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
[A sort of Rice that grows Without Water.] There is yet another sort
of Rice, which will ripen tho' it stand not alway in Water: and this
sort of Corn serves for those places, where they cannot bring their
Waters to overflow; this will grow with the Rains that fall; but is
not esteemed equal with the others, and differs both in scent and
taste from that which groweth in the watery Fields.
[The Seasons of Seed-time and Harvest] The ordinary Season of seed
time, is in the Months of July and August, and their Harvest in
or about February; but for Land that is well watered, they regard
no Season; the Season is all the year long. When they Till their
Grounds, or Reap their Corn, they do it by whole Towns generally,
all helping each other for Attoms, as they call it; that is, that
they may help them as much, or as many days again in their Fields,
which accordingly they will do; They Plough only with a crooked piece
of Wood, something like an Elbow, which roots up the Ground, as uneven
as if it were done by Hogs, and then they overflow it with water.
[A particular description of their Husbandry.] But if any be so curious
as to know more particularly how they order and prepare their Lands,
and sow their Corn, take this account of it. But before we go to work,
it will be convenient first to describe the Tools. [Their Plough.] To
begin therefore with their Plough. I said before it was a crooked piece
of Wood, it is but little bigger than a Man's Arm, one end whereof is
to hold by, and the other to root up the Ground. In the hollow of this
Plough is a piece of Wood fastned some three or four Inches thick,
equal with the bredth of the Plough; and at the end of the Plough,
is fixt an Iron Plate to keep the Wood from wearing. There is a Beam
let in to that part of it that the Plough-man holds in his hand,
to which they make their Buffaloes fast to drag it.
[The convenience of these Ploughs.] These Ploughs are proper for
this Countrey, because they are lighter, and so may be the more
easie for turning, the Fields being short, so that they could not
turn with longer, and if heavier, they would sink and be unruly in
the mud. These Ploughs bury not the grass as ours do, and there is no
need they should. For their endeavour is only to root up the Ground,
and so they overflow it with Water, and this rots the Grass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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