This Was A Severe But Just Retribution Upon The
Portuguese, As They Had Slain An Ambassador Sent By The King Of Candy To
Treat Of An Accommodation, That They Might Jointly Carry On The War
Against Nicapeti.
After this the king of Candy marched against the
Portuguese fort of Balane, which he reduced; yet immediately sent a
message to the general Pereyra, offering to treat of peace.
In 1617, the Portuguese affairs were in a dangerous situation in Ceylon,
having at the same time to make war on the king of Candy, Antonio
Barreto, and Nicapeti, who was still in considerable strength
notwithstanding his late defeat. Pereyra divided his forces with
considerable hazard, and put all to the sword in the revolted districts,
sparing neither age nor sex; but neither will mercy and kind usage
conciliate the Chingalese, nor cruelty terrify them into submission.
Part of the forces pursued Nicapeti from Pelandu to Catugambala,
Devamede and Coraagal, taking several forts, killing many of the
enemy, and making 600 prisoners. The usurper retired to Talampeti his
usual refuge, and the Portuguese advanced to Polpeti where they came
in sight of the enemys camp, and forcing their works passed on to
Balapane of Religiam, whence they sent away the prisoners and wounded
men. At this time the Portuguese force was divided, one part marching
against Barreto while the other continued to follow Nicapeti, but were
able to effect very little, and after being quite spent with fatigue
went into quarters at Botale.
Having received reinforcements, Pereyra marched in person with a
considerable force to drive Barreto from Sofragam and Matura,
leaving Gomez Pinto with his regiment to-secure Alicur and oppose
Nicapeti, while Cesar stayed to defend Botale with 100 men. The
Portuguese were successful on all sides, driving the enemy from their
works and slaughtering great numbers of them in the woods. In May the
army advanced against Nicapeti, who was strongly entrenched at Moratena,
yet fled towards Candy with such speed that he could not be got up with.
He was at length overtaken in the desert of Anorajapure, when after
losing 60 men his troops dispersed and fled into the woods. On this
occasion the wives of the usurper, a grandson of Raju, and the nephew
of Madune were all made prisoners. The fame of this victory induced
the inhabitants of the Corlas to submit, and they plentifully supplied
the army then at Malvana with rice. The news of this victory induced the
king of Candy[433] to sue for peace, sending by his ambassadors 32
Portuguese who had been made prisoners during the war. The terms agreed
upon were, that he was to repair and restore the fort at Balane, and
permit another to be constructed at Candy, and was to deliver yearly as
tribute to the crown of Portugal four elephants and a certain stipulated
quantity of cinnamon. Finding afterwards that the Portuguese affairs in
Ceylon were less prosperous, he receded from these conditions and would
only agree to give two elephants as the yearly tribute, but the peace
was concluded.
[Footnote 433: In the translation of the Portuguese Asia, this sovereign
is here named Anaras Pandar king of Pandar; but from every
circumstance in the context it appears that we ought to read Anaras
Pandar king of Candy. - E.]
END OF THE SIXTH VOLUME.
End of A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume VI, by Robert Kerr
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