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 — John Shaqi
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
[Great variety of Fruits, and delicious.] Of Fruits here are great
plenty and variety, and far more might be if they did esteem or
nourish them. Pleasant Fruits to eat ripe they care not at all to do,
They look only after those that may fill the Belly, and satisfie their
hunger when their Corn is spent, or to make it go the further. These
onely they plant, the other Fruits of Pleasure plant themselves, the
seeds of the ripe Fruits shedding and falling on the ground naturally
spring up again. They have all Fruits that grow in India. Most sorts
of these delicious Fruits they gather before they be ripe, and boyl
them to make Carrees, to use the Portuguez word, that is somewhat to
eat with and relish their Rice. [The best Fruits, where-ever they
grow, reserved for the King.] But wheresoever there is any Fruit
better than ordinary, the Ponudecarso, or Officers of the Countrey,
will tie a string about the Tree in the Kings Name with three knots
on the end thereof, and then, no man, not the Owner himself, dares
presume under pain of some great punishment, if not death, to touch
them. And when they are ripe, they are wrapped in white cloth, and
carried to him who is Governour of that Countrey wherein they grow:
and if they be without any defect or blemish, then being wrapped up
again in white cloth, he presents them to the King. But the owner in
whose Ground they grow is paid nothing at all for them: it is well
if he be not compelled to carry them himself into the bargain unto
the King, be it never so far. These are Reasons why the People regard
not to plant more than just to keep them alive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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