Book: An Historical Relation Of The Island Ceylon In The East Indies

o >> ogether With An Account Of The Detaining In Captivity The Author >> An Historical Relation Of The Island Ceylon In The East Indies




[How they passed their time.] We had with us a Practice of Piety, and
Mr. Rogers seven Treatises, called the Practice of Christianity. With
which companions we did frequently discourse; and in the cool of the
Evening walk abroad in the Fields for a refreshing, tyred with being
all day in our House or Prison.

[They both fall Sick.] This Course lasted until God was pleased to
visit us both with the Countrey Sickness, Ague and Feavour. The sight
of my Fathers misery was far more grievous unto me than the sence
of my own, that I must be a Spectator of his Affliction, and not any
ways able to help him. And the sight of me so far augmented his grief,
that he would often say, What have I done when I charged you to come
ashore to me again, your dutifulness to me hath brought you to be a
Captive. I am old and cannot long hold out, but you may live to see
many days of Sorrow, if the mercy of God do not prevent it. But my
prayers to God for you shall not be wanting, that for this cause he
would visit you with his Mercy, and bestow on you a Blessing.

[Deep Grief seizes the Captain.] My Father's Ague lasted not long,
but deep grief daily more and more increased upon him, which so
over-whelmed even his very heart, that with many a bitter sigh he
used to utter these words, These many years even from my youth have
I used the Seas, in which time the Lord God hath delivered me from
a multitude of Dangers; rehearsing to me what great Dangers he had
been in, in the Straits by the Turks and by other Enemies, and also in
many other places, too large here to insert, and always how merciful
God was to him in delivering him out of them all, So that he never
knew what it was to be in the hand of an Enemy; But now in his old
Age, when his head was grown grey, to be a Captive to the Heathen,
and to leave his Bones in the Eastern Parts of the World, when it was
his hopes and intention, if God permitted him to finish this Voyage,
to spend and end the residue of his days at home with his Children
in his Native Countrey, and to settle me in the Ship in his stead;
the thoughts of these things did even break his heart.

[Their Sickness continues.] Upwards of three Months my Father lay in
this manner upon his Bed, having only under him a Mat and the Carpet
he sat upon in the Boat when he came ashore, and a small Quilt I
had to cover him withall. And I had only a Mat upon the Ground and a
Pillow to lay on, and nothing to cover me but the Cloths on my back:
but when I was cold, or that my Ague came upon me, I used to make a
Fire, Wood costing nothing, but the fetching.

[Their Boy's disobedience adds to their trouble.] We had a black Boy
my Father brought from Porto Nova to attend upon him, who seeing
his Master to be a Prisoner in the hands of the People of his own
Complexion, would not now obey his Command, further than what agreed
unto his own humour, neither was it then as we thought in our Power
to compel or make him; but it was our ignorance. As for me, my Ague
now came to a settled course; that is, once in three days, and so
continued for Sixteen Months time.

[His excessive sorrow.] There appearing now to us no probability,
whereupon to build any hopes of Liberty, the sence of it struck my
Father into such an Agony and strong Passion of Grief, that once I
well remember in Nine days time nothing came into his mouth, but
cold water; neither did he in three Months together ever rise up
out of his Bed, but when the course of Nature required it: always
groaning and sighing in a most piteous manner: which for me to hear
and see come from my dear Father, my self also in the same Condition,
did almost break my heart. But then I felt that Doctrine most true,
which I had read out of Mr. Roger's Book, That God is most sweet,
when the world is most bitter.

In this manner my Father lay until the Ninth of February 1660/61. By
which time he was consumed to an Anatomy, having nothing left but
Skin to cover his Bones; yet he often would say, That the very sound
of Liberty would so revive him, that it would put strength into his
Limbs. But it was not the will of him, to whom we say, Thy will be
done, to have it so.

[His Discourse and charge to his Son before his Death.] The evening
before his Death, he called me to come near his Bed side, and to sit
down by him, at which time also I had a strong Feavor upon me. This
done, he told me, That he sensibly felt his life departing from him,
and was assured that this Night God would deliver him out of this
Captivity, and that he never thought in all his Lifetime that Death
could be so easie and welcom to any Man, as God had made it to be
to him, and the joyes he now felt in himself he wanted utterance to
express to me. He told me, These were the last words, that ever he
should speak to me, and bid me well regard and be sure to remember
them, and tell them to my Brother and Sister, if it pleased God, as
he hoped it would, to bring us together in England; where I should
find all things settled to my contentation, relating to me after what
manner he had settled his Estate by Letters which he sent from Cotiar.

In the first place and above all, He charged me to serve God, and with
a circumspect care to walk in his ways, and then, he said, God would
bless me and prosper me. And next, he bad me have a care of my Brother
and Sister. And lastly, He gave me a special charge to beware of strong
Drink, and lewd Company, which as by Experience many had found, would
change me into another man, so that I should not be my self. It deeply
grieved him, he said, to see me in Captivity in the prime of my years,
and so much the more because I had chosen rather to suffer Captivity
with him than to disobey his Command. Which now he was heartily sorry
for, that he had so commanded me, but bad me not repent of obeying
the command of my Father; seeing for this very thing, he said, God
would bless me, and bid me be assured of it, which he doubted not of,
viz. That God Almighty would deliver me; which at that time I could not
tell how to conceive, seeing but little sign of any such Matter. But
blessed be the Name of my most gracious God, who hath so bountifully
sustained me ever since in the Land of my Captivity, and preserved
me alive to see my Deceased Father's word fulfilled! And truly I was
so far from repenting, that I had obeyed the Command of my Father,
and performed the Oath and Promise I made unto him upon it, that it
rather rejoyced me to see that God had given me so much Grace.

[His Death.] But tho it was a trouble to him, that by his means I
was thus made a Captive; yet it was a great Comfort to him, he said,
to have his own Son sit by him on his Death-bed, and by his hands to
be Buried, whereas otherwise he could expect no other but to be eaten
by Dogs or wild Beasts. Then he gave me order concerning his Burial,
That having no winding sheet, I should pull his Shirt over his head,
and slip his Breeches over his feet, and so wrap him up in the Mat
he layd upon: and then ceased speaking, and fell into a Slumber. This
was about Eight or Nine a Clock in the Evening, and about Two or Three
in the Morning he gave up the Ghost, Feb. the Ninth, 1660. being very
sensible unto the very instant of his Departure.

[And Burial.] According to his own appointment with my own hands I
wrapped him up ready for the Grave; my self being very sick and weak,
and as I thought ready to follow after him. Having none but the black
Boy with me, I bad him ask the People of the Town for help to carry my
Father to the Grave, because I could not understand their Language. Who
immediately brought forth a great Rope they used to tye their Cattle
withal, therewith to drag him by the Neck into the Woods, saying,
They could afford me no other help, unless I would pay for it. This
Insolency of the Heathen grieved me much to see, neither could I with
the Boy alone do what was necessary for his Burial, though we had
been able to carry the Corps, having not wherewithal to dig a Grave,
and the ground very dry and hard. Yet it was some comfort to me that
I had so much Ability as to hire one to help; which at first I would
not have spared to have done, had I known their meaning.

[The Place where he lyes.] By this means I thank God, in so decent
a manner as our present condition would permit, I laid my Father's
Body in the Grave. Most of which I digged with my own hands; the place
being in a Wood, on the North-side of a Corn Field, where heretofore
we had used often to walk, going up to Handapoul: that Division,
as I have said, being called Bonder Cooswat, because formerly it had
belonged to the Revenues or Jointure of the Queen, Bonder implying
something relating to the King. It lyes towards the Northwest of the
middle of the Island in the County Hotcurly.

Thus was I left Desolate, Sick, and in Captivity, having no earthly
Comforter, none but only He who looks down from Heaven to hear
the groaning of the Prisoners, and to shew himself a Father of the
Fatherless, and a present help to them that have no helper.

[Upon the Captain's death, a Message sent his Son from Court.] The
News of my Father's Death being carried to Court, presently two
Messengers were sent from thence to see me, and to know of me, How
and in what manner my Father died, and what he had left. Which was
a Gold Ring, a Pagoda, and some two or three Dollars and a few old
Cloths; God knows but a very little, yet it scared me not a little,
fearing they would take it away from me, and my want being so great;
but they had no such order nor intent. But the chief occasion of
their coming was to renew the former order unto the People of that
Town, that they should be kind to me and give me good Victuals, left
I might dye also as my Father had done. So for a while I had better
entertainment than formerly.






CHAP. III.

How I lived after my Father's Death. And of the Condition of the rest
of the English: and how it fared with them. And of our Interview.


[His chief employment is Reading.] I still remained where I was before,
having none but the black Boy, and my Ague to bear me Company. Never
found I more pleasure in Reading, Meditating and Praying than now. For
there was nothing else could administer to me any Comfort, neither had
I any other Business to be occupied about. I had read my two Books so
often over, that I had them almost by heart. For my custom was after
Dinner to take a Book and go into the Fields and sit under a Tree,
reading and meditating until Evening; excepting the Day when my Ague
came, for then I could scarce hold up my head. Often have I prayed
as Elijah under the Juniper Tree, that God would takeaway my life,
for it was a burthen to me.

[He loses his Ague.] At length it pleased God my Ague began to be a
little moderate; and so by degrees it wore away, after it had held
me sixteen Months.

[How he met with an English Bible in that Countrey.] Provisions
falling short with me, tho Rice I thank God, I never wanted, and
Monies also growing low; as well to help out a Meal as for Recreation,
sometimes I went with an Angle to catch small Fish in the Brooks,
the aforesaid Boy being with me. It chanced as I was Fishing, an
old Man passed by, and seeing me, asked of my Boy, If I could read
in a Book. He answered, Yes. The reason I ask, said the old Man,
is because I have one I got when the Portugueze left Columbo, and if
your Master please to buy it, I will sell it him. Which when I heard
of; I bad my Boy go to his House with him, which was not far off,
and bring it to me to see it, making no great account of the matter,
supposing it might be some Portugueze Book.

The Boy having formerly served the English, knew the Book, and as
soon as he had got it in his hand came running with it, calling out
to me, It is a Bible. It startled me to hear him mention the name
of a Bible. For I neither had one, nor scarcely could ever think to
see one. Upon which I flung down my Angle and went to meet him. The
first place the Book opened in after I took it in my hand, was the
Sixteenth Chapter of the Acts, and the first place my eye pitched on,
was the Thirtieth and one and Thirtieth Verses, where the Jailor asked
S. Paul, What must I do to be saved? And he answered saying, Believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thine house.

[Struck into a great Passion at the sight of the Book.] The sight of
this Book so rejoiced me, and affrighted me together, that I cannot
say, which Passion was greater, the joy, for that I had got sight of a
Bible, or the fear, that I had not enough to buy it, having then but
one Pagoda in the World, which I willingly would have given for it,
had it not been for my Boy, who dissuaded me from giving so much,
alledging my Necessity for Money many other ways, and undertaking
to procure the Book for a far meaner price, provided I would seem
to slight it in the sight of the old Man. This counsel after I
considered I approved of, my urgent Necessities earnestly craving,
and my Ability being but very small to relieve the same: and however,
I thought, I could give my piece of Gold at the last cast, if other
means should fail.

I hope the Readers will excuse me, that I hold them so long upon this
single passage, For it did so affect me then, that I cannot lightly
pass it over as often as I think of it, or have occasion to mention it.

The sight indeed of this Bible so overjoyed me, as if an Angel had
spoke to me from Heaven. To see that my most gracious God had prepared
such an extraordinary Blessing for me; which I did, and ever shall
look upon as miraculous, to bring unto me a Bible in my own Native
Language, and that in such a remote part of the World, where his
Name was not so much as known, and where any English Man was never
known to have been before. I looked upon it, as somewhat of the same
nature with the Ten Commandments he had given the Israelites out of
Heaven; it being the thing for want whereof I had so often mourned,
nay and shed tears too; and than the enjoyment whereof there could
be no greater joy in the world to me.

[He casts with himself how to get it.] Upon the sight of it I left
off Fishing, God having brought a Fish to me, that my Soul had longed
for; and now how to get it and enjoy the same, all the Powers of my
Soul were employed. I gave God hearty thanks that he had brought it so
near me, and most earnestly prayed that he would bestow it on me. Now,
it being well towards Evening, and not having wherewithal to buy it
about me, I departed home, telling the old Man, that in the Morning
I would send my Boy to buy it of him.

All that Night I could take no rest for thinking on it, fearing lest
I might be disappointed of it. In the Morning as soon as it was day,
I sent the Boy with a knit Cap he had made for me to buy the Book,
praying in my heart for good success, which it pleased God to grant:
For that Cap purchased it, and the Boy brought it to me to my great
joy, which did not a little comfort me over all my Afflictions.

[Where the rest of the English were bestowed.] Having said all this
concerning my Father and my Self, it will be time now to think of the
rest of our poor Countreymen, and to see what is become of them. They
were carried into the County of Hotteracourly, Westward from the City
of Cande, and placed singly according to the King's Order aforesaid,
some four, some six Miles distant one from the other. It was the King's
Command concerning them that the People should give them Victuals, and
look after them. So they carried each man from house to house to eat,
as their turns came to give them Victuals, and where they Supped there
they Lodged that Night. Their Bedding was only a Mat upon the Ground.

[Kept from one another a good while, but after permitted to see
each other.] They knew not they were so near to one another a great
while; till at length Almighty God was pleased by their grief and
heaviness to move those Heathen to Pity and take Compassion on them:
So that they did bring some of them to one another. Which joy was
but Abortive, for no sooner did they begin to feel the Comfort of one
anothers Company, but immediately their Keepers called upon them to
go from whence they came: fearing they might consult and run away,
altho Columbo the nearest Port they could fly to was above two days
Journey from them. But as it is with wild Beasts beginning to grow
tame, their Liberty encreaseth: So it happened to our Men; so that at
length they might go and see one another at their pleasures; and were
less and less watched and regarded. And seeing they did not attempt
to run away, they made no matter of it, if they stayed two or three
days one with the other.

[No manner of work laid upon them.] They all wondered much to
see themselves in this Condition, to be kept only to eat, and the
People of the Countrey giving it unto them, daily expecting when they
would put them to work, which they never did, nor dared to do. For
the King's order was to feed them well only, and to look after them
until he pleased to send for them. This after some time made them
to change their minds, and not to think themselves Slaves any more,
but the Inhabitants of the Land to be their Servants, in that they
laboured to sustain them.

Which made them to begin to Domineer, and would not be content unless
they had such Victuals as pleased them, and oftentimes used to throw
the Pots, Victuals and all at their heads that brought them, which
they patiently would bear.

[They begin to pluck up their hearts.] And as they lived here longer,
they knew better what Privileges they had in belonging unto the King,
and being maintained by virtue of his Command. And their Privileges
they made use of to no purpose, as I shall relate an instance or two
by and by; and showed their English Metal.

[What course they took for Cloths.] Victuals was the only thing allowed
them, but no Cloths. By this time the Cloths they had were almost
worn out. This put them to a study what course to take to procure
more, when those on their backs were gone. The readiest way that they
could devise was this, that whereas they used to take their Victuals
brought to them ready dressed, they should now take them raw; and so
to pinch somewhat out of their Bellies, to save to buy Cloths for their
Backs. And so accordingly they concluded to do: and by the favour that
God gave them in the sight of the People, by alledging the Innocency
of their Cause, and the Extremity of their present Condition, having
not the least ability to help or relieve themselves, they consented
to give them two Measures of Rice a day each man. One of which is
as much as any man can eat in a day, so that the other was to serve
for advance towards Cloths. [Their fare.] For besides Rice, they gave
them to eat with it Salt, Pepper, Limes, Herbs, Pumpkins, Coker Nuts,
Flesh a little. These and such like things were their constant fare.

[What Employment they afterwards followed.] And thus they made a shift
to live for some years, until some of them had an insight in knitting
Caps, by whom all afterwards learned, and it proved to be the chief
means and help we all had to relieve our wants. The ordinary price we
sold these Caps for, was Nine pence a piece in value English Money,
the Thread standing us in about three pence. But at length, we plying
hard our new Learned Trade, Caps began to abound, and Trading grew
dead, so that we could not sell them at the former price: which
brought several of our Nation to great want.

[How the English Domineered.] The English began now to pluck up their
hearts, and tho they were entred into a new Condition, they kept
their old Spirits, especially considering they were the King's Men,
and quartered by his special order upon the People. When they had
obtained to have their Allowance raw, if any brought them not their
full due, they would go in and Plunder their Houses of such Goods
as they found there, and keep them until they came and brought them
their compleat allowance to redeem their Goods back again.

[What Satisfaction one of them received from a Potter.] Some of our
English men have proceeded further yet. One for example went to buy
Pots of a Potter. Who because he would not let him have them at his
own price fell to quarrel, in which the English man met with some
blows. Which he complained of to the Magistrate as being a Person
that belonged unto the King, and therefore claimed better usage. And
the Magistrate condemned the Potter as guilty in lifting up his hand
against him, and sent some of his Soldiers to bind him, and then
bad the English man go and content himself by paying him in the same
Coin again, as he had served our Countreyman; which he did until he
was satisfied, and moreover, ordered him to take the Pots he came
to buy and pay nothing. But the Law was not so satisfied neither,
for the Soldiers laid on many blows besides.

[A scuffle between the English and Natives.] Another time at a certain
Feast, as they were drinking and wanting Wine, they sent Money to buy
more; but the Seller refused to give it them for their Money. Which
they took so hainously, that they unanimously concluded to go and take
it by force. Away they went each man with his Staff in his hand, and
entred the House and began to Drink; which the People not liking of,
gathered their Forces together, and by blows began to resist them. But
the English men bravely behaved themselves, and broke several of
their Pates. Who with the Blood about their Ears went to the City to
complain to the great Men. They demanded of them, If they had ever sold
them Wine before. They answered, Yes. They asked them again, Why then
did they refuse to sell them now? And that they were well served by
the English for denying them drink for their Money: and so sent them
away laughing at them. Our Men got two or three black and blew Blows,
but they came home with their Bellies full of Drink for their pains.

[The Author after a year sees his Countreymen.] But to return unto my
self. It was a full year after my Father died, before I had sight of
any of my Countreymen and Fellow Prisoners. Then John Gregory with much
ado obtained leave to come and see me: which did exceedingly rejoyce
me. For a great Satisfaction it was, both to see a Countreyman, and
also to hear of the welfare of the rest. But he could not be permitted
to stay with me above one day. Until then, I knew not punctually where
the rest of my Countreymen were, but having heard that they were within
a days Journey of me, I never ceased importuning the People of the
Town where I dwelt, to let me go and see them. Which tho very loath,
yet at last they granted. Being arrived at the nearest English man's
House, I was joyfully received, and the next day he went and called
some of the rest of our Countreymen that were near. So that there
were some seven or eight of us met together.

[Their Conference and Entertainment.] We gave God thanks for his great
Mercies towards us, being then, as we did confess, in a far better
Condition than we could have expected. They were now no more like the
Prisoners I left them, but were become House keepers, and Knitters
of Caps and had changed their Habit from Breeches to Clouts like the
Chingulays. They entertained me with very good chear in their Houses
beyond what I did expect.

[He consults with his Countreymen for a future livelyhood.] My Money
at the same time almost gone, and Cloaths in the same condition,
it was high time for me now to take some course in hand to get
more. Therefore I took some advice with them about Knitting, my Boy
having Skill therein. Likewise they advised me to take my Victuals raw,
wherein they found great Profit. For all this while here being no signs
of releasing us, it concerned me now to bethink my self how I should
live for the future. For neither had I, any more than my Countreymen,
any allowance for Cloths, but Victuals only.

Having stayed here some two or three days, we did take leave of one
another, hoping to see one another oftner, since we knew each others
Habitations: and I departed to my House, having a Keeper with me.

[The difficulty he met with of having raw Rice.] By this time I began
to speak the Language of the Countrey. Whereby I was inabled the better
to speak my mind unto the People that brought me my Victuals. Which
Was henceforward not to boil my Rice, but to bring it raw according
to the quantity that the other English men had. This occasioned a
great deal of disputing and reasoning between us. They alledged,
That I was not as they, being the Captain's Son, and they but his
Servants, and therefore that it was ordered by the great Men at Court,
that my Victuals should be daily brought unto me, whereas they went
always from house to house for theirs: Neither was it fitting for
me, they said, to imploy my self in such an Inferior Office as to
dress my own Meat, being a Man that the King had notice of by Name,
and very suddenly before I should be aware of it, would send for me
into the Presence, where I should be highly promoted to some Place
of Honour. In the mean time, they told me, as pretending to give me
good counsel, That it was more for my credit and repute to have my
Provisions brought unto me ready Dressed as they were before.

Copyright (c) 2007. knowncrafts.net. All rights reserved.