NO. 60. — 1908.] PORTUGUESE HISTORY OF CEYLON. 401 



the beginning of May this fleet reached Columbo 1 . At this 

 time Pedro Homem Pereira was still absent in connection 

 with the expedition to Sitavaka 2 , but soon returned : 

 his feelings on learning that henceforth he was to occupy a 

 subordinate position may well be imagined ; and there is 

 probably only too much truth in the statements of some 

 writers to the effect that the disaster that overtook Pero 

 Lopes was connived at by the captain of Columbo 3 . The 

 setting in of the south-west monsoon rendered it impossible 

 for any hostile movement to be made for at least three months, 

 and this period was doubtless spent in the discussion and 

 maturing of the plan of campaign. At last, all being ready, 

 leaving Pedro Homem Pereira in Columbo with a sufficient 

 garrison 4 , Pero Lopes de Sousa set forth in September 5 for 

 Kandy with a strong force of Portuguese and Sinhalese sol- 

 diers, being accompanied, or joined on the way, by Jayavira 

 Bandara and his body of troops 6 . On reaching the Paraoa- 

 kuru korale 7 the army halted, and Francisco da Silva, the 

 Castilian, was dispatched to bring Dona Catharina, in order 

 that she might accompany the forces that were to place 

 her on the throne of Kandy 8 . Resuming its march, the 



1 Ribeiro (loc. cit.) says that Pero Lopes called first at Mannar, where 

 he 'embarked Dona Catharina, and then proceeded to Negumbo. 



2 Vida de M. de Alb. i. xxiv. 



3 See M. Lit. Reg. iv. 213 ; Rib. u.s. 4 Vida de M. de Alb., u.s. 



5 None of the authorities gives the time of year in which this expedi- 

 tion took place : but that it was in September-October appears certain 

 (cf. supra, p. 397, note 3 , and infra, p. 403, note 4 ). 



6 Baldseus (Ceylon hi.) gives a palpably supposititious list of the whole 

 force, with the exact numbers of soldiers, war elephants, aliyds, draft 

 oxen, and coolies, the totals of which do not work out quite correctly. 



7 So I interpret Faria y Sousa's " Palnagure." 



8 I here follow Faria y Sousa (Asia Port. III. I. ix.), who appears to 

 quote from some reliable authority. Where Dona Catharina was at 

 this time I cannot say for certain, the different accounts being at 

 variance with one another on this point, as also in regard to other 

 details of the 'expedition. The Rdjdvaliya (97) says that the Portuguese 

 took Dona Catharina with them, hoping that if she married Vimala- 

 daham Surya she would help them to get to Kandy — a very unlikely 

 supposition ! Bald, (u.s.) says that the Portuguese erected " for their 

 security three fortresses, Manikeroweri, Mapati, and Gannatari " 

 (Menikkadavara, Attapitiya ?, and Ganetenna). 



2 D 36-08 



