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
Of their Employments and Recreations.
It is full time now, that we relate what course of life the People
take, and what means they use for a livelihood. This has been in part
already related.
[Their Trade.] As for Commerce and Merchandize with Foreign Nations,
there is little or nothing of that now exercised. Indeed in the times
when the Portugueze were on this Island, and Peace between them and
the King, he permitted his People to go and Trade with them. The
which he would never permit them to do with the Hollander, tho they
have much sought for it. They have a small Traffic among themselves,
occasioned from the Nature of the Island. For that which one part of
the Countrey affords, will not grow in the other. But in one part or
other of this Land they have enough to sustain themselves, I think,
without the help of Commodities brought from any other Countrey:
exchanging one Commodity for another; and carrying what they have to
other parts to supply themselves with what they want.
[Work not discreditable to the best Gentleman.] But Husbandry is
the great Employment of the Countrey, which is spoken of at large
before. In this the best men labour. Nor is it held any disgrace for
Men of the greatest Quality to do any work either at home or in the
Field, if it be for themselves; but to work for hire with them is
reckoned for a great shame: and very few are here to be found that
will work so; But he that goes under the Notion of a Gentleman may
dispence with all works, except carrying, that he must get a man to do
when there is occasion. For carrying is accounted the most Slave-like
work of all.
[How they geld their Cattel.] Under their Husbandry, it may not be
amiss to relate how they geld their Cattel. They let them be two or
three years old before they go about this work; then casting them and
tying their Legs together; they bruise their Cods with two sticks
tied together at one end, nipping them with the other, and beating
them with Mallets all to pieces. Then they rub over their Cods with
fresh Butter and Soot, and so turn them loose, but not suffer them
to lye down all that day. By this way they are secured from breeding
Maggots. And I never knew any die upon this.
[How they make Glew.] Whensoever they have occasion to use Glew,
they make it after this fashion. They take the Curd of milk, and
strain the water from it through a cloth. Then tying it up in a
cloth like a Pudding, they put it into boyling water, and let it
boyl a good while. Which done it will be hard like Cheese-curd,
then mixing it with Lime, use it. If it be not for present use,
they will roul up these Curds into a Ball; which becomes hard,
and as they have occasion will scrape some of it off with a Knife,
and so temper it with Lime. This Lime with them is as soft as Butter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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