358 



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



[Vol. XX. 



and meet him in the field, and send and make war on him along 

 all his coast. 



And for that purpose he ordered to equip five foists, two 

 charatones 1 , and ten small tones, and appointed as captain- 

 major Pero Afonso or ache, a man of much experience of the 

 whole of that coast, and gave him thirty Portuguese and one 

 hundred and fifty lascarins, and ordered him to go in the 

 direction of Galle, and to destroy and lay waste all Raju's ports 

 in that part. This fleet having left Columbo, they went to the 

 point of Gale destroying everyhing that they came across, 

 chiefly the villages of Berberi, Belicote 2 . and others ; and turn- 

 ing the point of Gale to the further side they disembarked at 

 the city of Beligao 3 , where they wrought great destruction, and 

 killed and captivated much people , and the lascarins committed 

 very great cruelties on women and children, because, in order to 

 get from them their earrings and bracelets, they cut off their 

 ears and hands ; and leaving everything burnt and plundered, 

 they passed on to other places, which they proceeded to lay 

 waste and destroy : and thus they spent the whole time that 

 their provisions lasted ; and when they were finished, they 

 returned to Columbo laden with prizes, and with one hundred 

 and eighty persons captives. As soon as Rajii learnt of it he 

 blasphemed with rage and fury, seeing that our people, while 

 being besieged, set so little store by him, that they went to 

 destroy his towns and cities, with regard to which he did not 

 know what resolution to come to ; and fearing another expedi- 

 tion like that, he sent one day to call out to those in the fortress 

 to tell the captain to send Pero 4 Baiao to him, as he had 

 matters of importance to treat of with him : to which they did 

 not reply to the purpose, because it was at once understood 

 that these were diversions to embarrass our people. 



At the same period, which was in December, a few days after 

 the ship of the voyage had left, there appeared a new and cruel 

 sickness, which was general among the people of the country: 

 and it was so terrible, that, on account of the many that 

 died, they thought that it was poison that they had cast into 

 their wells, wherefore all went about affrighted. The disease 

 commenced in the feet with a swelling, which went ascending 

 to the legs, and thence to the belly, and to the breast, where, as 



1 This word occurs also in VII. vm. xi. I do not know its origin. 



2 So also in the manuscript ; but it should be Belitote = Welitota or 

 Welitara, near Balapitiya (c/. p. 171). 



3 See supra, p. 266. 



4 Although both the manuscript and the printed edition have " Pero " 

 or " Pedro," I think we ought to read " Jeronymo " (c/. supra, p. 321, 

 and infra, p. 363). 



