188 



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



[Vol. XX. 



be managed quickly enough, before the other ball came down 

 the street with a great roar and shaking of the earth ; and as 

 it came lower down, it struck the ensign of Luis de Mello da 

 Sylva' s company (who was a certain Sardinha) in the legs, 

 and broke them, so that he straightway fell dead ; and in its 

 flight it caught two other persons, among whom was a Castilian ; 

 and apparently some small piece of iron reached Luis de Mello 

 da Sylva, and caused a slight wound on the ball of his cheek, 

 from which a good deal of blood ran down his fine long beard, 

 which made him even handsomer and nobler looking. At the 

 same time that the ensign fell with the banner, Joa5 Pessoa, 

 son of Antonio Pessoa, who followed near by, ran and quickly 

 raised the banner aloft, and began to march forward along 

 the street, until he had placed it over those pieces of artillery, 

 not however before there came another ball, which struck 

 down four or five men of the company of Ayres de Saldanha, 

 who was going in that of Luis de Mello da Sylva. 



The artillery having been captured, Luis de Mello da Sylva 

 sent word' to the viceroy, and he passed forward, breaking 

 through clouds of arrows and bullets, with which several were 

 slightly wounded. A bullet struck Dom Felippe de Meneses 

 on his Adam's apple, but he was so fortunate that it glanced 

 off, without doing him more harm than leaving on the point of 

 the apple a very red and beautiful mark. 



The prince of Jafanapatao 1 hastened to that street along 

 which our people were going, and had an encounter with them, 

 which lasted but a short time, because at the points of their 

 spears they drove him back to the top of the street ; he then 

 went by another that opened into that one, whereby he came 

 upon Goncalo Falcao with his company, who attacked the 

 prince's forces and had a stiff battle with them, and at great 

 risk, because from the tops of the roofs and from the gardens of 

 the houses they shot arrows at our people at their pleasure. 



The viceroy was already entering the great street, riding on 

 a beautiful horse with long stirrups armed with good arms, 

 with the guidon of Christ in front, and surrounded by many 

 fidalgos and knights ; and receiving news that Goncalo Falcao 

 was in danger, he told those fidalgos and captains to succour 

 him, and it being just at the time that Dom Antonio de 

 Noronha Catarras met him with his company and heard this 

 he said : " I, sir, am equal to this ;" and turning he went 

 forward along the street, until he reached the part where 

 Goncalo Falcao was in straits ; and on his arrival the street 

 was soon cleared, where was a piece of artillery, which our 



Presumably the hereditary prince spoken of above. 



