No. 60. — 1908.] COUTO : history of oeylon, 



205 



at home, they recruited themselves every time they wished ; 

 and if they lost ten men, they reinforced with a hundred 

 in their place, which our people could not do, since their 

 supplies came to them from India by the monsoons and with 

 trouble ; and if some were killed or wounded, there were no 

 others to put in their place, but on the contrary, those that 

 remained supplied that want in such manner that they 

 experienced the greatest straits and risks imaginable, ever 

 carrying on the war, lest all should be lost. And in one 

 encounter that Afonso Pereira de Lacerda had before the 

 arrival of Dom Jorge Baroche, he was completely routed, and 

 lost several soldiers 1 , wherefore it was necessary for him to 

 send to beg for help from Manar, whence there came to his 

 assistance Jorge de Mello the Fist, captain of that fortress 2 , 

 with some soldiers, among whom were Joao d'Abreu the Devil, 

 and three brothers, Diogo, Andre, and Christavao Juzarte 3 , 

 sons of Joao Juzarte Ticao, and Dom Manuel de Crasto, Gaspar 

 Pereira the Long 4 , who was afterwards appointed to the 

 captaincy of Chaul, which he did not care to accept, Fernao 

 Perez Dandrade, and other fidalgos and knights, who dis- 

 tinguished themselves greatly in this war, and did things 

 worthy of eternal remembrance. 



Things were in this state when in October past 5 there 

 arrived at that island Dom Jorge Baroche, whom the viceroy 

 Dom Constantino had appointed to that captaincy, as has 

 been mentioned above 6 , who brought many supplies, munitions 

 and provisions, and nearly two hundred soldiers, among 

 whom were also many fidalgos and knights, whose names we 

 cannot learn. And having taken command of the fortress of 

 Columbo, he immediately proceeded with all the troops he 



1 The Rdjdvaliya (86) records the invasion and subjection of the 

 Matara district (in 1558?) by Manamperi mudaliyar with a Sinhalese 

 and Portuguese army, which, however, was subsequently totally defeated 

 with great loss at Denepitiya by Mayadunne's forces under the command 

 of Vikramasinha mudali, Manamperi and many others being killed. The 

 version in Valentyn (Ceylon 81-2) has it that they were taken prisoners 

 to Sitavaka. 



2 There seems to be a double error here. In the first place, there 

 was no fortress at Mannar before December 1560 (see p. 202, note 3 ) ; 

 and in the second place, this Jorge de Mello was not captain of that 

 fortress until some years later (see infra, VII. x. xv. , p. 219, note 2 , and 

 VIII. hi., p. 233). 



3 The first of these we have met with before, in VII. in. v. (p. 177). 



4 We shall meet with this man again, in VII. x. xv. (p. 219). 



5 This must mean October 1559. 



6 See p. 179. 



