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 Rebels take the English with them.] The Rebels having driven away
the King, and marching to the City of Cande to the Prince, carried us
along with them; the Chief of their Party telling us that we should
now be of good cheer; for what they done upon very good advisement
they had done, the Kings ill Government having given an occasion
to it. Who went about to destroy both them & their Countrey; and
particularly insisted upon such things as might be most plausible to
Strangers, such as, keeping Embassadours, discouraging Trade, detaining
of Forainers that come upon his Land, besides his cruelties towards
themselves that were his natural People. All which they told us, They
had been informed was contrary to the Government of other Countries;
and now so soon as their business was settled, they assured us,
They would detain none that were minded to go to their own Countreys.
[They design to ingage the English with them.] Being now at Cande,
on Christmas-Day of all the days in the year, they sent, to call us
to the Court, and gave us some Money and Cloths first, to make us
the more willing to take Arms, which they intended then to deliver
unto us, and to go with them upon a Design to fall upon the old King
in the place whither he was fled. But in the very interim of time,
God being merciful unto us, the Prince with his Aunt fled. Which so
amazed and discouraged them, that the Money and Cloths which they
were distributing to us and other Strangers to gain us over to them,
they scattered about the Court and fled themselves. And now followed
nothing but cutting one anothers Throats to make themselves appear
the more Loyal Subjects, and make amends for their former Rebellion.
[They resolve neither to meddle or make.] We for our parts little
thinking in what danger we were, fell in to scramble among the rest to
get what we could of the Monies that were strewed about, being then
in great necessity and want. For the allowance which formerly we had
was in this Disturbance lost, and so we remained without it for some
three Months, the want of which, this Money did help to supply. Having
gotten what we could at the Court, we made way to get out of the hurly
burly to our Lodgings; intending as we were Strangers and Prisoners,
neither to meddle nor make on the one side or the other, being well
satisfied, if God would but permit us quietly to sit, and eat such
a Christmas Dinner together, as he had prepared for us.
[The day being turned, they fear the King.] For our parts we had no
other dealings with the Rebels, than to desire them to permit us to go
to our Native Countrey, which Liberty they promised we should not want
long. But being sent for by them to the Court, we durst not but go,
and they giving us such things as we wanted, we could not refuse to
take them. But the day being turned put us into great fear, doubting
how the King would take it at our hands, from whom we knew this could
not be hid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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