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



357 



distance of a crossbow shot, he ordered the caracones to be 

 brought overland, in order to be on the other side outside of 

 them, which was easily done, though with trouble, and there 

 he embarked the next day, and set off and came to Manar , 

 where Joao de Mello managed to get him a galliot, in which he 

 embarked with those that she would hold, and the rest he 

 divided amongst some provision boats that were there for 

 Columbo, which agreed to go with him 1 ; and in a large 

 champana, which was also there laden with rice, he ordered 

 Christovao Rebelo with some soldiers to embark, and with all 

 these vessels Joao Caiado set sail, taking with him in his 

 company Diogo Fernandes Pessoa, who, as we have said 2 , in 

 the first succour set out from Santo Thome, and had been driven 

 ashore there, where he had been until then sustaining his 

 soldiers, without having suitable weather for leaving. With 

 all this fleet Joao Caiado anchored at the bar of Columbo on 

 the 4th of December ; and the large champana in anchoring, by 

 fault of the pilot, went so near to the land that in turning she 

 struck thereon with her poop, and went to pieces ; and it 

 pleased God that the greater part of the men escaped on land, 

 and the rest were lost, it being a dark night 3 : there were lost 

 in her a thousand candis of rice, cloths, butter, and other 

 things, which beside being a serious loss for the owners, who 

 were bringing everything for sale, was one for that fortress, 

 as with that it would have been well supplied with everything. 

 But in spite of this that succour was much welcomed, owing to 

 its being in charge of such a fidalgo and cavalier and consisting 

 of so much provision as that cafila brought. And as the 

 weather served for the ship of the voyage to return to India, 

 Philipe de Carvalho, her captain, who till then had assisted in 

 that fortress with all his soldiers, whom he messed, and took 

 part in all the engagements that occurred during that time, 

 told Joao Correa to provide the ship with a captain, as he 

 intended to remain in that fortress with all his soldiers as long 

 as the siege lasted, that for that reason he had accepted that 

 voyage. Joao Correa was not willing to accept the compliment 

 from him, and told him that it was necessary for him to 

 return in the ship, both for the safety of the artillery that was 

 in her, and to inform the viceroy of the state in which that 

 fortress was ; and although he repeated his request he would 

 not consent to it, and made him embark and set sail on the 

 15th of December, that fortress being now in a position not 

 only to defend itself against Raju, but even to take the offensive 



1 The printed edition omits this clause. 



2 See supra, p. 320. 



3 The manuscript omits this clause. 



