202 



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



[Vol. XX. 



The two ships Gastello and Drago likewise experienced much 

 trouble, and not till the end of November did they come in 

 sight of the land on the inner side of Cape Comorim ; and as it 

 appeared to the pilot to be that of Panane towards Cochim, he 

 went steering southwards in sight of land, the galleon Drago 

 going in advance sounding ; and as he was already almost 

 on the shoals of Manar, she ran into five fathoms, whereupon 

 she at once struck her sails, and anchored almost at the edge 

 of the shoal ; and the ship Gastello, which was following, 

 seeing that the Drago had lowered her yards, did the same 

 with the same haste, and cast anchor, and miraculously 

 escaped grounding on the shoals. These were the ships that 

 our people saw from the land ; and the viceroy Dom Con- 

 stantino dispatched in great haste some light vessels, which 

 towed them out ; and setting sail they went to Cochim 1 , it 

 being already December, and the veador da fazenda Belchior 

 Serrao at once took in hand their repair and the cargo that 

 they had to take. 



And because the captain-major Dom Jorge de Sousa carried 

 much goods, and the time was very short, he resolved to 

 remain in India with his ship 2 , and went to Goa in it, after the 

 arrival of the viceroy at Cochim ; who after he had no more 

 to do in Jafanapatao crossed over to the island of Manar, 

 which was near to that coast, where he disembarked, and 

 observed its situation ; and he resolved with the fidalgos of 

 his council to erect a fortress there 3 , and to transfer to 

 it the captain of the Fishery Coast with all the inhabit- 

 ants of Punic ale. And he immediately ordered the work 

 to be taken in hand, and sent word to Manoel Rodriguez 

 Coutinho, captain of the Fishery Coast, to come with all the 

 inhabitants of Punic ale, so that that naique should offer 

 them no more insults, besides those that we described a little 



1 It is not easy to reconcile Couto's account of the movements of these 

 two vessels with the statement of Dimas Bosque quoted above (p. 196, 

 note x ) that the ships arrived at the island of Mannar and stayed there 

 at least forty days, while their sick were being cured. We can only 

 suppose that when the viceroy and those with him saw the ships they 

 were on their way from Mannar to Cochin after their stay at that island. 

 It is, however, curious that Dimas, one of the two physicians with the 

 expedition, should have been away in Mannar instead of attending to 

 the sick soldiers in Jaffna. 



2 The Castello. 



3 Though the Portuguese had probably made calls at Mannar on 

 many occasions ere this, they had as yet no permanent settlement in 

 the island. 



