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



437 



of that expedition, in which he had had such confidence, 

 determined to unite his forces, and once more carry on the war 

 in that part, which he could not do, because his people had 

 become so timid after these events, and so disgusted with that 

 war, that they were unwilling to take part in it, whereupon 

 the tyrant used them with great cruelty, commanding many 

 to be beheaded, and ordered to summon the king of Huva, 

 who came, and went in person through his territories collecting 

 troops until he had formed a respectable army : whereupon 

 he once more dispatched that king with orders to keep clear of 

 our people, and go and impede the designs of Dom Jeronimo, 

 which were to oblige the natives of the corlas to return to the 

 obedience in which they were before, in order thereby to be 

 able more easily to endeavour the conquest of the kingdom of 

 Candea and bring the war to his very doors, so as thus to pen 

 him in in such fashion that either he would have to quit the 

 territories, or he would so dog him, as at last to kill him or 

 get him into his hands : the which the tyrant well understood, 

 and strove all he could to divert him. And to this end he had 

 secret communications with the lascarins of our army that was 

 on the frontiers of Dinavaca, and by means of bribes got them 

 to desert to him, whereby those territories underwent a change. 



As soon as our people saw that the lascarins had deserted 

 to the enemy, they withdrew to the forts of Corvite and 

 Batugedere, where they were besieged, having the whole 

 population against them. The general was at this time on 

 the frontiers of Candea taken up with the conquest that he 

 wished to make in that kingdom, whereby the enemy had 

 opportunity of regaining courage, and of doing some damage 

 in our territories, and invading them as far as in front of the 

 tranqueira Malvana 1 . Having been advised of this, Dom 

 Jeronimo provided the tranqueira of Manicravare, in which 

 he was, with three companies of soldiers, the captains of which 

 were Thome Coelho, who was head of all, Joao Serrao da 

 Cunha, and Diogo de Araujo 2 , and with food and munitions 

 for many days. And he himself with a company of soldiers 

 and eight hundred lascarins proceeded to the city of Seitavaca : 

 it being in the middle of the whole kingdom, and closer to 

 the frontier of Dinavaca, where the enemy were operating : 

 against whom he dispatched Simao Pinhao with another com- 

 pany of soldiers and eight hundred lascarins, who encoun- 

 tered them in the village of Sofragao 3 ; and after having had 

 with them a well contested engagement, our men drove them 



1 See supra, p. 405, note \ 



2 The 1645 edition has " Arahuio." 



3 Ratnapura. 



