216. journal, r.a.s. (ceylon). [Vol. XX. 



made a history of itself, because the actions at every moment 

 were well worthy of note ; and I should not fail to describe 

 the principal ones, if I knew them in real truth ; but I only 

 knew, in short, that the disgust they gave me was greater 

 than the pleasure and eagerness that I have to describe this 

 affair, which was one of the most memorable and notable in 

 the world's history 1 . In fine Raju continued to carry on this 

 siege with very great importunity and urgency, until, wearied 

 and disgusted with seeing that things were not turning out as 

 he desired, he retired to Ceitavaca, our people thinking that 

 it was in order not to return to the attack. But as Raju and 

 his father entered upon this business with hate and envy, he 

 did no more than get fresh supplies of men, munitions, and 

 provisions, and then took the road to Cota in order to conclude 

 that business, which he considered determined and concluded, 

 thinking that our people had suffered so in the past siege, and 

 were so disheartened, that they were not in a condition to be 

 able to go to the help of that king, — in which they deceived 

 themselves : for as soon as Baltesar Guedez de Sousa heard 

 that he was moving on Cota, he set out from Columbo with as 

 many men as he could muster, and threw himself into Cota. 

 leaving his brother Goncalo Guedez hr Columbo with what 

 men seemed necessary to enable him to defend himself against 

 any attack, should such occur. 



The city of Cota 2 is of a circular form, and is situated as 

 it were in an island, entirely surrounded by a fair-sized river 3 , 

 which can only be crossed by boat. It will be some two 

 thousand paces in circumference, and has no access to the 

 outer world except by a passage like a man's neck, which 

 would be some fifty paces in width. This defile our people 

 had fortified with a valla tion of thick walls at each end, and 

 two walls besides that ran across this defile, one outside, and 

 the other nearer in, and this passage was called Prea Cota 4 . 

 There is also over the river a bridge, which they call the pass 



x This is a very cryptic statement, and I am unable to explain the 

 cause of Couto's " disgust." 



2 Gf. the description in V. i. vi. supra (p. 75). Unfortunately no plan 

 of Kotte as it was in Portuguese — or even in Dutch — times has come 

 down to us : so that it is difficult to locate the places mentioned by 

 Couto in connection with this siege. 



3 Gf. the description of the first founding of the city by Alakesvara, 

 in C. A. S. Jl. xviii. 285. 



1 Pita Kotte. (The Portuguese frequently represented the cerebral t 

 and d in Indian and Ceylonese names by an r. We shall meet with 

 other instances in Couto.) 



