No. 60. — 1908.] couto : history of ceylon. 329 



About this time, or a little before these arrived, some 

 volunteers offered themselves to Raju to burn the watch- 

 towers that stood between the bastions of Madre de Deus 

 and Sao Gonsalo, they being lower than any, which was 

 the extent that was guarded by Manoel Mexia, who as he 

 was experienced in the country, and moreover had his 

 spies, learnt of the determination of the enemy ; and taking 

 some soldiers whom he selected for the business, and with 

 his lascarins, having given the captain an account of what 

 had occurred and what he had determined to do, he went 

 , out through the embrasures, and placed himself in ambush 

 to see if he could accomplish some worthy feat. This was 

 in the morning, when the enemy were coming in great 

 silence to attack that part, the whole army remaining 

 under arms in order to hasten thither on their giving them 

 the .signal that they were on the top of the watch-towers. 

 And in front came an arache, a very valiant man, who in 

 the past war of Manoel de Sousa Coutinho had brought 

 to Raju twenty-nine heads of lascarins of Columbo, a man 

 well known and greatly feared, and hated by all ; and coming 

 upon the ambush of Mexia, he sprang out upon him with 

 a spear in his hands, and set upon him with such speed, 

 that he was only aware of him when he found himself run 

 right through. And at the same time that he thrust the 

 spear into him he seized him and lifted him up in his 

 arms, and came to the embrasure which was near,* and 

 through it handed him to the lascarins that were inside, 

 who looked at him, and one of them named Maroto 1 , to 

 whom he must have been very odious, recognizing him gave 

 him a slash over the heart that cut him completely open, 

 and three times took his blood in his hands and drank it to 

 satiate the thirst of hatred that he had towards him. And 

 our men who also were in Mexia' s company, likewise closing 

 with those that came with him, put several to the rout, and 

 the artillery of the watch-towers at the signal was discharged 

 upon them, and caused great destruction : in fine, the re- 

 mainder went retreating well shamed and scathed, and our 

 men victorious and content. 



Raju was so annoyed at these things that he knew not how 

 to set himself to give council, seeking every means of injuring 

 our people , even to commanding to cast poison into the well 



1 This name means " rascal " in Portuguese, and may have been 

 bestowed upon this man as a nickname either from his character, or 

 possibly in punning allusion to the village from which he may have 

 come, Moratuwa. 



