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



237 



at what they saw and experienced. The greatest force, which 

 attacked the city all round, crossed the river at six points on 

 very thick mats of bamboos 1 ; but on the other side they found 

 our men so ready, alert, and skilful, that in spite of them they 

 drove them back with many killed, because they aimed their 

 harquebuses as they pleased and in perfect safety. Neverthe- 

 less, as they attempted to disembark at so many places, the 

 Moors gained entrance to a pass, some of our men being killed ; 

 and the news spreading, the captain hastened to help, and the 

 king with some of his messengers, and finding the enemy inside 

 the pass, they fell upon them, and they engaged hand to hand 

 in a very fierce battle, in which Pedro de Atayde kept ever in 

 front of all, performing so many deeds of valour with his arm, 

 that with much reason and most just cause we may say that 

 he alone effected with his own hands more than all ; and whilst 

 going about in the full force of the fight, his sword became 

 unhilted and flew from his hand, leaving in the latter only the 

 hilt and guard, he having many dead Moors in front of him ; 

 and springing to a soldier, he took from his hands a halberd, 

 with which he rushed into the midst of the enemy, performing 

 such prodigies, that he once more drove them out of the pass. 

 And although he with his own hands did much, those that 

 accompanied him did not a little ; but rather such doughty 

 deeds, that of each one could be formed lengthy chapters ; 

 and I do not specify their names, because all that I can say 

 of one I could say of all, since I know of nothing in which any- 

 one excelled the others. 



There was no less stress and strait in the other passes ; 

 but our men, ragged and famished, and most of them 

 of unknown names, in their defence performed such deeds 

 of valour and caused such havoc amongst the enemy, 

 that it was a marvellous thing. In one pass, in which 

 the stress was greater, was the king, who had hastened 

 thither to help, and did it like a very worthy knight ; and 

 he that did most there was Estevao 2 Goncalvez, master 

 captain of the inhames, in that on the approach of the rafts for 

 the Moors to put troops on land he sprang into the river and 

 immersed himself knee-deep, and there did feats like a lion, the 

 king watching him and remaining amazed at the prowesses that 



1 This seems to be the most probable reading. The manuscript has 

 " esteiroes . . . . de bardas " (mats of bark or of briars), the 1673 printed 

 version has "cestoens . . . . de badeis" (baskets of bandels !), while the 

 edition of 1786 has " esteiroes de bambus," which, I think, is most likely 

 correct. 



2 He is called "Gaspar" above (p. 225). Both the manuscript and 

 the printed version of 1673 have this inconsistency. 



