theisland, And' its valuable productions, ^T)a?dcjhi:niitai’h,'hi^afcïè'n-
tion ta ■ cultivating1 a ' closerd connection’ with '■ the iiatry.es ; ’ vand
thés difficulty whicte rtlfoÿ-ifelt m defending 'themselves1 against the
attacks •of'i'.the Arabs ierfdeied' themHexiicinely willing to enter
into an alliance * with ' a people, whose ■ damîg^enthiDiis'è and
"ti cmenddust aims‘ we> eKso well calculatedi hdh&tuke tei’i e r ! into
their enemies.' Almeyha,vtherefore,■ 'on being introduced: to- th e ,
Kingipl-'eCeylon,' had little difficulty iiî: .persuading diimsii® pay
am annual tribute to the'.Portuguese^ on : condition that ' tliéy
should 'protect Ins - coasts^- from external invasion, with which
he vwas; then tffieat^fêlly %r tthe^ ^ ta a r in > o6«^ecMn^jh thé
Malabar côasty and a ’ Rajéth who reigned on that Ip a tt
the Coromandel •’coast)-’• opposite to Ceylon.
TiltsngJtuatidni in wMèfa^ Alfeieydâ' found the* fwàsTTh<4t
essentially^! différent; k m - its present state ,f: eS’é^it' dn - thèëb
«ïègftgek* whjeh have been introduced • fittodÜ fey¥3tsk§®cG^iye,
European^ initiates1.;L The fehabitan^ts htiiMSted Affi^wo:‘ttistltib1i
races of people. Thé Savhge- Bedas then, ' as riow, • oceupiedthe
large forpstsy particularly in ’{tbffi nétthêm p àftst 'tb e^ ^ st^ tii
the island Was< in possession of the Cinglese.
the sea-èoast were not as ÿét i’avîsh'éd from thé lattep pèdpîe
by foreign invaders ; arid their king-held- his couCfcL ât Columbo,
wMCh ih. now» the Eùropéa# eapifol of -Çeylérn;;
Was^efca» théâ thé principal prodtijet and th e ’âtapte ébiiraddity
of the island, as we find by the tribute paid 'by thé^k'ïrig' 'tel
the Portuguese, which consisté^ of two htffidiied'and fifty
thousand pounds weight of cinnamon.
Such] are the few circumstances r^pectii^ Cejdbhi Which can
be collected from the- Ï narratives of its1 first PortUguèseWisïtops.
The minds o f these adventte?ers Weré too tench occupied!with
inquiries into themanners of the ngjtisv«^ ofi-tbe
n atu rat.3 ;l^b ^ !-*0fc>f^e|b;coii!ntjRy(i eThe^siiiehishajiveit which %»
'5«^i®gpapn yj|f tCejifoa sffiave
ffetftti ith&i #h*ffcol^^jWhibK attcailedigiteiafiteniiojt .pf iAlMeydM;
h ta endeavouring to sebum these
^dvajnbagsfe 'by fforming «a oPcftrfcugMii^ehsiditlRinenil. a ^ ;tb d dipped.
.Th^iibiibdiucfe! Jjfe oaxpeisteding^uMed ith i^ e a d su ^ ra n d
indignsiljofifof
| | i M I wid® ddhtteyday ^iptba|'riyedi: ftdres)were anany
^ j;ty ip ’ii3^^gjbufo@he'bt®fwth0m ffckiy albiptnedn^tyoTeigriii^t^
,|g^reiipv3nw>fth^o@h©lfe ,Q£>tiie - islapiitBfJ^jMasrgfo Brahmin
apd encouraged { a yti’fldtec|9ih|©T|st hi« otofajatthra ihenfi^ b r j^ffis» an
#.ith ;;tfee Mpors. andoMatebars. of ItliejceontineBte gTbiseifbatlo'ns
■dbseryi&g (;ibafotiiea®i»tiigdese'. bad itedn tot^Qd;iteWdl:%%{'S^te
.against'their .incro'a^hpients,, aadufoamig that theirtraffic
be : cut '.off b p these ' sta;angers, began to foment' jeafeusi#| between
the. hung*.and the^Eurqpebmsr - Almeycla> dlacD^obtaffie’d' IglRfe
fiBoraiiithtei ifpnarchi; ttiiidffeffid wrthuit^e ailktiwgsj heHuhard^SI
procured: j^ffifssibiit tcbfhfcuildi aitforl at Columbo; pf ■
tl® 'MoOrs> f^ ew eR '# '^ 'ti* a fl^ o t0#r ki^fc’rapeaS .'gfefep,.
and.: »resolvertorrevoke’■-them;.' Abdordk'glyrI)ei!:B»tli^f ah .eiffi^
who had-1!foeC®;;«erf^:byc,Alffi^da:>.wifehIi8oldpisi tdiAiWdfkffibn j
to feitehfei.hlfoefert, on his mtpivirig «St the spot, found it already
e.ccupi«d;%nthe Mb®i^|ferho/ With jfefasndinofir«^f of: the CeyW
lbxiese,i attadbed; Mj^pswtyb a j# atpok -ffrisCai^PS .•
fch^ese w te ’had laadfediiwitiiioniickilppiti^; an^^readh^yy ©e
Brito’,however,', in his turn - wasscion! enabled t# beat. t h | ^ tiff
withvtgreajbilibsi;
•along the shore, and build a small fort on a rock projecting