.iirfosthei s6i,rfor his pfioteefcioii§ibefore tbe Mdofs^agaia*Renewed
^thteijo attack*-5'wKicli > theyiudid with ^sich) fury ■ aiid Obstinacy
■as- almost $o' pvcrpbii«2ipftle bravery of the | [
.. - idDe iBrito after-rhaving sectti-ed himself against the attacks of
the Moors,' took advantige of 'some internal troubles; which ‘ then
distracted > .Ceylony | a n d | .obliged t ‘ the King in , the'ye&r: -1522■; at
length torJ give aJvtelnetamt'Hcon^entj^o'ra Renewal of theyor'iginal
.±reaty<ii. as vgeH: as Ml'permission to build a. fortress at Gohimitoo.
This new treaty however - was^qaiekhinfringetJ, "andthe Gan-
dians succeeded! in surmising Columbo while' the‘ ^ e a te y part
pQf ! the )Portugheie troops vhad marched out against the ! na-
tivesi A desperate ~battleji5in which' th e !(3eylohe»e were Cbta-
plefely defeated’,; soon-restored the: superiority -to 'the Ku'fiSpeaif;;
and. j^the. :Kll§ Was r .compelled ifiot:;&hly ' fobreneW-Hthfe
jthe, original treaty, .but also to give them sd^eral of his elephants
and a large qflaMi^rfctf «cinnaindni.s 5
The King- now begaa to despair of ^recovering; Golumbo,and
only thought ‘ of preventing,1 the Portuguese front extending their
possessions. : I For ;i this purpose b eo b u ilt; a strong fortress at
Sittiyacca, 35 miles from Columbo; and . rendered; th e passes
Cuddavilli and Garawaddi,. which-led intOKthe interior ofhiidomi-
•mons, still more; impenetrable than they had been formedby nature.
To divert the perpetual.'attacks of th e Ceyloneses and to give
themselves an opportunity to continue their .encroachments^ 'the
Portuguese began .to foment i internal dissensions,«; among >the natives.
. The King, whowas a-Weaky; irresolute prhw?fe> and. nineh ,
attached to his religious j habits, found himself totally tunable
to cope; with the policy, and disciplined bravery i of the, Portuguese.
1 The latter therefore* gradually ...extended; their possess*
fobs,'and .already began'io -tre a t th e '"unfortunate natives with
. i Hi
y'dtj^^s;uat!?thisv.pèlïó'd-2<thafc .Raja Smgai .startedrbp: ! he was a
m a n ^ i 'Mv#)drih,'jbut bymhis talents* > and mtfepidify "rose tdi
tike highestvrank andxpower.t He soon- ascqukeddsuch ?a‘ com*
. pfeté'i ascebdane^ovfife the - King, thatfshe had? most óf . the .nobles
püt'fo^dëath toiscttiÉyahis jèailausy^a®d"ambiti®a; and*lastly hej
fcaished his' career by murdering,'thècKing hinjself andAisurping?
t-hettorotoC': Ttoe^Mj^oneseij acgudes^ed^h^vTOorp;, readily, J n his.
go&dnjmenb,» as to him fori their "«deliveranteeifefromi
tfeeJif^rtng'uese^fiwHo« had inowahyetlieih'tyrannytiand teligfoi'sl
pétèeentiojnEimaide’.thhiïselves h e rdgardedby thêü natives Vathttbei
most) mottai|aversicfti; <’ Raga Singa so faaii answered ithene&pec-
tatïoiïsf ofshis sèbjectsy, as tia continue «a fangröotirserèf thé most
nor; Werehis j ex“^
' ploife ' ordiréharacter mnhben ibóse>-etf a l prihC<grof>.ithe' darnel-name
whó, - fn: bbêdsiièeeCd i»g> eentury, undertook a warfare föfithê same.
SsiAflsefe 'Raga ‘Suaga had*taken pèssèssïow of?the ctown.andntrea^
sbcesrófi'his'Jiïlaster, 'fee appointed, Yinna hamentina governor.0®
t h e ^ » A d s , while herhimself, marched^ intaïtfeeifow roountry to»
carry) oróthet war againstfctihètiPoringnes<h/ He commenced his«-
a,ttaföks," with v.-much 'tttöèessv and t his. • enemies^ w ith difficulty
retained-'Aeif^footin^ in ^the island. Vinna§;.ihowever/ took
advantage of his aibseitëtifcto excite an insuÉreetimi. againstfbim,
and; to make Mhfeelf master of severah o^- th h internal« pi'oyirieesy
RaJaifSipgal was ^wiiisrtoge&'^td.turiiï hifr' ai-mssagainst'^his new
eneö^ry.and' the Portuguese by ithis* means were enablediVto
pècóver . théméelves . andï to lbécprne :^he a^ailantS:: iii^ their, £ turh>-
The usurpetj' finding himself bard' pressed;' ónlhveiy side, came
I...m k