THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
5 
ever, are nowise to be depended upon ; and the wild stories 
current among the natives, throw no light whatever on the ancient 
history of the island. The earliest period at which we can look 
for any authentic information, is the arrival of the Portuguese 
under Almeyda, in the year 1505. Being accidentally forced by 
stress of weather into one of the harbours of Ceylon, lie was 
hospitably received by the inhabitants. The situation of the 
island, and its valuable productions, made him turn his attention 
to cultivating a closer connection with the natives ; and the diffi- 
culty which they felt in defending themselves against the attacks 
of the Arabs, rendered them extremely willing to enter into an 
alliance with a people, whose daring enterprise and tremendous 
arms were so well calculated to strike terror into their enemies. 
Almeyda therefore, on being introduced to the king of Ceylon, 
had little difficulty in persuading him to pay an annual tribute 
to the Portuguese, on condition that they should protect his 
coasts from all external invasions. 
The situation in which Almeyda found the island, was not essen- 
tially different from its present state, except in those changes which 
have been introduced into it by its successive European inmates. 
The inhabitants consisted of two distinct races of people. The 
savage Bedas then, as now, occupied the large forests, particu- 
larly in the northern parts; the rest of the island was in the pos- 
session of the Cingtese. The towns of the sea-coast were not 
as yet ravished from the latter people by foreign invaders ; and 
their king held his court at Columbo, which is now the European 
capital of Ceylon. Cinnamon was even then the principal pro- 
