NO. 60. — 1908.] PORTUGUESE HISTORY OF CEYLON. 



391 



accompanying Dom Joao d' Austria in this expedition on the 

 chance of regaining his father's throne. Accordingly an 

 armada set sail from Goa, under the command of Joao de Mello 

 de Sampayo 1 , the former captain of Mannar 2 , for this island, 

 where a large force was landed, which, with as little delay as 

 possible, set out on the march for Kandy, there accompanying 

 it not only Dom Joao d' Austria, but Dom Filippe, his son 

 Dom Joao, his wife and mother, and his retinue. Raja Sinha 

 attempted in vain to bar the way ; and the Portuguese army 

 with little or no opposition entered the hill capital and took 

 possession of it 3 . As soon as they had occupied Kandy the 

 Portuguese proclaimed Dom Filippe king, his son Dom Joao 

 being sworn in as heir, while the mudaliyar Dom Joao 

 d' Austria was appointed commander-in-chief of the native 

 army 4 . Dom Filippe 's reign was, however, of very short 

 duration 5 , his death taking place within a brief space of time 6 , 

 and his young son Dom Joao, a boy of twelve, being proclaimed 

 king in succession. 



1 So says the document printed in Col. de Trat. i. 226. A preceding 

 document, however, states (220) that the armada was commanded by 

 Andre Furtado de Mendonca, which is, I think, an error of confusion 

 (see below, p. 393, note 5 )o Baldseus {Ceylon iii.), quoting a version of 

 this document, has the same error. 



2 See supra, p. 305, notes 4 and 5 . 



3 Col. de Trat. i. 220, 226. The Hist. Seraf. (iii. 541) says that the 

 throne of Kandy was at this time occupied by a certain " D. Fran- 

 cisco Vezugo," who had rebelled against Raja Sinha — " this Raju, or 

 terror [rayo] of Christianity " ; and that, on the entry of the Portuguese 

 into the city, this man, either through fear or from innate goodness, 

 peacefully resigned his position. Who this person with the " fishy " 

 Portuguese name was, I have no idea, as I can find no other reference 

 to him. Baldaeus (Ceylon xi.) mentions a " Visego Modeliar " as 

 governor of Negumbo in 1612. 



4 Col. de Trat. i. 220, 226 ; Bald. u.s. 



5 The Hist. Seraf. says (iii. 542) that during his brief reign there 

 was a vigorous propagation of Christianity throughout the Kandy an 

 districts. Among those baptized at the court were the queen (Dona. 

 Catharina), the dowager queen (Dona Maria), and many nobles of royal 

 blood. 



6 The document in Col. de Trat. i. (220) and Bald. Ceylon iii., iv., 

 ascribe D. Filippe's death to poison administered at the instance of D. 

 Joao d' Austria, who was enraged at not being made king. 



