384 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CBYLON). [VOL. XYIII. 
fifty-two years old at this time/" which would make him 
forty-one years older than his son Tikiri Bandara. Tikiri 
Bandara, or, as he began to be called early in life, Raja Sinha, 
ascended the throne eleven years before his own death,t 
that is to say, according to the accepted account, in the 
109th year of his age. According to that account, then, his 
father must have reached at that date the extraordinary age 
of 150 years. This sufficiently transcends the credible ; but 
the marvel grows when it is found necessary for a son, 
who, according to history, was in possession of plenary 
powers of regent,J to murder a parent of such venerable 
years, for the pleasure of sitting physically on a throne 
which in other respects he was filling, to all intents and 
purposes, with credit to himself and satisfaction to his 
father. 
On the question of probability, therefore, the story of this 
parricide is beset with much difficulty. Is it supported by 
the evidence, direct or indirect, of the histories written 
nearest to the period treated of ? We have three such histories 
from three independent sources, one from the side of the 
Portuguese, one from the Dutch, and one from the Sinhalese 
Bide ; the earliest coming from these respective nationalities 
with regard to this period. All these three works are written 
in plain language, in great simplicity of style, and nowhere 
indicate any signs of aiming at embellishment or artistic 
effect. We may, therefore, safely conclude that the writers 
recorded what was actually known in their day, and intended 
to be truthful above all things. 
The Portuguese account from the pen of the faithful 
Ribeiro, who saw Raja Sinha through Portuguese spectacles, 
* This is arrived at as follows : allow twenty-one years to Mayadunne at 
the time of the birth of his daughter, who was his third child {BAjdwaliya^ 
Eng. trans., p. 82), sixteen years to the Princess at the time of the birth of 
her daughter, and fifteen years to the younger Princess at the time of 
her marriage. 
\ Bell, Report on Kegalla District, p. 7. See also Danvers, '* Portuguese 
in India," vol. II., p. 44. 
X Rdjdwaliya^ Eng. trans., p. 84. 
