41 s ] JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL.-XX. 



become easier to them. And with this they also intended to 

 divert the general to the frontier of the Four Corles, so as not 

 to be able to succour those of Corvite ; and to that part moved 

 the tyrant Dom Joao with all the rest of the force : since, 

 with our people occupied in so many parts, they could effect 

 their purposes. Of all this the captain-general was soon 

 advised by spies that he kept near the tyrant. 



Wherefore with much speed he ordered to be mustered all 

 the men of war white and black, with whom he took the field ; 

 and learning that the tyrant had dispatched a number of troops 

 to go and assault our tranqueira of Ruanella 1 , and disquiet the 

 vassals of that part, he dispatched Antonio da Costa, a 

 captain -major of part of the native troops, with orders that if 

 he should need more men he was to get them from the garrisons 

 of Ceitavaca and others that could well dispense with them 

 with safety. With these troops he went making a circuit 

 through the Four Corlas, upon which the enemy whom the 

 tyrant had sent to that part straightway retired ; and word 

 coming to the general that the enemy were approaching the 

 fort of Corvite, he dispatched the greater portion of the 

 array al to go and succour it, leaving only a modeliar with five 

 hundred lascarins in guard of the frontiers of the Seven Corlas ; 

 and he sent orders to Salvador Pereira, who was in the fort of 

 Corvite, that without delay he was to sally forth from it, and 

 go and assault the enemy's arrayal with the greatest caution 

 and secrecy that he could : which he at once did on the troops' 

 reaching him, and went by night by unfrequented roads, 

 through jungles and thorny plains, until he reached the place 

 where was the vanguard of the enemy, quite unsuspicious 

 of such a surprise. And before they knew what it was, the 

 greater part of them were routed and slain ; and those that 

 escaped being put to flight, Salvador Pereira pursued them so 

 hotly, that as if intermingled with them they came upon the 

 rearguard, upon which they fell with such impetus and fury, 

 that they immediately gained an entrance to the interior of 

 the arrayal, where they routed them with the loss of many 

 killed, among whom were the principal modeliar es, and two 

 handsome elephants captured, with many arms, banners, and 

 other spoils : and it is affirmed that there died of the enemy 

 in these assaults more than a thousand, and many that were 

 taken prisoners, the princes of Mature 2 and Dinavaca escaping 

 in the darkness of the night. This victory was so famous 

 and put such terror into the Chingalas, that they bestowed 

 upon Salvador Pereira the surname of Corvite Capitdo. Of 



1 See supra, p. 405, note 6 . 



1 Who the " prince of Mature " was, I am unable to say. 



