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



421 



not come under my notice, and Dom Fernando modeliar as 

 captain-major 1 , all of whom did great feats. This took place 

 in the month of October past of 1597 2 . 



1 So pleased was the king of Spain with the news of this victory, that 

 he bestowed upon Dom Fernando the order of Christ and a village in 

 Ceylon producing an annual rent of five hundred parddos (see M. Lit. 

 Reg. xv. 165, note). 



2 On 17 December 1597 the Goa chamber, in their annual letter 

 to the king, wrote {A. P.-O. i. n. 53) : — " On the affairs of Ceilao we 

 made our comments last year to your majesty [see supra, p. 408, 

 note 2 ], and no others now offer themselves except to repeat those 

 same ones with greater vehemence, in order that this conquest do 

 not drain us dry as it is doing, and we lose the present opportunity, 

 for which those of old so longed, to be able with one less advantageous 

 than this to annex this island to the state, as, without head and without 

 limbs, it was offered to us in due season, with four rebels demoralized ; 

 but yet <the desired effect cannot be attained without a separate force 

 from that kingdom [Portugal], as the count must be writing to your 

 majesty." Of the " four rebels " Simao Correa was one, and probably 

 Antonio Barreto (see infra, p. 439, note l ), was another ; while a 

 third may have been Kannangara arachchi (see C. A. S. Jl. xi. 467 ; 

 Rdjdv. 99) ; the fourth may have been Kuruppu mudali (see Rdjdv. 

 99 ; Boc. 498). Further on in the same letter the Goa chamber say 

 {A. P.-O. i. ii. 59) : — " Andre Furtado de Mendonca has always resided 

 in this city with many charges and expenses, and ready for any occasion 

 of service to your majesty, whereby he is much in debt, and now he 

 has been chosen by the count viceroy for the conquest of Ceilao, which 

 he accepted with that zeal and integrity that he has always had on all 

 occasions of service to your majesty, and as a captain so fortunate 

 and of such experience we hope that he will obtain the result that we 

 desire by succeeding in reducing that island entirely to obedience to 

 your majesty ; and for all these reasons he deserves to be encouraged 

 by your majesty with honours and rewards." What was the reason of 

 the intended supersession of D. Jeronimo de Azevedo by Andre Furtado 

 de Mendoca we learn from a letter from the new king of Spain 

 (Philip II. died on 17 September 1598) written on 10 December 

 1598, printed in Arch. Port.-Or. iii. (932-4). Therein Philip III. 

 acknowledges the receipt of a letter, dated 15 December 1597, from 

 the viceroy, in which the latter expresses his intention of prosecuting 

 the conquest of Ceylon, " and of sending as general thereof Andre 

 Furtado de Mendoca, because of his parts and experience, and because 

 of the natives of those parts fearing him on account of the good success 

 that he had in Jafanapatao, and on account of being liked by the 

 soldiers, and in order that Dom Jeronimo de Azevedo who was there 

 might be able to come and rest, for which he begged with much urgency, 

 and because of his being somewhat harsh to the soldiers, and," says 

 the king, " that you had determined to send with the said Andre 



