340 



JOUJRNAL, K..A..S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XX. 



peculiarities of his mandates, which he could very well do, be- 

 cause this tyrant was so false and unjust, that he never passed 

 an alvard sealed with any seal of his, in order afterwards to have 

 an excuse for not observing any, when he wished ; and with 

 this letter Diogo Gonsalves gave him one signed by himself in 

 his own writing and on our paper to show to his nephew, that 

 he might know that they came by his order. These men hav- 

 ing set out arrived at Ceitavaca. where they learnt the news 

 that Raju had commanded the murder of seventeen Portuguese 

 whom he held captive, and whom he trusted more than the 

 Chingalas themselves, because the escape of Miguel Ferreira 

 Baracho to Columbo, as we have said, whom he trusted above 

 everyone, enraged him to such a degree that he wished to 

 avenge it on as many Portuguese as he held captive, command- 

 ing all of them to be put to death by blows, which to them is 

 the most ignominious death of all, as it is given only to traitors. 

 And knowing that the youth was on Adam's Peak, they went 

 thither, and gave the letter of Raju to those that had charge 

 of him, who seeing in it that he commanded to at once deliver 

 up that man complied with it, giving them sixty armed lasca- 

 rins to accompany him. And coming on their journey, being 

 now near to Ceitavaca, the spies feigned that they had some- 

 what to say to Ronda in secret, telling the lascarins to with- 

 draw, requiring this of them on behalf of Raju, as they had a 

 matter of urgency to carry out with that man, which Raju had 

 ordered to be done before entering Ceitavaca. The lascarins, 

 believing that he must have ordered them to kill him, as they 

 had done to the Portuguese a few days before, withdrew, and 

 the spies betook themselves with Ronda into the jungle ; he 

 believing (for till then he had known nothing, nor had they 

 discovered themselves to him) that it was to kill him, became 

 terror-stricken. The spies gave him an account of everything, 

 showing him the letter signed by his uncle, telling him to 

 commend himself to the great God of the Christians, who 

 could do whatever he wished, that he would favour them 

 in that affair, and deliver them [all from the hands of 

 Raju ; and betaking themselves into the jungle, which 

 they knew very well, they took _a very little frequented 

 road for Columbo, making great haste therein, concealing 

 themselves by day, and travelling by night, passing by three 

 tranqueiras (there being that number between Ceitavaca and 

 Columbo 1 ) with very great risk and danger. And by the 

 astuteness and management of the spies, at the end of twelve 

 days, in the third watch of the night, they reached Columbo. 



1 Of. supra, VI. vm. vii. (pp. 136-8). 



