For This Purpose He Feigned Himself A Jogue,
Similar To A Hermit Among The Christians; And Making His Appearance In
The Neighbourhood Of Maregnepora, He Gave Out That He Came To Free His
Country From The Tyranny Of The Portuguese.
Finding credit among the
people, many of whom flocked to him, he entered the seven corlas
during the absence of the Dissava Philip de Oliveyra, and being
assisted by 2000 men sent to him by the king of Candy, he was
acknowledged as king by most of the country.
Hearing of this commotion,
Pereyra sent a force under Emanuel Cesar to suppress the insurrection.
Cesar encountered the false Nicapeti at Gandola, a village on the
river Laoa, where the insurgents had collected a force of 6000 men. In
the heat of the battle, 1000 Chingalese troops who served under Luis
Gomez Pinto deserted to the enemy; but Don Constantine, a native
Christian of the blood royal who served the Portuguese, called them back
by declaring himself their lawful king, on which they immediately
returned and proclaimed him their sovereign. After a long engagement the
enemy was defeated and fled across the river.
Philip de Oliveyra returned at this time from Candy to his command in
the seven corlas, having heard of the insurrection but not of the
victory at Gandola, to which place he immediately marched with about 800
Chingalese lascarins. On reaching the field of battle above 1000 men
were found slain, but no indication by which he could ascertain which
party had gained the victory. An inscription was found on a tree,
signifying that all the Portuguese were slain, none of that nation
remaining in Ceylon, and that Columbo had surrendered to Nicapeti, which
startled the Portuguese who accompanied Oliveyra, and gave great
satisfaction to his Chingalese troops. Continuing his march he was
attacked in the rear by 300 of the enemy, but on facing about they all
fled; soon after which he joined Emanuel Cesar on the river Laoa, and
the insurgents fled to the woods. Cesar and Oliveyra by way of obliging
the insurgents to return to their duty, seized above 400 of their women
and children; but it had the contrary effect, as all their Chingalese
troops immediately deserted with their arms, leaving only about 200
Portuguese. In this dilemma Cesar marched to the pagoda of Atanagala,
not far from Maluana where the general resided, who sent him a
reinforcement of 500 men, 200 of whom were Portuguese.
Nicapeti had so much success with the natives that he collected an army
of 24,000 men, with which he marched against Columbo, and was so vain of
his good fortune that he caused himself to be proclaimed emperor of
Ceylon, and transmitted an order to the king of Candy to send him one of
his two wives. The answer on this occasion was, that it should be done
when the Portuguese were subdued. Nicapeti was so enraged at this
answer, that he threatened to use the king of Candy like the
Portuguese; and on this threat coming to the knowledge of the 2000
auxiliaries from Candy, they immediately returned home.
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