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 are guilty of the thing, but love not the name.] Indeed the
Publick Trade would be bad, and hardly maintain them that exercised it,
the private one being so great. And tho I think they be all Whores,
yet they abhor the Name of Vesou, which is Whore. Neither do they in
their anger reproach one another with it, unless they should lay with
a Man of an inferior quality to themselves, And the Woman reckons her
self as much obliged to the Man for his Company, as he does to her
for hers. In these affairs the Women are very expert (it being their
continual practice) to keep their design from the Husbands knowledge:
tho by his own Experience he cannot be ignorant of Womens devices. And
unless he catch them in the act he doth not much trouble himself to
prove himself a Cuckold; Cuckolds being so common, that it is not
here regarded.
[The Man may kill whom he finds in Bed with his Wife.] It is a Law
here, that if a Man catch another in Bed with his Wife, he may, be it
whosoever, kill him and her, if he please. It hath so happened that
the Man hath come to the Door, when another hath been within with
his Wife, there being no way to escape, the Woman has took a pan of
hot ashes, and as she opened the Door, her Husband being entring,
cast them in his Eyes, and so she and her Bedfellow made an escape.
[The Womens craft to compass and conceal their Debauchery.] To fetch
wood out of the Woods to burn, and to fetch home the Cattle is the
Woman's work. If they cannot have their opportunities at home, now
they appoint their meetings, while the Husband stays at home holding
the Child. In the Evenings it is common for them with whom the Women
be acquainted, to come and wait behind the House when it is dark to
attend their coming forth to them. To which end they give them notice
either by breaking of a stick, or by putting some Betel over the Wall
to fall in such places as they have appointed, where she will look
to find it. And when she has such notice, she cannot want an excuse
to go forth to meet him.
They bear such love to their Bedfellows, that I have known this done,
The Husband hath beset the House, and the Womans Friend in it, when
she hath holpen him to make a hole thro the Thatch to get out at,
which he hath done and made his Escape, and she remain behind to suffer
all the blame her self. When other opportunities are wanting to enjoy
the Company of their Paramours whole Nights together, they usually
take occasion to be discontented and fall out with their Husbands,
and so go home to their Friends houses, to get longer enjoyments. Who
to shew their Friendship will not hinder but further them in what
they delight in.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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