The Fiction on Portuguese Events Unfolded

Abstract

The Portuguese in Ceylon has been a subject of "so much confusion and misstatement" – Donald Ferguson (1907). The following contrary evidence, among others, on the date of arrival of the Portuguese will be discussed: The Portuguese at Colombo Harbour, arrival in 1522 (Sinhala text); "on the Sixteenth of November, Dom Lourenco called me into his room, and spoke to me" (Caspar de India writing to King Manuel, 16 November, 1506); Lourenco discovered Ceylam, The Cross and Christos and the Royal Arms and the divice left in Ceylam (Don Francisco De Almeida to king Manuel, 27 December 1506); Lourenco acquired Taprobane in Ithiopia (King of Portugal to Pope in Rome, 25 September 1507); the Pope had said that he was thinking of bestowing some title of honour upon the King of Portugal (Diari di Marino Sanuto, December, 1507); "Lourenco drifted to by a gale, Was taken for a ride by moors in the harbour, Lord of the harbour was introduced as the king of Ceilon, Erected a padram on a rock at Galle" (Jao de Barros 1520); "Laurenco at Galle Harbour, Two horns, with gold and precious stones, On the cap of the Lord of Galle who appeared as king of Ceilo, Lourenco erected a padram and went away (Fernoo Lopez de Castan Heda, 1526- 36); "A padrom in Colombo, on king's request, A giant crocodile in a den at Colombo Lourenco blasted it" (Caspar Correa, in 1561).