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

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[He resolves upon a single life.] As for mine own part, however lawful
these Marriages might be, yet I judged it far more convenient for me
to abstain, and that it more redounded to my good, having always a
reviving hope in me, that my God had not forsaken me, but according to
his gracious promise to the Jews in the XXX Chapter of Deuteronomy,
and the beginning, would turn my Captivity and bring me into the
Land of my Fathers. These and such like meditations, together with my
Prayers to God, kept me from that unequal Yoke of Unbeleivers, which
several of my Countrey men and fellow Prisoners put themselves under.

[What employments they follow.] By this time our People having
plyed their Business hard, had almost knit themselves out of work;
and now Caps were become a very dead Commodity, which was the chief
stay they had heretofore to trust to. So that now most of them betook
themselves to other employments; some to Husbandry, Plowing Ground,
and sowing Rice, and keeping Cattle, others stilled Rack to sell,
others went about the Country a Trading. For that which one part of
the Land affords is a good Commodity to carry to another that wants
it. And thus with the help of a little allowance, they make a shift
to subsist. Most of their Wives spin Cotton yarn, which is a great
help to them for cloathing, and at spare times also knit.

[The respect and credit they live in.] After this manner by the
blessing of God our Nation hath lived and still doth, in as good
fashion as any other People or Nation whatsoever, that are Strangers
here, or as any of the Natives themselves, only the Grandees and
Courtiers excepted. This I speak to the Praise and Glory of our God;
who loves the Stranger in giving him Food and Raiment; and that hath
been pleased to give us Favour and a good Repute in the sight of our
Enemies. We cannot complain for want of justice in any wrongs we have
sustained by the People; or that our cause hath been discountenanced;
but rather we have been favoured above the Natives themselves.

[A Chingulay punished for beating an English man.] One of our men
happened to be beaten by his Neighbour. At which we were all very
much concerned, taking it as a reproach to our Nation, and fearing
it might embolden others to do the like by the rest of us. Therefore
with joint consent we all concluded to go to the Court to complain,
and to desire satisfaction from the Adigar. Which we did. Upon this
the man who had beat the English man was summoned in to appear before
him. Who seeing so many of us there, and fearing the cause will go
very hard with him, to make the Judg his friend, gave him a bribe. He
having received it would have shifted off the Punishment of the
Malefactor. But we day after day followed him from house to Court,
and from place to place, where-ever he went, demanding Justice and
Satisfaction for the wrong we received, shewing the black and blew
blows upon the English mans shoulders to all the rest of the Noble men
at Court. He fearing therefore lest the King might be made acquainted
herewith was forced tho much against his will to clap the Chingulay
in Chains. In which condition after he got him, he released him not
till besides the former fee he had given him another.

[An English man preferred at Court.] Lately was Richard Varnham
taken into the Kings service, and held as Honourable an employment as
ever any Christian had in my time, being Commander of Nine Hundred
and Seventy Soldiers, and set over all the great Guns, and besides
this, several Towns were under him. A place of no less Profit than
Honour. The King gave him an excellent Silver Sword and Halberd, the
like to which the King never gave to any White man in my time. But he
had the good luck to die a natural Death. For had not that prevented,
in all probability he should have followed the two English men that
served him, spoken of before.

[The English serve the King in his Wars.] Some years since some of
our Nation took up Arms under the King. Which happened upon this
occasion. The Hollanders had a small Fort in the Kings Countrey,
called Bibligom Fort. This the King minded to take and demolish, sent
his Army to beseige it. But being pretty strong; for there were about
Ninety Dutch men in it, besides a good number of Black Soldiers, and
four Guns on each point one, being in this condition it held out. Some
of the great men informed the King of several Dutch runnaways in his
Land, that might be trusted, not daring to turn again for fear of
the Gallows, who might help to reduce the Fort. And that also there
were white men of other Nations that had Wives and Children, from
whom they would not run: and these might do him good service. Unto
this advice the King inclined.

Whereupon the King made a Declaration to invite the forrain Nations
into his Service against Bibligom Fort, that he would compel none,
but such as were willing of their own free accord, the King would
take it kindly, and they should be well rewarded. Now there entred
into the Kings Service upon this Expedition some of all Nations; both
Portugueze, Dutch and English, about the number of Thirty. To all that
took Arms he gave to the value of Twenty shillings in money, and three
pieces of Callico for Cloaths, and commanded them to wear Breeches,
Hats and Doublets, a great honour there. The King intended a Dutch-man,
who had been an old Servant to him, to be Captain over them all. But
the Portuguese not caring to be under the Command of a Dutch-man,
desired a Captain of their own Nation, which the King granted,
studying to please them at this time. But the English being but six,
were too few to have a Captain over them, and so were forced some to
serve under the Dutch and some under the Portugueze Captain. There
were no more of the English, because being left at their liberty they
thought it safest to dwell at home, and cared not much to take Arms
under a Heathen against Christians.

[Who now live miserably.] They were all ready to go, their Arms and
Ammunition ready with Guns prepared to send down, but before they went,
Tydings came that the Fort yeilded at the Kings Mercy. After this the
Whites thought they had got an advantage of the King in having these
gifts for nothing, but the King did not intend to part with them so;
but kept them to watch at his Gate. And now they are reduced to great
Poverty and Necessity. For since the Kings first Gift they have never
received any Pay or Allowance; tho they have often made their Addresses
to him to supply their wants, signifying their forwardness to serve
him faithfully. He speaks them fair, and tells them he will consider
them, but does not in the least regard them. Many of them since,
after three or four years service, have been glad to get other Poor
run away Dutch men to serve in their steads, giving them as much mony
and cloths as they received of the King before; that so they might
get free, to come home to their Wives and Children.

The Dutch Captain would afterwards have forced the rest of the English
to have come under him, and called them Traytors because they would
not, and threatned them. But they scorned him, and bid him do his
worst, but would never be persuaded to be Soldiers under him, saying,
that it was not so much his zeal to the Kings Service as his own
Pride to make himself greater by having more men under him.

[He returns to speak of himself. Plots and Consults about an Escape.] I
will now turn to the Progress of my own Story. It was now about the
year MDCLXXII. I related before, that my family was reduced to two,
my self and one honest man more, we lived solitarily and contentedly
being well setled in a good House of my own. Now we fell to breeding
up Goats: we began with two, but by the blessing of God they soon came
to a good many; and their Flesh served us instead of Mutton. We kept
Hens and Hogs also: And seeing no sudden likelihood of Liberty, we
went about to make all things handsome and convenient about us: which
might be serviceable to us, while we lived there, and might farther
our Liberty whensoever we should see an occasion to attempt it: which
it did, in taking away all suspition from the People concerning us:
who not having Wives as the others had, they might well think, lay the
readier to take any advantage to make an escape. Which indeed we two
did Plot and Consult about, between our selves with all imaginable
Privacy, long before we go away: and therefore we laboured by all
means to hide our designs; and to free them from so much as suspition.

[A description of his House.] We had now brought our House and Ground
to such a perfection that few Noble mens Seats in the Land did excel
us. On each side was a great Thorn Gate for entrance, which is the
manner in that Countrey: the Gates of the City are of the same. We
built also another House in the Yard all open for Air, for our selves
to sit in, or any Neighbours that came to talk with us. For seldome
should we be alone, our Neighbours oftner frequenting our House than
we desired; out of whom to be sure we could pick no Profit. For
their coming is always either to beg or borrow. For altho we were
Strangers and Prisoners in their Land, yet they would confess that
Almighty God had dealt far more bountifully with us than with them,
in that we had a far greater plenty of all things than they.

[He takes up a new Trade and Thrives on it.] I now began to set
up a new Trade. For the Trade of Knitting was grown dead, and
Husbandry I could not follow, not having a Wife to help and assist
me therein, a great part of Husbandry properly belonging to the
woman to manage. Whereupon I perceived a Trade in use among them,
which was to lend out Corn. The benefit of which is fifty per cent,
per annum. This I saw to be the easiest and most profitable way of
Living, whereupon I took in hand to follow it: and what stock I had,
I converted into Corn or Rice in the Husk. And now as customers came
for Corn, I let them have it, to receive their next Harvest, when their
own Corn was ripe, the same quantity I lent them, and half as much
more. But as the Profit is great, so is the trouble of getting it in
also. For he that useth this Trade must watch when the Debtors Field
is ripe, and claim his due in time, otherwise other Creditors coming
before will seize all upon the account of their Debts, and leave no
Corn at all for those that carrie later. For these that come thus a
borrowing, generally carry none of their Corn home when it is ripe,
for their Creditors ease them of that Labour by coming into their
Fields and taking it, and commonly they have not half enough to pay
what they ow. So that they that miss getting ther Debts this year
must stay till the next when it will be double, two measures for one:
but the Interest never runs up higher, tho the Debt lye seven years
unpaid. By means hereof I was put to a great deal of trouble, and was
forced to watch early and late to get my Debts, and many times miss
of them after all my Pains. Howbeit when my Stock did encrease that
I had dealings with many, I mattered not if I lost in some places,
the profit of the rest was sufficient to bear that out.

And thus by the Blessing of God my little was encreased to a great
deal. For he had blessed me so; that I was able to lend to my Enemies,
and had no need to borrow of them. So that I might use the words of
Jacob, not out of Pride of my self, but thankfulness to God, That he
brought me hither with my Staff and blessed me so here, that I became
two Bands.

[His Allowance paid him out of the King's Store-houses.] For some
years together after I removed to my own House from Laggen denny,
the People from whence I came continued my allowance that I had when I
lived among them. But now in plain Terms they told me they could give
it me no more, and that I was better able to live without it than
they to give it me. Which tho I knew to be true, yet I thought not
fit to loose that Portion of Allowance, which the King was pleased to
allot me. Therefore I went to Court and appealed to the Adigar to whom
such matters did belong. Who upon consideration of the Peoples poor
condition, appointed me monthly to come to him at the Kings Palace
for a Ticket to receive my Allowance out of the King's Store-houses.

Hereby I was brought into a great danger, out of which I had much ado
to escape, and that with the loss of my Allowance for ever after. I
shall relate the manner of it in the next Chapter.






CHAP. VIII.

How the Author had like to have been received into the Kings Service,
and what means he used to avoid it. He meditates and attempts an
escape, but is often prevented.


[He voluntarily forgoes his pension.] This frequent Appearance at the
Court, and waiting there for my Tickets, brought me to be taken notice
of by the Great men: insomuch that they wondered I had been all this
while forgotten, and never been brought before the King, being so fit,
as they would suppose me, for his use and service, saying, That from
henceforward I should fare better than that Allowance amounted to, as
soon as the King was made acquainted with me. Which words of theirs
served instead of a Ticket, Whereupon fearing I mould suddainly
be brought in to the King, which thing I most of all feared, and
least desired, and hoping that out of sight might prove out of mind,
I resolved to forsake the Court, and never more to ask for Tickets,
especially seeing God had dealt so bountifully with me as to give me
ability to live well enough without them. As when Israel had eaten
of the Corn of the Land of Canaan, the Manna ceased; so when I was
driven to forego my Allowance that had all this while sustained me
in this wilderness, God otherways provided for me.

[Summoned before the King.] From this time forward to the time of
my Flight out of the Land, which was five years. I neither had nor
demanded any more Allowance, and glad I was that I could escape
so. But I must have more trouble first. For some four or five days
after my last coming from Court, there came a Soldier to me, sent
from the Adigar, with an Order in writing under his hand, that upon
sight thereof I should immediatly dispatch and come to the Court to
make my personal appearance before the King and in case of any delay,
the Officers of the Countrey, were thereby Authorized and Commanded
to assist the Bearer, and to see the same Order speedily performed.

The chief occasion of this had been a Person, not long before my near
Neighbour and Acquaintance, Oua Matteral by name, who knew my manner
of Life, and had often been at my House; but now was taken in and
employed at Court; and he out of friendship and good will to me was
one of the chief Actors in this business, that he might bring me to
Preferment at Court.

[He is informed that he is to be preferred at Court.] Upon the
abovesaid summons there was no Remedy, but to Court I must go. Where I
first applyed my self to my said old Neighbour, Oua Motteral, who was
the occasion of sending for me. I signified to him that I was come in
obedience to the Warrant, and I desired to know the reason why I was
sent for? To which he answered, Here is good news for you; you are to
appear in the Kings Presence, where you will find great Favour, and
Honourable entertainment, far more than any of your Countrey men yet
here found. Which the great man thought would be a strong Inducement to
persuade me joyfully to accept of the Kings Employments. But this was
the thing I always most dreaded, and endeavoured to shun, knowing that
being taken into Court would be a means to cut of all hopes of Liberty
from me, which was the thing I esteemed equal unto life it self.

[But resolves to refuse it.] Seeing my self brought unto this pass,
wherein I had no earthly helper, I recommended my cause to God,
desiring him in whose hands are the hearts of Kings and Princes to
divert the business. And my cause being just and right I was resolved
to persist in a denial. My case seemed to me to be like that of the
four Lepers at the Gate of Samaria. No avoiding of Death for me: If
out of Ambition and Honour, I should have embraced the Kings Service,
besides the depriving my self of all hopes of Liberty, in the end I
must be put to death, as happens to all that serve him; and to deny
his service could be but Death. And it seemed to me to be the better
Death of the two. For if I should be put to Death only because I
refused his service, I should be pitied as one that dyed innocently;
but if I should be executed in his Service, however innocent I was,
I should be certainly reckon'd a Rebel and a Traytor, as they all
are whom he commands to be cut off.

[The answer he makes to the Great man.] Upon these confederations
having thus set my resolutions, as God enabled me, I returned him
this answer: First, That the English Nation to whom I belonged had
never done any violence or wrong to their King either in word or
deed. Secondly, That the causes of my coming on their Land was not
like to that of other Nations, who were either Enemies taken in War,
or such as by reason of poverty or distress, were driven to sue for
relief out of the Kings bountiful liberality, or such as fled for the
fear of deserved punishment; Whereas, as they all well knew, I came
not upon any of these causes, but upon account of Trade, and came
ashore to receive the Kings Orders, which by notice we understood
were come concerning us, and to render an account to the Dissauva
of the Reasons and Occasions of our coming into the Kings Port. And
that by the grief and sorrow I had undergone by being so long detained
from my Native Countrey, (but, for which I thanked the Kings Majesty,
without want of any thing) I scarcely enjoyed my self. For my heart
was alwayes absent from my body. Hereunto adding my insufficiency
and inability for such honourable Employment, being subject to many
Infirmities and Diseases of Body.

To this he replied, Cannot you read and write English? Servile Labour
the King requireth not of you. I answered, When I came ashore I was
but young, and that which then I knew, now I had forgot for want of
practice, having had neither ink nor paper ever since I came ashore. I
urged moreover, That it was contrary to the Custome and Practice of
all Kings and Princes upon the Earth to keep and detain men that
came into their Countreys upon such peaceable accounts as we did;
much less to compel them to serve them beyond their power and ability.

[He is sent to another great Officer.] At my first coming before him
he looked very pleasingly, and spake with a smiling countenance to me:
but now his smiles were turned into frowns, and his pleasing looks
into bended brows, and in rough Language, he bad me be gone and tell
my tale to the Adigar. Which immediatly I did; but he being busie did
not much regard me, and I was glad of it, that I might absent the
Court. But I durst not go out of the City. Sore afraid I was that
evil would befall me and the best I could expect was to be put in
Chains. All my refuge was Prayer to God, whose hand was not shortned
that it could not save, and would make all things work together for
good to them that trust in him. From him only did I expect help and
deliverance in this time of need.

[He stays in the City expecting his doom.] In this manner I lodged
in an English mans house that dwelt in the City about ten days,
maintaining my self at my own charge, waiting with a sorrowful heart,
and daily expecting to hear my Doom. In the mean time my Countrey
men and Acquaintance, some of them blamed me for refusing so fair a
Profer; whereby I might not only have lived well my self, but also
have been helpful unto my Poor Country-men and friends: others of
them pittying me, expecting, as I did, nothing but a wrathful sentence
from so cruel a Tyrant, if God did not prevent. And Richard Varnham,
who was at this time a great man about the King, was not a little
scared to see me run the hazard of what might ensue, rather than be
Partaker with him in the felicities of the Court.

[He goes home but is sent for again.] It being chargable thus to
lye at the City, and hearing nothing more of my business, I took
leave without asking, and went home to my House; which was but a
Days distance, to get some Victuals to carry with me and to return
again. But soon after I came home I was sent for again. So I took
my load of Victuals with me, and arrived at the City, but went not
to the Court, but to my former Lodging, where I staid as formerly,
until I had spent all my Provisions: and by the good hand of my God
upon me, I never heard any more of that matter. Neither came I any
more into the Presence of the Great-men at Court, but dwelt in my own
Plantation, upon what God provided for me by my Labour and Industry.

[Having escaped the Court service, falls to his former course of
life.] For now I returned to my former course of life, dressing my
Victuals daily with mine own hands, fetching both Wood and Water upon
mine own back. And this, for ought I could see to the contrary, I was
like to continue for my life time. This I could do for the Present,
but I began to consider how helpless I should be, if it should
please God I should live till I grew old and feeble. So I entred
upon a Consultation with myself for the providing against this. One
way was the getting of me a Wife, but that I was resolved never to
do. Then I began to enquire for some poor body to live with me, to
dress my Victuals for me, that I might live at a little more ease,
but could not find any to my mind. Whereupon I considered, that there
was no better way, than to take one of my poor Country-mens Children,
whom I might bring up to learn both my own Language and Religion. And
this might be not only Charity to the Child, but a kindness to my
self also afterwards. And several there were that would be glad so to
be eased of their charge, having more than they could well maintain,
a Child therefore I took, by whose aptness, ingenuity and company as
I was much delighted at present, so afterwards I hoped to be served.

It was now about the year M DC LXXIII. Altho I had now lived many
years in this Land, and God be praised, I wanted for nothing the
Land afforded, yet could I not forget my native Countrey England,
and lamented under the Famine of Gods Word and Sacraments, the want
whereof I found greater than all earthly wants: and my dayly and
fervent Prayers to God were, in his good time to restore me to the
enjoyment of them.

[Their pedling forwarded their escape.] I and my Companion were
still meditating upon our escape and the means to compass it. Which
our pedling about the Countrey did greatly forward and promote. For
speaking well the Language and going with our Commodities from place
to place, we used often to entertain discourse with the Countrey
people; viz. concerning the ways and the Countreys, and where there
were most and fewest inhabitants, and where and how the Watches laid
from one Countrey to another; and what Commodities were proper to
carry from one part to the other, pretending we would from time to
time go from one place to another, to furnish our selves with ware
that the respective places afforded. None doubted but we had made
these inquiries for the sake of our Trade, but our selves had other
designs in them. Neither was there the least suspition of us for
these our questions: all supposing I would never run away and leave
such an estate as in their accounts and esteem I had.

[The most probable course to take, was Northwards.] By diligent inquiry
I had come to understand, that the easiest and most probable way to
make an escape was by travailing to the Northward, that part of the
Land being least inhabited. Therefore we furnished our selves with such
wares as were vendible in those parts, as Tobacco, Pepper, Garlick,
Combs, all sorts of Iron Ware, &c. and being laden with these things,
we two set forth, bending our course towards the Northern Parts of
the Island, knowing very little of the way; and the ways of this
Countrey generally are intricate and difficult: here being no great
High-ways that run thro the Land, but a multitude of little Paths,
some from one Town to another, some into the Fields, and some into
the Woods where they sow their Corn; and the whole Countrey covered
with Woods, that a man cannot see any thing but just before him. And
that which makes them most difficult of all, is, that the ways shift
and alter, new ways often made and old ways stopped up. For they cut
down Woods, and sow the ground, and having got one Crop off from it,
they leave it, and Wood soon grows over it again: and in case a Road
went thro those Woods, they stop it, and contrive another way; neither
do they regard tho it goes two or three miles about: and to ask and
inquire the way for us white men is very dangerous, it occasioning the
People to suspect us. And the Chingulays themselves never Travail in
Countreys where they are not experienced in the ways without a guide,
it being so difficult. And there was no getting a guide to conduct
us down to the Sea.

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