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



187 



being ended, they dined, and from two o'clock onward they 

 set about the disembarkation : and on setting foot on land, 

 there came to meet them the hereditary prince 1 of the kingdom 

 with two thousand men, he being conspicuous in the front with 

 a shield entirely white 2 , uttering their battle-cries and shouts 

 of defiance like men that intended to prevent the disembarka- 

 tion. But by running the prows of the vessels ashore they 

 played upon them with the falcons in such a fashion that they 

 quitted the field, and betook themselves to the jungles, without 

 a single one's reappearing, and our people had the opportunity 

 of landing entirely at their ease ; and the first captain that 

 leapt on shore was Goncalo Falcao, on account of a suspicion 

 that attached to him through certain words that he had with 

 the viceroy at the council regarding the disembarkation. 



All our people having landed, they formed their companies, 

 and in front of all rose in the air the banner of Christ crucified, 

 which a father of St. Dominick bore on a long staff, so that it 

 might be seen by all those that were to fight under its protec- 

 tion, and there it was adored by all and acclaimed with a 

 general voice. Thereupon Luis de Mello da Sylva, who led 

 the van, began to march towards the city, guided by men that 

 knew the way, and just behind him Dom Antonio de Noronha 

 Catarras, who took a short cut through some jungle, so that 

 when he came again into the open he found himself in front of 

 Luis de Mello da Sylva, and halting sent word to him to pass 

 in advance, because he was waiting to accompany him : and 

 so they went on until they came in sight of the city, which 

 had at that part a fine street, and in the middle of it were two 

 large pieces of artillery covered with palmyra leaves so that 

 our people should not see them. 



Luis de Mello da Sylva advancing on this street, Dom 

 Fernando de Meneses the Nosy 3 (who was on in front) told him 

 to lookout how he went, because what they saw was artillery. 

 He had not even finished speaking when one of the pieces was 

 discharged, and it pleased our Lord that it overcarried, 

 because they had sighted it too high, and it went passing over 

 without doing any damage. Luis de Mello da Sylva seeing 

 that sent word to all to take to the shelter of the houses on 

 each side, all of which had large porches projecting outward, 

 and beneath these they hastened for refuge, which could not. 



1 1 cannot identify this man, who, it will be seen from the next chap- 

 ter, was delivered as a hostage to the Portuguese, and by them conveyed 

 as a prisoner to Goa. 



2 Doubtless a chank shield (c/. Rajav. 72, where " a conch and 

 shield " should be " a chank shield "). 



3 Original " o Narigao " = " the Big Nose." 



