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



423 



weak and had only a small force. And he was given courage 

 for this by a victory that he gained over the native troops on 

 our side 1 , which was the cause of some vassals of those parts 

 of Seitavaca and Cota rebelling ; and these territories which 

 thus rebelled, the tyrant sought to support and defend, for 

 which purpose he commanded a fort to be made on the confines 

 of the Four Corlas 2 , in which he placed a large and good 

 garrison of soldiers and modeliares. As soon as the general had 

 advice of this he ordered all the troops that he had in those 

 parts to unite, and to fortify themselves in the village of Atana- 

 gale, in which was stationed as captain Francisco Pimentel, 

 it being a strong position and suited for withstanding 

 the enemy and for making the rebellious territories return to 

 their obedience. This fort Simao Pinhao caused to be made 3 . 

 The tyrant was much exasperated at this, and commanded 

 that war to be prosecuted with much ardour : wherefore the 

 whole force concentrated in the fort of Atanagale, whence our 

 people made various assaults on the territories of the enemy, 

 in which they killed and captured many, whereupon part of 

 the rebellious territories returned to their obedience, and the 

 tyrant proceeded to retire, and our people to go forward 

 another day's march in order to get near to him , because they 

 greatly desired to encounter him. 



The tyrant seeing himself so hard pressed ordered a good 

 fort to be made on the top of a hill close to our force, and 

 within our territories, both in order to support those that were 

 under his obedience and the better to secure his own and the 

 other fort that he had on the confines of the Four Corlas, 

 which was that on which they relied most of all. Our people 

 learning of the fort that was being made close to them on the 

 top of the hill assaulted it before it w^as completed, and entered 

 it with such determination and courage, that, with a loss to the 

 enemy of many killed, they gained it, and entirely razed it ; 

 and as those that were in the tranqueira of the Four Corlas did 

 not seem willing to retire entirely from our territories, but 

 rather were confident of dominating them thence by means of 

 some fortifications that had been made by them in the passes 

 where our people might attack them, the general ordered the 

 arrayal to proceed thither ; and in some skirmishes that they 

 had there with the enemy they defeated them and put them 



1 This Portuguese reverse was probably more serious than Couto 

 cares to admit. 



2 I cannot identify the site of this fort. 



3 Couto does not again mention this fort, nor can I find any reference 

 to it in other writers (c/. C. A. S. Jl. xvi. 92, note). Attanagalla 

 occupies an important position, commanding roads in all directions. 



