260 



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



[Vol. XX. 



C U TO. 



DECADE X. 

 1581-1588 a.d. 



Portuguese Governors of India. — Fernao Telles de Menezes, 

 governor, March to September 1581 ; D. Francisco Mas- 

 carenhas, Count of Villa da Orta, viceroy, September 1581 

 to November 1584; D. Duarte de Menezes, Count of Tarouca, 

 viceroy, November 1584 to May 1588. 



Sinhalese Rulers in Ceylon. — Dharmapala alias Dom Joao 

 Perea Pandar, 1551-97 (Columbo) ; Raja Sinha I., 1581 (?)- 

 92 (Sitavaka). 



Tamil King in Jaffna. — Sangili. 



Portuguese Captains- Major of Ceylon. — Manoel de Sousa 

 Coutinho, I578(?)-83 ; Joao Correa de Brito, 1583-90. 



In this Decade Couto relates with much detail the orgy of 

 cruelties indulged in by Raja Sinha after the death of his father 

 Mayadunne and his consequent accession to the throne (in 

 1581 ?) ; and then gives a very minute account of Raja Sinha's 

 expedition against Columbo and the great siege of 1587-8, 

 the city being ultimately relieved and Raja Sinha totally 

 routed. 



Dec. X., Bk. i., Chap. vii. 



Of the great patrimony that King Philippe inherited in the whole 

 of this East with all the realms of Portugal : and of the state 

 in which the affairs of India were at this time. 



The celebrated island of Seilao, where is the 



fortress of Columbo, with the. kingdoms of Jafanapatao 1 

 (which is vassal 2 ) and Cota and Candea, of which the kings 



1 The manuscript, like the printed edition, has " JanapataS." 



2 See supra, VII. ix. iii. (p. 195). Since the hurried and ignominious 

 departure from Jaffna of the Portuguese under the viceroy D. 

 Constantino de Braganca in 1560 Couto has told us nothing regarding 

 that kingdom. That the " vassalage " of the king was more than 

 nominal may well be doubted. (But see infra, p. 61, note 2 .) 



