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

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[Their Artificial Pools.] Where there are no Springs or Rivers to
furnish them with Water, as it is in the Northern Parts, where there
are but two or three Springs, they supply this defect by saving of rain
Water; which they do, by casting up great Banks in convenient places
to stop and contain the Rains that fall, and so save it till they have
occasion to let it out into their Fields: They are made rounding like
a C or Half-Moon, every Town has one of these Ponds, which if they
can but get filled with Water, they count their Corn is as good as
in the Barn. It was no small work to the ancient Inhabitants to make
all these Banks, of which there is a great number, being some two,
some three Fathoms in height, and in length some above a Mile, some
less, not all of a size. They are now grown over with great Trees,
and so seem natural Hills. When they would use the Water, they cut a
gap in one end of the Bank, and so draw the Water by little and little,
as they have occasion for the watering their Corn. These Ponds in dry
weather dry up quite. If they should dig these Ponds deep, it would
not be so convenient for them. It would indeed contain the Water well,
but would not so well nor in such Plenty empty out it self into their
Grounds. [Aligators harbor in them.] In these Ponds are Aligators,
which when the Water is dried up depart into the Woods, and down to the
Rivers; and in the time of Rains come up again into the Ponds. They are
but small, nor do use to catch People, nevertheless they stand in some
fear of them. The Corn they sow in these Parts is of that sort that
is soonest ripe, fearing lest their Waters should fail. As the Water
dries out of these Ponds, they make use of them for Fields, treading
the Mud with Buffeloes, and then [They sow Corn on the Mud.] sowing
Rice thereon, and frequently casting up Water with Scoops on it. I
have hitherto spoken of those Rices that require to grow in Water.

[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.

[Their first Ploughing.] They Plough twice before they sow. But before
they begin the first time, they let in Water upon their Land, to make
it more soft and pliable for the Plough. After it is once Ploughed,
they make up their [Their Banks, and use of them.] Banks. For if
otherwise they should let it alone till after the second Ploughing, it
would be mere Mud, and not hard enough to use for Banking. Now these
Banks are greatly necessary, not only for Paths for the People to
go upon through the Fields, who otherwise must go in the Mud, it may
be knee deep; but chiefly to keep in and contain their Water, which
by the help of these Banks they overflow their Grounds with. These
Banks they make as smooth with the backside of their Houghs, as a
Bricklayer can smooth a Wall with his Trowel. For in this they are
very neat. These Banks are usually not above a Foot over.

[Their second Ploughing.] After the Land is thus Ploughed and the
Banks finished, it is laid under water again for some time, till they
go to Ploughing the second time. Now it is exceeding muddy, so that
the trampling of the Cattel that draws the Plough, does as much good
as the Plough; for the more muddy the better. Sometimes they use no
Plough this second time, but only drive their Cattel over to make
the Ground the muddier.

[How they prepare their Seed-Corn.] Their Lands being thus ordered,
they still keep them overflowed with Water, that the Weeds and Grass
may rot. Then they take their Corn and lay it a soak in Water a whole
night, and the next day take it out, and lay it in a heap, and cover
it with green leaves, and so let it lye some five or six days to make
it grow. [And their Land after it is Ploughed.] Then they take and
wet it again, and lay it in a heap covered over with leaves as before,
and so it grows and shoots out with Blades and Roots. In the mean time
while this is thus a growing, they prepare their Ground for sowing;
which is thus: They have a Board about four foot long, which they drag
over their Land by a yoke of Buffaloes, not flat ways, but upon the
edge of it. The use of which is, that it jumbles the Earth and Weeds
together, and also levels and makes the Grounds smooth and even,
that so the Water (for the ground is all this while under water)
may stand equal in all places. And wheresoever there is any little
hummock standing out of the Water, which they may easily see by their
eye, with the help of this Board they break and lay even. And so it
stands overflown while their Seed is growing, and become fit to sow,
which usually is eight days after they lay it in soak.

When the Seed is ready to sow, they drain out all the Water, and with
little Boards of about a foot and a half long, fastned upon long Poles,
they trim the Land over again, laying it very smooth, making small
Furrows all along, that in case Rain or other Waters should come
in, it might drain away; for more Water now would endanger rotting
the Corn. [Their manner of sowing.] And then they sow their Corn,
which they do with very exact evenness, strewing it with their hands,
just as we strew Salt upon Meat.

[How they Manure and order their young Corn.] And thus it stands
without any Water, till such time as the Corn be grown some three
or four Inches above the Ground. There were certain gaps made in the
Banks to let out the water, these are now stopped to keep it in. Which
is not only to nourish the Corn, but to kill the weeds. For they keep
their Fields as clean as a Garden without a weed. Then when the Corn
is grown about a span high, the Women come and weed it, and pull it up
where it grew too thick, and transplant it where it wants. And so it
stands overflown till the Corn be ripe, when they let out the water
again to make it dry for reaping. They never use any dung, but their
manner of plowing and soaking of their Ground serves instead thereof.

[Their manner of Reaping.] At reaping they are excellent good, just
after the English manner. The whole Town, as I said before, as they
joyn together in Tilling, so in their Harvest also; For all fall in
together in reaping one man's Field, and so to the next, until every
mans Corn be down. And the Custome is, that every man, during the
reaping of his Corn, finds all the rest with Victuals. The womens work
is to gather up the Corn after the Reapers, and carry it all together.

[They tread out their Corn with Cattel.] They use not Threshing,
but tread out their Corn with Cattel, which is a far quicker and
easier way. They may tread out in a day forty or fifty Bushels at
least with the help of half a dozen Cattel.

[The Ceremonies they use when the Corn is to be trodden.] When
they are to tread their Corn they choose a convenient adjoyning
place. Here they lay out a round piece Ground some twenty or five
and twenty foot over. From which they cut away the upper Turf. Then
certain Ceremonies are used. First, they adorn this place with ashes
made into flowers and branches, and round circles. Then they take
divers strange shells, and pieces of Iron, and some sorts of Wood,
and a bunch of betel Nuts, (which are reserved for such purposes)
and lay all these in the very middle of the Pit, and a large stone
upon them. Then the women, whose proper work it is, bring each their
burthen of reaped Corn upon their heads, and go round in the Pit three
times, and then fling it down. And after this without any more ado,
bring in the rest of the Corn as fast as they can. For this Labour,
and that of weeding, the Women have a Fee due to them, which they
call Warapol, that is as much Corn, as shall cover the Stone and the
other Conjuration-Instruments at the bottom of the Pit.

They will frequently carry away their new reaped Corn into the
Pit; and tread it out presently as soon as they have cut it down,
to secure it from the Rains, which in some Parts are very great and
often; and Barns they have none big enough, But in other places not
so much given to Rains, they will sometimes set it up in a Cock,
and let it stand some months.

[How they unhusk their Rice.] They unshale their Rice from its
outward husk by beating it in a Mortar, or on the Ground more often;
but some of these sorts of Rice must first be boyled in the husk,
otherwise in beating it will break to powder. The which Rice, as it
is accounted, so I by experience have found, to be the wholsomest;
This they beat again the second time to take off a Bran from it;
and after that it becomes white. And thus much concerning Rice-Corn.

[Other sorts of Corn among them.] Besides this, tho far inferior to it,
there are divers other sorts of Corn, which serve the People for food
in the absence of Rice, which will scarcely hold out with many of them
above half the Year. [Coracan.] There is Coracan, which is a small
seed like Mustard-seed, This they grind to meal or beat in a Mortar,
and so make Cakes of it, baking it upon the Coals in a potsheard,
or dress it otherwise. If they which are not used to it, eat it, it
will gripe their Bellies; When they are minded to grind it, they have
for their Mill two round stones, which they turn with their hands
by the help of a stick: There are several sorts of this Corn. Some
will ripen in three months, and some require four. If the Ground be
good; it yields a great encrease; and grows both on the Hills and
in the Plains. [Tanna.] There is another Corn called Tanna; It is
much eaten in the Northern Parts, in Conde Uda but little sown. It
is as small as the former, but yieldeth a far greater encrease. From
one grain may spring up two, three, four or five stalks, according
as the ground is, on each stalk one ear, that contains thousands of
grains. I think it gives the greatest encrease of any one feed in the
World. Each Husbandman sowes not above a Pottle at a Seeds-time. It
growes up two foot, or two foot and an half from the ground. The way
of gathering it when ripe, is, that the Women (whose office it is}
go and crop off the ears with their hands, and bring them home in
baskets. They onely take off the ears of Coracan also, but they being
tough, are cut off with knives. This Tanna must be parched in a Pan,
and then is beaten in a Mortar to unhusk it. It will boyl like Rice,
but swell far more; the tast not bad but very dry, and accounted
wholsome; the fashion flattish, the colour yellow and very lovely to
the Eye. It ripens in four months, some sorts of it in three. There
are also divers other sorts, which grow on dry Land (as the former)
and ripen with the Rain. [Moung.] As Moung, a Corn somewhat like
Vetches, growing in a Cod. [Omb.] Omb, a small seed, boyled and eaten
as Rice. It has an operation pretty strange, which is, that when it is
new it will make them that eat it like drunk, sick and spue; and this
only when it is sown in some Grounds, for in all it will not have this
effect: and being old, none will have it. Minere, a small seed. Boumas,
we call them Garavances. Tolla, a seed used to make Oyl, with which
they anoint themselves; and sometimes they will parch it and eat it
with Jaggory, a kind of brown Sugar. And thus much of their Corn.






CHAP. IV.

Of their Fruits, and Trees


[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.

[Betel-Nuts.] But to specifie some of the chief of the Fruits in
request among them, I begin with their Betel-Nuts, the Trees that bear
them grow only on the South and West sides of this Island. They do not
grow wild, they are only in their Towns, and there like unto Woods,
without any inclosures to distinguish one mans Trees from anothers;
but by marks of great Trees, Hummacks or Rocks each man knows his
own. They plant them not, but the Nuts being ripe fall down in the
grass and so grow up to [The Trees.] Trees. They are very streight
and tall, few bigger than the calf of a mans Leg. [The Fruit.] The
Nuts grow in bunches at the top, and being ripe look red and very
lovely like a pleasing Fruit. When they gather them, they lay them in
heaps until the shell be somewhat rotted, and then dry them in the
Sun, and afterwards shell them with a sharp stick one and one at a
time. These trees will yield some 500, some a 1000, some 1500 Nuts,
and some but three or four hundred. They bear but once in the Year
generally, but commonly there are green Nuts enough to eat all the
Year long. [The Leaves.] The leaves of it are somewhat like those of a
Coker-Nut Tree, they are five or six foot long, and have other lesser
leaves growing out of the sides of them, like the feathers on each
side of a quill. The Chingulays call the large leaves the boughs,
and the leaves on the sides, the leaves. They fall off every Year,
and the skin upon which they grow, with them. [The Skins, and their
use.] These skins grow upon the body of the Tree, and the leaves grow
out on them. They also clap about the buds or blossoms which bear the
Nuts, and as the buds swell, so this skin-cover gives way to them, till
at length it falls quite off with the great leaf on it. It is somewhat
like unto Leather, and of great use unto the Countrey People. It serves
them instead of Basons to eat their Rice in, and when they go a Journey
to tie up their Provisions: For in these skins or leaves they can tie
up any liquid substance as Oyl or water, doubling it in the middle,
and rowling it in the two sides, almost like a purse. For bigness they
are according to the Trees, some bigger, some less, ordinarily they
are about two foot length, and a foot and an half in breadth. In this
Countrey are no Inns to go to, and therefore their manner when they
Travel is, to carry ready dressed what provisions they can, which
they make up in these leaves. The Trees within have onely a kind of
pith, and will split from one end to the other, the [The Wood.] Wood
is hard and very strong; they use it for Laths for their Houses, and
also for Rails for their Hedges, which are only stakes struck in the
ground, and rails tyed along with rattans, or other withs growing in
the Woods. [The profit the Fruit yields.] Money is not very plentiful
in this Land, but by means of these Nuts, which is a great Commodity
to carry to the Coasts of Cormandel, they furnish themselves with all
things they want. The common price of Nuts, when there was a Trade,
as there was when I came first on this Land, is 20000 for one Doller;
but now they ly and grow, or rot on the ground under the Trees. Some
of these Nuts do differ much from others in their operation, having
this effect, that they will make people drunk and giddy-headed,
and give them some stools, if they eat them green.

[Jacks.] There is another Fruit, which we call Jacks; the Inhabitants
when they are young call them Polos, before they be full ripe Cose; and
when ripe, Warracha or Vellas; But with this difference, the Warracha
is hard, but the Vellas as soft as pap, both looking alike to the eye
no difference; but they are distinct Trees. These are a great help to
the People, and a great part of their Food. They grow upon a large
Tree, the Fruit is as big as a good Peck loaf, the outside prickly
like an Hedg-hog, and of a greenish colour; there are in them Seeds
or Kernels, or Eggs as the Chingulayes call them, which lie dispersed
in the Fruit like Seeds in a Cucumber. They usually gather them before
they be full ripe, boreing an hole in them, and feeling of the Kernel,
they know if they be ripe enough for their purpose. Then being cut in
pieces they boil them, and eat to save Rice and fill their Bellies;
they eat them as we would do Turnips or Cabbage, and tast and smell
much like the latter: one may suffice six or seven men. When they
are ripe they are sweet and good to eat raw. The Kernels do very
much resemble Chesnuts both in colour and tast, and are almost as
good: the poor people will boyl them or roast them in the embers,
there being usually a good heap of them lying in a corner by the
fire side; and when they go a Journey, they will put them in a bag
for their Provisions by the way. One Jack may contain three pints
or two quarts of these seeds or kernels. When they cut these Jacks,
there comes running out a white thick substance like tar, and will
stick just like Birdlime, which the Boyes make use of to catch Birds,
which they call Cola, or bloud of the Cos. Some will mix this with
the flower of Rice, and it will eat like Eggs.

[Jombo.] Another Fruit there is which I never saw in any other Parts
of India, they call it Jombo. In tast it is like to an Apple, full
of Juice, and pleasant to the Palate, and not unwholsom to the Body,
and to the Eye no Fruit more amiable, being white, and delicately
coloured with red, as if it were painted.

[Other fruits found in the Woods.] Also in the wild Woods are
several sorts of pretty Fruits, as Murros, round in shape, and as
big as a Cherry, and sweet to the tast; Dongs, nearest like to a
black Cherry. Ambelo's like to Barberries. Carolla cabella, Cabela
pooke, and Polla's, these are like to little Plums, and very well
tasted. Paragidde, like to our Pears, and many more such like Fruits.

[Fruits common with other parts of India.] Here are also, of Indian
Fruits, Coker-nuts; Plantins also and Banana's of divers and sundry
sorts, which are distinguished by the tast as well as by the names;
rare sweet Oranges and sower ones, Limes but no Lemons, such as ours
are; Pautaurings, in tast all one with a Lemon, but much bigger
than a mans two fists, right Citrons, and a small sort of sweet
Oranges. Here are several other sorts of Lemons, and Oranges, Mangoes
of several sorts, and some very good and sweet to eat. In this sort
of Fruit the King much delights, and hath them brought to him from
all Parts of the Island. Pine-Apples also grow there, Sugar Canes,
Water-Melons, Pomegranates, Grapes both black and white, Mirablins,
Codjeu's, and several other.

There are three other Trees that must not here be omitted; Which
tho they bear no eatable Fruit, yet the Leaves of the one, and the
Juice of the other, and the Bark of the third are very renowned,
and of great benefit.

[The Tallipot; the rare Uses of the Leaf.] The first is the Tallipot;
It is as big and tall as a Ships Mast, and very streight, bearing
only Leaves: which are of great use and benefit to this People;
one single Leaf being so broad and large, that it will cover some
fifteen or twenty men, and keep them dry when it rains. The leaf being
dryed is very strong, and limber and most wonderfully made for mens
Convenience to carry along with them; for tho this leaf be thus broad
when it is open, yet it will fold close like a Ladies Fan, and then
it is no bigger than a mans arm. It is wonderful light, they cut them
into pieces, and carry them in their hands. The whole leaf spread is
round almost like a Circle, but being cut in pieces for use are near
like unto a Triangle: They lay them upon their heads as they travel
with the peaked end foremost, which is convenient to make their way
thro the Boughs and Thickets. When the Sun is vehement hot they use
them to shade themselves from the heat. Souldiers all carry them;
for besides the benefit of keeping them dry in case it rain upon
the march, these leaves make their Tents to ly under in the Night. A
marvelous Mercy which Almighty God hath bestowed upon this poor and
naked People in this Rainy Country! one of these I brought with me
into England, and you have it described in the Figure. These Leaves
all grow on the top of the Tree after the manner of a Coker. It bears
no kind of Fruit until the last year of its life, and then it comes
out on the top, and spreads abroad in great branches, all full first
of yellow blossoms, most lovely and beautiful to behold, but smell
very strong, and then it comes to a Fruit round and very hard, as big
as our largest Cherries, but good only for seed to set: and tho this
Tree bears but once, it makes amends, bearing such great abundance,
that one Tree will yield seed enough for a Countrey. If these Trees
stand near any houses, the smell of the blossoms so much annoyes them,
that they regarding not the seed, forthwith cut them down. This Tree
is within a [The pith good to eat.] Pith only, which is very good to
eat if they cut the Tree down before it runs to seed. They beat it in
Mortars to Flower, and bake Cakes of it; which tast much like to white
bread. It serves them instead of Corn before their Harvest be ripe.

[The Kettule yields a delicious juice.] The next Tree is
the Kettule. It groweth streight, but not so tall or big as a
Coker-Nut-Tree; the inside nothing but a white Pith, as the former. It
yieldeth a sort of Liquor, which they call Tellegie: it is rarely
sweet and pleasing to the Pallate, and as wholsom to the Body,
but no stronger than water. They take it down from the Tree twice,
and from some good Trees thrice, in a day. An ordinary Tree will
yield some three, some four Gallons in a day, some more and some
less. The which Liquor they boyl and make a kind of brown Sugar,
called Jaggory; but if they will use their skill, they can make it
as white as the second best Sugar: and for any use it is but little
inferior to ordinary Sugar. The manner how they take this Liquor
from the Tree is thus; When the Tree is come to maturity, first out
of the very top there cometh out a bud, which if they let it grow,
will bear a round fruit, which is the seed it yieldeth, but is only
good to set for encrease. This bud they cut and prepare, by putting to
it several sorts of things, as Salt, Pepper, Lemons, Garlick, Leaves,
&c. which keeps it at a stand, and suffers it not to ripen. So they
daily cut off a thin slice off the end, and the Liquor drops down in
a Pot, which they hang to catch it.

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