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
[The Long-boat Men seized.] The next day after, the Long-boats Crew,
not knowing what had happened, came ashore to cut a Tree to make Cheeks
for the Main-mast, and were made Prisoners after the same manner,
tho' with more violence. For they being rough and making resistance,
were bound with Wyths, and so were led away till they came where the
People got Ropes. Which when our Men saw brought to them, they were
not a little affrighted. For being already bound, they concluded
there could be no other use for those Ropes but to hang them. But
the true use of them was to bind them faster, fearing lest the Wyths
might break, and so they were brought up farther into the Countrey;
but afterwards being become more tame, they were loosed. They would not
adventure to bring them to us, but quartered them in another House, tho
in the same Town. Where without leave we could not see one another. The
House wherein they kept the Captain and us, was all hanged with white
Callico, which is the greatest Honour they can shew to any. But the
House wherein the other men were, that were brought up after us, was
not. They gave us also as good Entertainment as the Countrey afforded.
[The General's Craft to get the Ship, as well as the Men.] Having
thus taken both our Boats and Eighteen men of us, their next care
was, fearing lest the Ship should be gone, to secure her: Therefore
to bring this about, the Dissauva told the Captain that the reason
of this their detainment was, that the King intended to send Letters
and a Present to the English Nation by him, and therefore that the
Ship must not go away, till the King was ready to send his Messenger
and Message, and thereupon desired the Captain to send on Board to
order her stay; and it being not safe for her to ride in the Bay,
lest the Dutch might come and fire her, that he should take order
for her bringing up into the River. Which advice of his, the Captain
approved not of. But concealing his dislike of it, replied, that
unless he could send two of his own men on Board with his Letter and
Order, those in the Ship would not obey him, but speedily would be
gone with the Ship. Which he, rather than he would run the hazzard
of the Ships departing, granted; imagining that the Captain would
order the Ship to be brought up into the River, as he had advised,
tho the Captain intended to make another use of this Message.
[The Captain's Order to them on board the Ship.] Upon which the
Captain sent two of his men, some Indians accompanying them in a
Canoo to the Ship, the Captain ordering them when they were aboard
not to abuse the Indians, but to entertain them very kindly, and
afterwards that setting them ashore, they should keep the Canoo to
themselves, instead of our two Boats, which they had gotten from us,
and to secure the Ship, and wait till further order.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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