424 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XX. 



to flight, and took from them all the fortifications, whereupon 

 they vacated the territories, and retired to the limits of 

 Seitavaca, and our people committed conspicuous cruelties 

 on the inhabitants of the villages that had rebelled, as an 

 example to the others. 



The tyrant having learnt of this, and fearing that our 

 people would go and attack his fort and tranqueiras, sought to 

 divert them from this : to which end he sent the greater part 

 of his force to the two princes of the Corlas, in order that they 

 with the other rebels might go and attack our tranqueiras in 

 the direction of Chilao 1 on the border of the sea, so as to 

 draw our people thither, and thereby secure the territories that 

 he desired. Of this the general soon had word, and advised 

 those in the arrayal of everything, so that they might be 

 ready and on the alert, in order to go and fall of a sudden upon 

 the enemy, or attempt to enter their territories, so as to oblige 

 them to desist from that design ; and because the locality 

 in which they had their arrayal was fai from our people, and 

 on the road were great impediments of rivers and swamps, 

 they would not be able to catch them without being dis- 

 covered : wherefore they thought it better to enter their 

 territories, and attack their city itself, the capital of the 

 Seven Corlas 2 , where the principal rebels were residing, who 

 at that time were roving outside with all their forces, waging 

 war on our territories, because they had in that city their 

 riches, wives, and children. And so they went marching at 

 full speed, resting neither night nor day, fighting with the 

 enemy that were in guard of several passes ; and reaching the 

 city that they had gone to seek, although they found it fortified 

 with tranqueiras and ditches, they attacked it with such 

 determination, that they entered it, killing amodeliar who was 

 left there as captain and many soldiers, and the city was forth- 

 with set fire to and burnt with all its wealth, which was much, 

 in order that our men might not be hindered by the sack. 



Having done this, our people retired in very good order, 

 a.nd avoiding the road by which the princes might come to 

 succour their city ; and yet in those by which they retreated 



1 Gf. supra, p. 405, note 6 . 



2 Apparently Kurun^gala is meant, though Couto nowhere mentions 

 this place by name (c/. supra, p. 175, note x ). In fact, though 

 Bocarro and other Portuguese authorities speak of the " Cornagal 

 Corla," I have found no reference to the town in any Portuguese writer. 

 Knox enters " Cornogoll " in his map, but does not mention the place 

 in his book. (See, however, M . L. B. iv. 155, where Mattegama is 

 described as capital of the Seven K orates.) 



