An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous EscapeKnox, Robert
History
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous Escape
Knox, Robert
Sri Lanka -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Sri Lanka -- Social life and customs
[They violently took away Carriers goods.] Formerly, in this Kings
Reign these wild men used to lye in wait, to catch Carriers people,
that went down with Oxen to trade at the Sea-Ports, carrying down
Betelnuts, and bringing up Cloth, and would make them to give them
such things as they required, or else threatning to shoot them. They
fearing their lives, and not being able to resist, were fain to give
them what they asked; or else most certainly they would have had both
life and goods too. At which this King sent many Commanders with their
Soldiers to catch them, which at length they did: But had not some of
themselves proved false to them, being incouraged by large promises,
they could never have taken them. The chief being brought before
the King, promising amendment, were pardoned: but sent into other
Woods with a Command not to return thither any more, neitheir to use
their former courses. But soon after their departure, they forsook
those Woods they were put into, and came to their old haunt again,
falling to their former course of Life. This the King hearing of,
and how they had abused his Pardon, gave command either to bring them
dead or alive. These Vaddahs knowing now there could be no hope of
Pardon, would not be taken alive, but were shot by the Treachery of
their own men. The heads of two of the chiefest were hanged on Trees
by the City. And ever since they have not presumed to disturb the
Countrey, nor the King them he only desiring their quiet, and not to
be against him.
[Hourly Vadahs trade with the people.] About Hourly the remotest of
the Kings Dominions there are many trade with the of them, that are
pretty tame, and come and buy and sell among the people. The King
once having occasion of an hasty Expedition against the Dutch, the
Governour summoned them all in to go with him, which they did. [One
made to serve the King.] And with their Bows and Arrows did as good
service as any of the rest but afterwards when they returned home
again they removed farther in the Woods, and would be seen no more,
for fear of being afterwards prest again to serve the King.
[Their habit and Religion.] They never cut their hair but tye it up on
their Crowns in a bunch. The cloth they use, is not broad nor large,
scarcely enough to cover their Buttocks. The wilder and tamer sort of
them do observe a Religion. They have a God peculiar to themselves. The
tamer do build Temples, the wild only bring their sacrifice under
Trees, and while it is offering, dance round it, both men and women.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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