking deliberate aim at the king. 



3 The date of this fatality is not given ; but it seems to have occurred 

 in June or July 1551. Tennent (Ceylon ii. 15) gives the year as 1542 ! 

 Valentyn (Ceylon 47) says it occurred after the king had reigned 11 

 years (which may be a misprint for 17). 



4 The Rdjdvaliya simply states that ' ' the Portuguese raised Dharma- 

 pala to the throne and sent information thereof to Goa." 



5 Probably the place meant is Boll^gala on the right bank of the 

 Kelani river, nearly opposite to Ambatale, which is about the distance 

 stated (say 4£ miles) from Kotfe. 



l2 



