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
[Minerals and other Commodities.] Here is Iron and Christal in
great plenty. Salt-Petre they can make. Brimstone some say, is
here, but the King will not have it discovered. Steel they can make
of their Iron. Ebony in great abundance, with choice of tall and
large Timber. Cardamums, Jaggory, Rack, Oyl, black Lead, Turmeric,
Salt, Rice, Bettel-Nuts, Musk, Wax, Pepper, Which last grows here
very well, and might be in great plenty, if it had a Vend. And the
peculiar Commodity of the Island, Cinnamon. Wild Cattel, and wild
Honey in great plenty in the Woods; it lyes in holes or hollow Trees,
free for any that will take the pains to get it. Elephants Teeth,
and Cotton, of which there is good plenty, growing in their own
Grounds, sufficient to make them good and strong cloth for their own
use, and also to sell to the People of the Uplands, where Cotton is
not so plenty. All these things the Land affords, and it might do
it in much greater quantity, if the People were but laborious and
industrious. But that they are not. For the Chingulays are Naturally,
a people given to sloth and laziness: if they can but any ways live,
they abhor to work; onely what their necessities force them to, they
do, that is, to get Food and Rayment. Yet in this I must a little
vindicate them; [The People discouraged from Industry by the Tyranny
they are under.] For what indeed should they do with more than Food and
Rayment, seeing as their Estates encrease, so do their Taxes also? And
altho the People be generally covetous, spending but little, scraping
together what they can, yet such is the Government they are under,
that they are afraid to be known to have any thing, lest it be taken
away from them. Neither have they any encouragement for their industry,
having no Vend by Traffic and Commerce for what they have got.
PART II.
CHAP. I.
Of the present King of Cande.
[The Government of this Island.] Hitherto I have treated of the
Countrey, with the Provisions and Wealth of it: Our next Discourses
shall be of the Political Government there exercised. And here Order
will lead us to speak first of the King and Matters relating to him.
Antiently this Countrey consisted of Nine Kingdoms, all which had
their several Kings; but now by the vicissitude of Times and Things,
they are all reduced under one King, who is an absolute Tyrant, and
Rules the most arbitrarily of any King in the World. We will first
speak of him as to his Personal Capacity, and next as to his Political.
In his Personal Capacity, are to be considered his Birth and Parentage,
his Person, his Relations, his State, his Manners, his Pleasures and
Recreations, his Religion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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