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



375 



the van to Rodrigo Alvres, and with them Miguel Ferreira 1 

 Baracho, and Domingos Pereira arache ; and the first thing they 

 did was to attack a tranqueira that they had on the beach on a 

 hillock, the which our people took by force of blows to the hurt 

 of the enemy ; and leaving some soldiers to guard it. Thome de 

 Sousa proceeded to march on the city, which they attacked with 

 great determination ; and the inhabitants, not trusting in the 

 guardianship of their pagode, on seeing the Portuguese aban- 

 doned the city, and betook themselves inland. Our people 

 proceeded to enter it without encountering any resistance, and 

 reaching the pagode broke open the gates, and entered it without 

 meeting with anyone to resist them, and went all round it to see 

 if they found any people ; and seeing that all was deserted, 

 Thome de Sousa delivered it over to the soldiers that they might 

 do their duty : and the first thing in which they employed them- 

 selves was to destroy the idols, of which there were more than a 

 thousand of divers forms, some of clay, others of wood, others 

 of copper, and many of them gilt. Having done this, they 

 demolished 2 the whole of that infernal structure of pagodes, 

 destroying their vaults and cloisters , knocking them all to pieces, 

 and then proceeded to sack the storehouses, in which they 

 found much ivory, fine clothes, copper, pepper, sandalwood, 

 jewels, precious stones, and ornaments of the pagodes, and of 

 everything they took what they liked, and to the rest they set 

 fire, by which the whole was consumed. And for greater insult 

 to the pagode, they slaughtered inside several cows, which is the 

 most unclean thing that can be , and for the purification of which 

 are required very great ceremonies. And they also set fire to a 

 wooden car made after the manner of a towered house of seven 

 stories, all large and most beautiful, lackered in divers colours 

 and gilt in many parts, a costly and sumptuous work, which 

 served to convey the principal idol on a ride through the city to 

 which likewise they set fire, by which the whole was consumed. 



Upon this our people retired laden with prizes, and from 

 there returned to Beligao , whither chanced to come that 

 soldier of whom we have said above that he disappeared 

 from them in Mature, who related that in going about the city 

 he lost himself, and on going to look for the vessels he found them 

 no longer there, and that until then he had remained hidden 

 by day, and at night had journeyed in search of the armada. 

 This man was welcomed by all, because they held him for 

 dead, and there Thom6 de Sousa continued to cruise about, 

 until the captain of Ceilao ordered him to return 3 . 



1 The printed edition has erroneously " Fernandes." 



2 The printed edition has " despised." 



8 See the end of the next chapter (p. 379). 



