240 



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



[Vol. XX. 



Two hours later there arrived from Columbo some provisions , 

 and after them Dom Diogo de Atayde and Jorge de Mello with 

 all the others that they could muster, whom they went out to 

 receive with as much joy and gladness as those of men who 

 thought they had that hour been resuscitated ; and in the 

 midst of so much joy there was not wanting envy on the 

 part of those of Columbo at seeing those men so debilitated and 

 weak who had all done such lofty deeds : and thus ragged and 

 disfigured, they remained such gentlemen, that the Romans 

 might envy them at the time of their greatest prosperity as 

 defenders and conquerors of their empire. 



Pedro de Atayde presently went to Columbo to recruit, and 

 left in Cotta Francisco de Miranda Henriquez with some of 

 the soldiers that had come from Columbo, because those of 

 Cotta also went with Pedro de Atayde to renew their strength. 



This siege lasted four months ; and the last forty days were 

 days of cruel hunger, in which they ate nothing but herbs, and 

 even those failed some days, for which reason one may count 

 this siege as one of the most celebrated in the whole world. 



Dec. VIII., Chap. vii. 



Of the abandonment of the city of Gotta for Columbo. 



The viceroy, seeing the great trouble to the state that the 

 siege of Cotta gave, and would give if Raju should return 

 against it, resolved with those of his council that it should be 

 abandoned, and that the king should transfer himself to 

 Columbo : for the execution of which he sent 1 Diogo de Mello 2 

 to remain as captain in that fortress 3 , who took the following 



1 In March or April 1565, apparently. 



2 Which Diogo de Mello, is not stated. In VII. x. xv. supra (p. 219) 

 we read of Diogo de Mello Coutinho as captain of Manar in 1563 (but 

 see note 2 there), and in VIII. xxxii. infra (p. 254) we shall hear of his 

 being sent to Ceylon as captain of Columbo in 1570. 



3 This is somewhat puzzling. As we have seen above (p. 224), 

 the captain of Columbo at the time of the great siege of Cota in 1564-5 

 was Pedro de Ataide Inferno, of whom we last read as returning to 

 Columbo in February 1565, after the raising of the siege. Couto does 

 not mention this man again (as far as I can find) ; but from Primor e 

 Honra 92 it appears that he went from Ceylon to become captain of 

 Negapatam (when, is not stated). If he was superseded in the command 

 of Columbo by Diogo de Mello Coutinho, the latter must in his turn 

 have been relieved by some other captain, or this was some other Diogo 

 de Mello (c/. preceding note). 



