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THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 CERF LIBRARY 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 REBECCA CERF '02 
 
 IN THE NAMES OF 
 
 CHARLOTTE CERF '95 
 
 MARCEL E. CERF '97 
 
 BARRY CERF '02 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 i 
 
 littp://www.archive.org/details/accountofcaptiviOOknoxrich 
 
COLOMBO : 
 
 REPHINTKD BY A. M. & J. FERGUSON. 
 
 1908. 
 
ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THB 
 
 Captivity 
 
 OF 
 
 Capt. ROBERT KNOX, 
 
 AND OTHER ENGLISHMEN, 
 
 IN THB 
 
 ISLAND OF CEYLON ; 
 
 AND OF THE 
 
 CAPTAIN'S MIRACULOUS ESCAPE, 
 
 AND RETURN TO ENGLAND, IN SEPTEMBER 1680 ; AFTER 
 DETENTION ON THE ISLAND OF NINETEEN 
 YEARS AND A HALF. 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, 
 
 And first printed in 1681. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED FOR J, HATCHARD, BOOKSELLER TO THE QUEEN 
 NO. 190, PICCADILLy. 
 
 1818 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 
 CAPTAIN KNOXS NARRATIVE. 
 
 Chap. I.*-Of the Reason of our £(oing 
 to Ceylon, and Detainment there . , 5 
 
 Chap. II. — How we were carried lip 
 into the Country, and disposed of 
 there ; and of the Sickness, Sorrow, 
 and Death of the Captain . . . . 1^ 
 
 Chap. III. — How I Uved after my 
 Father's Death— And of the Coftdi- 
 tion of the rest of the English ; and 
 how it fared with them— And of 
 out Interview . . . * . * 33 
 
 Chap. IV. — Concerning some other 
 Englishmen detained in that Coun- 
 try 52 
 
 Chap* V.— Concerning the means that 
 were usual for our DeHverance— 
 And what happened to us in tlie 
 Rebelhon— And how we were settled 
 afterwards . . . . . . . . 65 
 
 Chap. VI. — A Continuation of the 
 Author's particular Condition after 
 the Rebellion— Purchaseth a Piece 
 of Land .. 77 
 
 ivi570886 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. VII. — A Return to the rest of 
 the Enghsh, with some further 
 Accounts of them — and some further 
 Discourse of the Author's Course of 
 Life 92 
 
 Chap. VIII. — ^How the Author had 
 like to have been received into the 
 King's Service, and what Means he 
 used to avoid it — He meditates and 
 attempts an Escape, but is often 
 prevented . . . . . . . . 106 
 
 Ghap. IX. — How the Author began 
 his Escape, and got onward of his 
 way about an hundred Miles . . 123 
 
 Chap. X. — The Author's Progress in 
 his flight from Andarodgburro into 
 the Woods, unto their Arrival in 
 the Malabar s' Country . . . . 140 
 
 Chap. XI — Being in the Malabar 
 Territories, how they encountered 
 two Men, and what passed between 
 them — And of their getting safe 
 unto the Dutch Fort — And their 
 Reception there, and at the Island 
 Manaar, until their embarking for 
 Columbo. . . . . . . , . 157 
 
 Chap. XII. — Their Arrival at Colum- 
 bo, and Entertainment there — 
 Their Departure thence to Bata- 
 via — And from thence to Bantam — 
 Whence they set sail for England. . 168 
 
AN 
 
 ACCOUNT, 
 
 &C. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 
 Of the Reason of our going to Ceylon, and 
 Detmnment there, 
 
 A NNO 1657, the Ann frigate, of London, 
 Captain Robert Knox commander, on 
 the one-and-twentieth day of January, set 
 sail out of the Downs, in the service of the 
 Honourable the English East India Com- 
 pany, bound for Fort St. George, on the 
 Coast of Coromandel, to trade one year 
 from port to port in India. Which we 
 having performed, as we were lading of 
 goods to return for England, being in the 
 Road of MasuUpatam, on the 19th of 
 November, anno 1659, happened such a 
 mighty storm, that in it several ships 
 
t) CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 were cast away, and we forced to cut our 
 main-mast by the board, which so disabled 
 the ship, that she could not proceed in 
 her voyage. Whereupon Cotiar, in the 
 island of Ceylon, being a very commod- 
 ious bay, fit for our present distress, 
 Thomas Chambers, Esq. (since Sir Tho- 
 mas), the agent at Fort St. George, 
 ordered, that the ship should take in some 
 cloth, and go to Cotiar Bay, there to 
 trade, while she lay to set her mast. 
 Where being arrived, according to the 
 appointment of those Indian merchants 
 of Porto Novo, we carried with us, to 
 whom those goods belonged, they were 
 put ashore, and we minded our business 
 to set another main- mast, and repair our 
 other damages we had sustained by the 
 late storm. 
 
 At our first coming thither, we were 
 shy and jealous of the people of the place, 
 by reason ourj nation never had any 
 commerce or dealing with them. But 
 now having been there some twenty days, 
 and going ashore and coming on board at 
 our pleasure, without any molestation; 
 the governor of the place also telling 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 7 
 
 US that we were welcome, as we seemed 
 to ourselves to be, we began to lay aside 
 all suspicious thoughts of the people 
 dwelling thereabouts, who had very kindly 
 entertained us, for our monies, with such 
 provisions and refreshings as those parts 
 afforded. 
 
 By this time the King of the country 
 had notice of our being there ; and, as I 
 suppose, grew suspicious of us, not having 
 all that while, by any message, made him 
 acquainted with our intent and purpose in 
 coming. Thereupon he despatched down 
 a Bissau va, or general, with his army to 
 us ; who immediately sent a messenger 
 on board, to acquaint the Captam with 
 his coming, and desired him to come 
 ashore to him, pretending a letter to him 
 from the King. We saluted the message 
 with firing of guns; and my father, the 
 Captain, ordered me, with Mr. John Love- 
 land, merchant of the ship, to go on shore 
 and wait upon him. When we were come 
 before him, he demanded who we were, 
 and how long we should stay ? We told 
 him we were English, and not to stay 
 above twenty or thirty days ; and desired 
 
8 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 permission to trade in his Majesty's port. 
 His answer was, the King was glad to 
 hear that the English were come to his 
 country, and had commanded him to 
 assist us as we should desire, and had sent 
 a letter, to be delivered to none but to 
 the Captain himself. 
 
 We were then some twelve miles from 
 the sea-side. Our reply was, that the 
 Captain could not leave his ship to come 
 so far ; but if he pleased to come down to 
 the sea-side himself, the Captain would 
 immediately wait upon him, to receive the 
 letter. Upon which the Dissauva desired 
 us to stay that day, and on the morrow 
 he would go down with us. Which being 
 a small request, and we, unwilling to dis- 
 please him, consented to. 
 
 The same day, at evening, the Dissauva 
 sent two of his chief captains to the house 
 where we lay, to tell us that he was send- 
 ing a present to the Captain, and if we 
 pleased we might send a letter to him; 
 that he would send the present in the 
 night, and himself with us follow the next 
 morning. At which we began to suspect ,^ 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 9 
 
 and accordingly concluded to write, and 
 advise the Captain not to adventure 
 himself, nor any other, on shore till he 
 saw us. We having writ a letter to this 
 purpose, they took it and went away, 
 but never delivered it. 
 
 The next morning the present, which 
 was cattle, fruit, &c., was brought to the 
 sea-side, and delivered to the Captain ; 
 the messengers telling him withal, that we 
 were upon the way coming down, with 
 the Dissauva ; who desired his company on 
 shore against his coming, having a letter 
 from the King to deliver into his own 
 hand. Hereupon the Captain, mistrusting 
 nothing, came up with his boat into a 
 small river, and being come ashore, sat 
 down under a tamarind-tree, waiting for 
 the Dissauva and us. In which time the 
 native soldiers privately surrounded him 
 and men, having no arms with them; 
 and so he was seized on, and seven men 
 with him, yet without any violence or 
 plundering them of any thing ; and then 
 they brought them up unto U5, carrying 
 the Captain in a hammock upon their 
 shoulders. 
 
10 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 The next day after, the long-boat's crew, 
 not knowing what had happened, came 
 ashore to cut a tree to make cheeks for 
 the main-mast, and were made prisoners 
 after the same manner, though with more 
 violence. For they being rough , and making 
 resistance, were bound with withes, and 
 so were led away, till they came where the 
 people got ropes ; which when our men 
 saw brought t) them, th^y were not a 
 little affrighted ; for, being already bound, 
 they concluded there could be no other 
 use for those ropes but to hang them. 
 But the true use of them was to bind 
 them faster, fearing lest the withes might 
 break, and so they were brought up 
 farther into the country ; but afterwards, 
 being become more tame, they were loosed. 
 They would not adventure to bring them to 
 us, but quartered them in another house, 
 though in the same town; where, without 
 leave, we could not see one another. 
 The house wherein they kept the Captain 
 and us, was all hanged with white calico, 
 which is the greatest honour they can 
 show to any; lut the house wherein the 
 other men were, that were brought up after 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 11 
 
 US, was not. They gave us also as good 
 entertainment as the country afforded. 
 
 Having thus taken both our boats and 
 eighteen men of us, their next care was 
 fearing lest the ship should be gone, to secure 
 her: therefore, to bring this about, the 
 Dissauva told the Captain that the reason 
 of this their detainment was, that the 
 King intended to send letters and a pre- 
 sent to the English nation by him, and 
 therefore that the ship must not go away 
 till the King was ready to send his mess- 
 enger and message, and thereupon desired 
 the Captain to send on board to order her 
 stay ; and it being not safe for her to ride 
 in the Bay, lest the Dutch might come 
 and fire her, that he should take order for 
 her bringing up into the river. Which 
 advice of his, the Captain approved not 
 of ; but concealing his disUke of it, replied, 
 that unless he could send two of his own 
 men on board with his letter and order, 
 those in the ship would not obey him, but 
 speedily would be gone with the ship. 
 Which he, rather than he would run the 
 hazard of the ship's departing, granted; 
 imagining that the Captain would order 
 
12 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 the ship to be brought up into the river, 
 as he had advised, though the Captain ii^ 
 tended to make another use of this message. 
 
 Upon which the Captain sent two of his 
 men some Indians accompanying them, in a 
 canoe to the ship; the Captain ordering 
 them, when they were aboard, not to 
 abuse the Indians, but to entertain them 
 very kindly, and afterwards, that, setting 
 them ashore, they should keep the canoe 
 to themselves, instead of our two boats, 
 which they had gotten from us, and to 
 secure the ship, and wait till further order. 
 
 These two men stayed on board, and 
 came not back again. This, together with 
 the ship's not coming up, displeased the 
 Dissauva, and he demanded of the Captain 
 the reason thereof. His answer was, that, 
 being detained on shore, the men on board 
 would not obey his command. Upon this, 
 some days after the Dissauva bid the 
 Captain send his son with order to those 
 aboard that the ship might be brought 
 into the river, but provided tnat he would 
 be security for my return ; which he pro- 
 mised he would. His order to me was, 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 1 
 
 to see the top-chains put upon the cables, 
 and the guns shotted, and to tell Mr. John 
 Burford, chief mate, and all the rest, as they 
 valued their lives and liberties, to keep a 
 watch, and not to suffer any boat to come 
 near, after it was dark : and charged me 
 upon his blessing, and as I should answer 
 it at the great day, not to leave him in 
 this condition, but to return to him agam. 
 Upon which I solemnly vowed, according 
 to my duty, to be his obedient son. 
 
 So having seen all done according to 
 his appointment, I wrote a letter, in the 
 name of the company, to clear my father 
 and myself, to this effect : That they 
 would not obey the Captain, nor any 
 other in this matter, but were resolved 
 to stand upon their own defence. To 
 which they all set their hands. Wh'ch 
 done, according to my promise and duty, 
 I returned again, and dehvered the letter 
 to the Dissauva, who was thereby 
 answered, and afterwards urged the 
 Captain no more in that matter, but gave 
 him leave at his pleasure to write for what 
 he pleased to have brought to him from 
 the ship ; still pretending the King's order 
 
14 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 to release us, was not yet, but would 
 suddenly come. And so we remained 
 expecting it about two months, being 
 entertained, as formerly, with the best 
 diet and accommodation of the country. 
 
 Having continued thus long in suspense, 
 and the time and season of the year 
 spending for the ship to proceed on he : 
 voyage to some other place, and our 
 condition being, as we feared, and after- 
 wards found to be, the beginning of a sad 
 captivity, the Captain sent order to Mr. 
 John Burford to take the charge of the 
 ship upon him, and to set sail for Porto 
 Novo, whence he came, and there to follow 
 the Agent's order. 
 
 If any inquire what became of the cloth 
 of our lading, which we brought thither, 
 they only took an account to see what it 
 was, and so left it where and as it was 
 before ; and there it remained until both 
 house and goods rotted, as the people of 
 the same town informed me afterwards. 
 
 I impute the main reason of our surprise 
 to our neglect, viz. in not sending a letter 
 and present to the King, at our first 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 15^ 
 
 coming; who looking upon himself as a 
 great monarch, as he is indeed, requires to 
 be treated with suitable state. 
 
 Thus were sixteen of us left to the 
 mercy of those barbarians, the names of 
 which are as follows : the Captain, Mr. Joh. 
 Loveland, John Gregory, Charles Beard, 
 Roger Gold, Stephen Rutland, Nicholas 
 Mullins, Francis Crutch, John Berry, Ralph 
 Knight, Peter Winn, Wilham Hubbard, 
 Arthur Emery, Richard Varnham, George 
 Smith, and myself. Though our hearts 
 were very heavy, seeing ourselves betrayed 
 into so sad a condition, to be forced to 
 dwell among those that knew not God 
 nor his laws ; yet so great was the mercy 
 of our gracious God, that he gave us favour 
 in the sight of this people; insomuch 
 that we lived far better than we could 
 have expected, being prisoners, or rather 
 captives, in the hands of the heathen; 
 from whom we could have looked for 
 nothing but very severe usage- 
 
 The ship being gone, the King sent to- 
 call the Dissauva speedily to him ; who, 
 upon this order, immediately marched 
 
16 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 ^way with his army, leaving us where 
 we were ; but concerning us there was no 
 order at all. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 How we were carried v/p into the Country, 
 and disposed of there ; and of the Sick- 
 ness, Sorrow, and Death of the Captain. 
 
 npHE Bissau va with his men being gone, 
 the people of the town were appointed 
 to guard and secure us until further order. 
 But they carried us some six miles higher 
 into the country, and would not yet 
 adventure to bring the long-boat's crew 
 unto us, but kept them by themselves in 
 another town, fearing lest we might make 
 -an escape, as certainly we would have 
 attempted it, had they not removed us. 
 There was a small Moors' vessel, which 
 lay in the river, which they had seized 
 on about this time, as we supposed they 
 would have done by our ship if they 
 <30uld have catched her there. This vessel 
 had some forty men belonging to her, who 
 -were not made prisoners as we were, but 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX, IT 
 
 yet lay in the same town : with those we^ 
 had concluded, that they should furnish 
 us with arms, and in the night all together 
 to march down, and get on board of their 
 vessel, and so make our escape. But 
 being prevented in this design by our 
 departure, we were fain to Ue at their mercy. 
 
 In our new quarters, our entertainment 
 proved as good as formerly. And indeed 
 there was this to mitigate our misery, that 
 the people were courteous to us, and 
 seemed to pity us. For there is a great 
 difference between the people inhabiting 
 the high lands, or the mountains of Candy, 
 and those of the low lands where we now 
 were placed, who are of a kinder nature 
 by far than the other. For these countries 
 beneath the mountains formerly were in 
 subjection unto the Portuguese; whereby 
 they have been exercised and acquainted 
 with the customs and manners of Christian 
 people; which pleasing them far better 
 than their own, have begot and bred in 
 them a kind of love and affection towards 
 strangers, being apt to show pity and 
 compassion on them in their distress ; and 
 you shall hear them oftentimes upbraiding 
 
18 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 the highlanders for their insolent and rude 
 behaviour. 
 
 It was a very sad condition whilst we 
 were all together ; yet, hitherto, each 
 other's company lessened our sufferings, 
 and was some comfort that we might con- 
 dole one another. But now it came to 
 pass that we must be separated and placed 
 asunder, one in a village, where we could 
 have none to confer withal, or look upon, 
 but the horrible black faces of our heathen 
 enemies, and not understand one word of 
 their language neither This was a great 
 addition to our grief; yet God was so 
 merciful to us, as not to suffer them to 
 part my father and I. 
 
 For it was some sixteen days after our 
 last remove, the King was pleased to send 
 a captain with soldiers to bring us up into 
 the country; who brought us and the 
 other men taken in the long-boat together ; 
 which was an heavy meeting; being then, 
 as we well saw, to be carried captives into 
 the mountains. That night we supped 
 together, and the next morning changed 
 our condition into real captivity. Howbeit 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX, 19 
 
 they gave us many comfortable promises, 
 which we believed not; as, **That the 
 King's intent was not to keep us any 
 longer than till another ship came to carry 
 us away." Although we had but very 
 little to carry, God knows, yet they 
 appointed men to carry the clothes that 
 belonged to the Captain and officers. 
 
 We still expected they would plunder 
 us of our clothes, having nothing else to 
 be plundered of : but the Chingulay 
 captain told us, that the King had given 
 order that none should take the value of 
 a thread from ua : which indeed they did 
 not. As they brought us up they were 
 very tender of us, as not to tire us with 
 travelling, bidding us go no faster than 
 we would ourselves. This kindness did 
 somewhat comfort us. The way was plain 
 and easy to travel through great woods, so 
 that we walked as in an arbour, but 
 desolate of inhabitants. So that for four 
 or five nights we lay on the ground, with 
 boughs of trees only over our heads. And 
 of victuals, twice a-day, they gave us 
 as much as we could eat, that is, of rice 
 salt fish, dried flesh ; and sometimes they 
 
20 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 would shoot deer and find honey in the trees, 
 good part of which they always brought 
 unto us. And drink we could not want, 
 there being rivers and puddles fuU of 
 water as we travelled along. 
 
 But when we came out of the woods 
 among inhabitants, and were led into their 
 towns, they brought us victuals ready 
 dressed after their fashion, viz. rice boiled 
 in water, and three other sorts of food, 
 whereof one flesh, and the other two herbs, 
 or such-like things that grow in their 
 country, and all kinds of ripe fruit, which 
 we liked very well and fed heartily upon. 
 Our entertainment all along was at the 
 charge of the country : so we fed like 
 soldiers upon free quarter. Yet 1 think 
 we gave them good content for all the 
 charge we put them to; which was to 
 have the satisfaction of seeing us eat, 
 sitting on mats upon the ground in their 
 yards, to the public view of all beholders; 
 who greatly admired us, having never 
 seen, nor scarce heard of, EngUshmen 
 before. It was also great entertainment 
 to them to observe our manner of eating 
 with spoons, which some of us had,^ and 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 21 
 
 that we could not take the rice up 
 in our hands, and put it to our mouths 
 without spilling, as they do, nor gaped and 
 poured the water into our mouths oui of 
 pots according to their country's custom. 
 Thus at every town where we came, they 
 used, both young and old, in great com- 
 panies, to stare upon us. 
 
 Being thus brought up all together some- 
 what near to the city of Candy ; now came 
 an order from the King to separate us, 
 and to place us one in a town : which then 
 seemed to us to be very hard ; but it was 
 for the convenience of getting food, being 
 quartered upon the country at their 
 charge. 
 
 The Captain, Mr. John Loveland, 
 myself, and John Gregory, were parted 
 from the rest, and brought nearer to the 
 city, to be ready when the King should 
 send for us. All the rest were placed one 
 in a town, according to the aforesaid* 
 order. Special command also was given 
 from the King, that we all should be well 
 entertained ; and, according to the country 
 fare, we had no cause to complain. We 
 
 B 
 
22 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 four were thus kept together some two 
 months, faring well all the while. But 
 the King minding us not, order came from 
 the great men in court to place us in towns ,^ 
 as the rest were; only my father and I 
 were still permitted to be together, and a 
 great charge given to use us well. And 
 indeed, twice a-day, we had brought unta 
 us as good fare as the country afforded. 
 All the rest had not their provisions 
 brought to them, as we had, but went to 
 eat from house to house', each house taking 
 its turn. 
 
 On the 16th of September 1660, my 
 father and I were placed in a town called 
 Bonder Cooswat : the situation was very 
 pleasing and commodious, lying about 
 thirty miles to the northward of the city 
 of Candy, in the country called Hotcurly^ 
 and distant from the rest of our people a 
 full day's journey. We were removed 
 ^ hither from another town nearer to the 
 city, where the nobles at court, supposing 
 that the King would call for us, had placed 
 us to have us ready. Being thus brought 
 to Bonder Cooswat, the people put it to 
 our choice which house we would have to 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 23 
 
 reside in. The country being hot and their 
 houses dark and dirty, my father chose an 
 open house, having only a roof but no 
 wails : wherein they placed a cot, or bed- 
 stead only, with a mat upon it for him ; 
 which, in their account, is an extraordinary 
 lodging : and for me, a mat upon the 
 ground. 
 
 Monies at that time were very low 
 with us. For although we wanted not 
 for opportunity to send for what we 
 would have brought unto us from the ship, 
 yet fearing we should be plundered of it, 
 sent not for any thing, only a pillow for 
 my father. For we held it a point without 
 dispute, that they that made prisoners of 
 our bodies would not spare to take our 
 goods; my father also alleging, that he 
 had rather his children at home should 
 enjoy them. 
 
 But to make amends for that, we had 
 our provisions brought us without money, 
 and that twice a-day, so much as we 
 could eat, and as good as their country 
 yielded; to wit, a pot of good rice, and 
 three dishes of such things as with them 
 
24 ' CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 is accounted good cheer : one always either 
 flesh, fish, or eggs ; but not over-much of 
 this dish: the other dishes, herbs, pump- 
 kins, or such-hke, one of which is always 
 made sour. 
 
 The first year that we were brought 
 into this town, this part of the land was 
 extraordinary sickly, by agues and fevers, 
 whereof many people died ; insomuch that 
 many times we were forced to remain 
 an-hungry, there being none well enough 
 either to boil or bring victuals unto us. 
 
 We had with us a Practice of Piety, 
 and Mr. Rogers's 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, 
 tired with being all day in our house 
 or prison. 
 
 This course lasted until God was pleased 
 to visit us both with the country sickness, 
 ague and fever. The sight of my father's 
 misery was far more grievous unto me 
 than the sense of my own, that I must be 
 a spectator of his affliction, and not any 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 25 
 
 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 j dutif ulness 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." 
 
 My father's ague lasted not long, but 
 deep grief daily more and more increased 
 upon him; which so overwhelmed 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 deUvering him out of them 
 
26 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 
 gray, 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 country, and to settle me in the 
 ship in his stead : the thoughts of these 
 things did even break his heart. 
 
 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 
 withal. And I had only a mat upon the 
 ground and a pillow to lie on, and nothing 
 to cover me but the clothes 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. 
 
 We had a black boy, my father brought 
 from Porto Novo, to attend upon him, 
 who seeing his master to be a prisoner 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 27 
 
 in the hands of the people of his own 
 complexion, would not 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 contin- 
 ued for sixteen months' time. 
 
 There appearing now to us no prob- 
 abiUty, whereupon to build any hopes of 
 liberty, the sense 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 re- 
 quired it; always groaning and sighing in 
 a most piteous manner : which for me to 
 hear and see come from my dear father, 
 myself also in the same condition, did 
 almost break my heart. But then 1 
 felt that doctrine most true, which 
 I had read out of Mr. Rogers's book, 
 *' That God is most sweet, when the world 
 is most bitter." 
 
28 CAPTIVITY AND. ESCAPE 
 
 In this manner my father lay until the 
 9th o£ February 16f?^; by which time he 
 was consumed to an anatomy, having no- 
 thing 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, 
 '* Th3^ will be done," to have it so. 
 
 The evening before his death, he called 
 me to come near his bedside, and to sit 
 down^^by him ; at which time also I had 
 a strong fever upon me. This done, he 
 told me, that he sensibly felt his life 
 departing irom 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 easy 
 and welcome to any man, as God had made 
 it to be to him ; and the joys 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. • 21> 
 
 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 charg- 
 ed 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 bade 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 myself. 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 bade 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 
 
30 CAPTIVITY AXD ESCAPE 
 
 could not tell how to conceive, seeing but 
 little sign of any such matter. But bless- 
 ed 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 rejoiced me to see 
 that God had given me so much grace. 
 
 But though 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 layjupon : and then ceased speaking, and 
 fell into a slumber. This was about eight or 
 nine o'clock in the evening, and about two 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX. 31 
 
 or three in the morning he gave up the ghost, 
 February the 9th, 1660, being very sensible 
 unto the very instant of his departure. 
 
 According to his own appointment, 
 with my own hands I wrapped him up 
 ready for the grave; myself being very 
 sick and weak, and as I thought ready 
 to follow after him. Having none but 
 the black boy with me, I bade him ask 
 the people of the town for help to carry 
 my father to the grave, because I could 
 not understand their language : who im- 
 mediately brought forth a great rope they 
 used to tie 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 corpss, 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^o hire one to help; which 
 at first I would not have spared to have 
 done, had I known their meaning. 
 
32 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 By this means, I thank God, in so decent 
 a manner as our present condition would 
 perniit, 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 of4;he Queen, Bonder implying 
 something relating to the King. It lies 
 towards the north-west of the middle of 
 the island, in the county of 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 show himself a father of 
 the fatherless, and a present help to them 
 that have no helper. 
 
 The news of my father's death being 
 carried to court, presently two messengers 
 were sent from thence to see nte, and to 
 know of me, how and in what manner my 
 father died, and what he had left : which 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX 33 
 
 was a gold ring, a pagoda, and some two 
 or three dollars, and a few old clothes; 
 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, 
 lest I might die also, as my father had 
 done. So, for a while, I had better enter- 
 tainment 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. 
 
 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 
 
34 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 
 take away my life, for it was a burden 
 to me. 
 
 At length it pleased God, my ague began 
 to be a little more moderate ; and so by de- 
 grees it wore away, after it had held me 
 sixteen months. 
 
 Provisions falling short with me, though 
 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 35 
 
 answerd, Yes. '* The reason I a^k," said 
 the old man, "is because I have one, I 
 got when the Portuguese lost Columbo ; 
 and if your master please to buy it, I will 
 sell it him. " Which when I heard of, I 
 bade 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 
 Portuguese book. 
 
 The boy, having formerly served the 
 English, knew the book ; and, as soon as 
 he had got it into 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 St. Paul, " What 
 must I do to be saved ? And he answered, 
 saying, BeUeve in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and thou shalt be saved, and thine house.'^ 
 
36 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 dis- 
 suaded me from giving so much, alleging 
 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 ap- 
 proved of, my urgent necessities earnestly 
 craving, and my abiUty 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 over- 
 joyed me, as if an angel had spoke to me 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 37 
 
 from heaven : to see that my most gracious 
 God had prepared such an eKtraordinary 
 blessing for me; which I did, and ever 
 shall, look upon as miraculous, to bring 
 unto me a Bible in my own nat^ive lan- 
 guage, and that in such a remote part of 
 the world, where his name was not so much 
 as known, and where any Englishman 
 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 IsraeUtes 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. 
 
 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 
 c 
 
38 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 departed homo, telling the old man, that 
 in the morning I wouli send my boy to 
 buy it of hira. 
 
 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 S3nt 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. 
 
 Having said all this concerning my 
 father and myself, it will be time now 
 to think of the rest of our poor country- 
 men, and to see what is become of them. 
 They were carried into the country of 
 Hotteracourly, westward from the city 
 of Candy, 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 80 
 
 ^at, 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. 
 
 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 another's company, but 
 immediately their keepers called upon 
 them to go from whence they came; 
 fearing they might consult and run away, 
 although Columbo, th3 nearest port they 
 could fly to, was above two days' 
 journey from them. Bu: as it is with 
 wild beasts beginning to grow tame, 
 their liberty increaseth : 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 regar- 
 ded. 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. 
 
40 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 They all wondered much to see them- 
 selves in this condition, to be kept only 
 to eat, and the people of the country 
 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. 
 
 And as they lived here longer, they 
 knew better what privileges they had in 
 belonging unto the King, and being main- 
 tained by virtue of his command. And 
 their privileges they made use of to no pur- 
 pose, as I shall relate an instance or two by 
 and by, and showed their EngHsh mettle. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX. 41 
 
 Victuals was the only thing allowed 
 them, but no clothes. By this time the 
 clothes they had were almost worn out : 
 this put them to a study wha 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 clothes 
 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 alleging the innocency of their 
 cause, and the extremity of their present 
 condition, having not the least abihty to 
 help or reheve 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 
 clothes. For, besides rice, they gav® 
 them to eat with it salt, pepper, limes, 
 herbs, pumpkins, cocoa-nuts, flesh a little. 
 These, "^and such-hke things, were their 
 constant fare. 
 
42 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 apiece, 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 their 
 former price : wliich brought several of our 
 nation to great want. 
 
 The English began now to pluck up 
 their hearts ; and though they were entered 
 into a new condition, they kept their old 
 spirits, especiar.y 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 complete allowance, to redeem their 
 goods back again. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX 43 
 
 Some of our Englishmen 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 Englishman 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 bade 
 the Englishman go and content himself, by 
 paying him in the same coin again, as he 
 had served our countryman ; 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. 
 
 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 heinously, that they 
 unanimously concluded to go and take it 
 by force. Away they went, each man 
 
44 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 with his staff in his hand, and entered 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 Englishmen bravely behaved them- 
 selves, 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 get two or three black and blue 
 blows ; but they came home with their 
 belHes full of drink for their pains. 
 
 But to return unto myself. It was a full 
 year after my father died, before I had 
 sight of any of my countrymen and fellow- 
 prisoners. Then John Gregory, with much 
 ado , obtained leave to come and see me ; 
 which did exceeJingly rejoice me. For a 
 great satisfaction it was, both to see a 
 countryman, and also to hear of the wel- 
 fare of the rest Bat he could not be 
 
OP CAPTAESr KXOX. 45 
 
 permitted to stay with me above one day. 
 Until then, I knew not punctually where 
 the rest of my countrymen were; but 
 having heard that they were within 
 a day's journey of me, I never ceased 
 importuning the people of the town where 
 I dwelt, to let me go and see them : which, 
 though very loath, yet at last they granted. 
 Being arrived at the nearest Englishman's 
 house, I was joyfully received, and the next 
 day he went and called some of the rest of 
 our countrymen that were near : so that 
 there were some seven or eight of us met 
 together. 
 
 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 hke 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 cheer 
 in their houses, beyond what I did expect. 
 
 My money at the same time almost 
 gone, and clothes in the same condition, 
 
46 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 na 
 signs of releasing us, it concerned me now 
 to bethink myself how I should live for 
 the future : for neither had I, any more 
 than my countrymen, any allowance for 
 clothes, but victuals only. 
 
 Having stayed here some two or three 
 days, we did take leave of one another, 
 hoping to see one another oftener, since 
 now we knew each other's habitations; 
 and I departed to my house, having a 
 keeper with me. 
 
 By this time I began to speak the lan- 
 guage of the country ; whereby I was 
 enabled 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 Englishmen had. 
 This occasioned a great deal^of^^ disputing 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 47 
 
 and reasoning between us. They alleged, 
 that I was not as they, being the Captain's 
 son. and they but his servants, and there- 
 fore 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 
 emploj'- mj^self in such an inferior office a& 
 to dress my own meat, being a man that 
 the King had notice of byname, and very 
 suddenly, before I should be aware of 
 it, would send for me into his 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. 
 
 Although I was yet but a novice in 
 the country, and knew not much of the 
 people, yet plain reason told me, that it 
 was not so much for my good and credit 
 that they pleaded, as for their own benefit. 
 Wherefore I returned them this answer, 
 that if, as they said, I was greater in 
 
48 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 quality than the rest, and so held in their 
 estimation, it would be but reason to 
 demand a greater allowance ; whereas I 
 desired no more than the other English- 
 men had : and as for the toil and trouble 
 in dressing of it, that would be none to 
 rae, for my boy had nothing else to do. 
 And then I alleged several inconveniencies 
 in bringing my victuals ready boiled; as, 
 iirst, that it was not dressed according to 
 my diet ; and many times not brought in 
 due season, so that I could not eat when 
 I was an-hungry. And the last and chief 
 reason of all was, that I might save a 
 little to serve my necessity of clothing; 
 and rather than want clothes for my back, 
 I must pinch a little out of my belly, and 
 so both go share and share alike. And so 
 at length, thanks be to God, I obtained, 
 though with much ado, to get two measures 
 of rice per day for myself, and one for 
 my boy ; also cocoa-nuts, pumpkins, herbs, 
 limes, and such-like, enough, besides 
 pepper and salt; and sometimes hens, 
 eggs, or flesh : rice being the main thing 
 they stand upon, for other things they 
 refuse not to give what they have. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 49^ 
 
 Now having settled all business about 
 my allowance, my next concern was ta 
 look after a house more convenient; for 
 my present one was too small to dress my 
 victuals in, and to sleep in too. There- 
 abouts was a garden of cocoa-nut trees, 
 belonging unto the King, a pleasant situa- 
 tion : this place I made choice of to build 
 me a house in. And discovering my desire 
 to the people, they consented, and came 
 and built it for me : but before it was 
 finished, their occasions called them away ; 
 but my boy and I made an end of it, and 
 whitened the walls with Ume, according to 
 my own country fashion. But in doing 
 this I committed a capital offence : for none 
 may white their houses with lime, that 
 being peculiar to royal houses and temples ; 
 but, being a stranger, nothing was made of 
 it, because I did it in ignorance ; had it 
 been a native that had so done, it is most 
 probable it would have cost him his head,^ 
 or at the least a great fine. 
 
 Being settled in my new house, I began 
 to keep hogs and hens ; which by God's 
 blessing thrived very well with me, and 
 were a great help unto me. I had also a 
 
so CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 great benefit by living in this garden ; for 
 all the cocoa-nuts that fell down they gave 
 me, which afforded me oil to burn in 
 the lamp, and also to fry my meat in: 
 which oil, being new, is but little inferior 
 to this country butter. Now I learned 
 to knit caps, which skill I quickly at- 
 tained unto, and by God's blessing upon 
 the same, I obtained great help and reUef 
 thereby. 
 
 In this manner we all lived, seeing but 
 very little sign that we might build upon, 
 to look for liberty. The chief of our hopes 
 of it was, that in process of time, when we 
 were better acquainted, we might run away: 
 which some of our people attempted to do 
 too soon, before they knew well which way 
 to go, and were taken by the inhabitants. 
 For it is the custom of the Chingulays to 
 suspect all white people they meet, travell- 
 ing in the country, to be runaways ; and to 
 examine them : and if they cannot give 
 satisfactory answers, they will lay hold of 
 them and carry them back unto the city ; 
 where they will keep them prisoners under 
 -a guard of soldiers, in an open house like a 
 barn, with a little victuals sometimes, and 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 51 
 
 sometimes with none at all : whore they 
 have no other remedy to help themselves 
 but begging. And in this condition 
 they may lie perhaps for their lifetime, 
 being so kept for a spectacle unto the 
 people. 
 
 Though the common way whereby the 
 King gratifies such as catch runaways and 
 bring them up is not over-acceptable ; for 
 they are appointed to feed and watch them 
 until he calls for them to be brought before 
 him. At which time his promise is bounti- 
 fully to reward them ; but these promises I 
 never knew performed ; neither doth he 
 perhaps ever think of it after : for when 
 the King is made acquainted with the 
 matter, the men that have brought up the 
 prisoner are in a manner as bad prisoners 
 themselves, not daring to go home to their 
 houses without his leave, but there they 
 must remain. After some years' stay, the 
 common manner is, for them to give a fee 
 unto the governor of the country, and he 
 will license them to go home, which they 
 must be contented with, instead of the 
 promised reward. 
 
52 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Concerning some other Englishmen detained 
 in that Country. 
 
 I N the same captivity with ourselves, on 
 this island, was another company of 
 Englishmen, who were taken about a year 
 and a half before us, viz. in the year 1658. 
 They were thirteen in number, whose 
 names were as follow, viz. Mr. William 
 Vassal, John Merginson, Thomas March, 
 Thomas Kirby, Richard Jelf, Gamahel 
 Gardiner, William Day, Thomas Stapleton, 
 Henry Man, Hugh Smart, Daniel Holstein 
 (an Hamburgher), James Gony, and Henry 
 Bingham. The occasion of their seizure 
 was thus : the ship these men belonged 
 unto was the Persia Merchant, Captain 
 Francis Johnson commander, which was 
 lost upon the Maldives islands ; but they 
 escaped in their boats, and passing along 
 by this land, went on shore to recruit and 
 buy provisions, and so were taken. The 
 Chingulays that took them plundered them 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 53 
 
 of what they had, except their clothes. 
 Yet one of them, John Merginson by name, 
 having cunningly hid his money about 
 him, saved it from the heathen, but from 
 his own countrymen he could not, some 
 of whom knowing of it, set upon him and 
 robbed him of it ; but it did them httle 
 good, for the King hearing of it, sent and 
 robbed the robbers. 
 
 These men, thus seized, were carried up 
 before the King. Of whom he demanded, 
 whether the English had wars with the Hol- 
 landers. They answered, No. Or, if the 
 English could beat them. They answered, 
 they could, and had done it lately. Then 
 he gave order to give them all some clothes, 
 and to Mr. William Vassal, being the chief 
 of them, a double portion : and out of them 
 made choice of two lads ; whom afterwards 
 he sent and took into his court. Their 
 honours and their ends we shall see by and 
 by. They were placed in the city of Candy, 
 and each of them had a new mat given 
 them to sleep on, and their diet was victuals 
 dressed and brought them twice a-day 
 from the King's own palace. They had 
 clothes also distributed to them, another 
 
54 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 time. So that these men had the advan- 
 tage of us ; for we neither had mats nor 
 clothes, nor had the honour of being ever 
 brought into the King's presence. 
 
 This civil reception upon their first 
 coming up into the city, pui these Persia 
 Merchant men in hope that the King would 
 give them their liberty. There was at that 
 time an old Portuguese Father, Padre 
 Vergonse by name, living in the city. With 
 him they discoursed concerning the pro- 
 babiUty of their liberty, and that the 
 favours the King had shown them seemed 
 to be good signs of it : but he told them the 
 plain truth, that it was not customary 
 there to release white men. For saying 
 which, they railed at him, calling him 
 Popish dog and Jesuitical rogue ; supposing 
 he spoke as he wished it might be : but 
 afterward, to their grief, they found it to 
 be true as he told them. 
 
 Their entertainment was excellently good, 
 according to the poor condition of the 
 country ; but they thought it otherwise, 
 very mean and not according to the King's 
 order. Therefore, that the King might be 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX, 55 
 
 informed how they were abused, each man 
 took the Umb of a hen in his hand, and 
 marched rank and file in order through 
 the streets, with it in their hands, to the 
 court, as a sign to the great men, whereby 
 they might see how illy they were served; 
 thinking hereby the King might come to 
 hear of their misusage, and so they might 
 have order to be fed better afterwards. 
 But this proved sport to the noblemen, who 
 well knew the fare of the country, laughing 
 at their ignorance, to complain where they 
 had so httle cause. And indeed afterwards 
 they themselves laughed at this action of 
 theirs, and were half ashamed of it, when 
 they came to a better understanding of 
 the nature of the country's diet. 
 
 Yet notwithstanding being not used to 
 such short commons of flesh, though they 
 had rice in abundance, and having no 
 money to buy more, they had a desire to 
 kill some cows, that they might eat their 
 belUes full of beef; but made it somewhat 
 & point of conscience, whether it might be 
 lawful, or not, to take them without leave. 
 Upon which they apply themselves to the 
 old Father abovesaid, desiring him to solve 
 
56 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 this case of conscience : who was very- 
 ready to give them a dispensation; and 
 told them, that forasmuch as the Chin- 
 gulays were their enemies, and had taken 
 their bodies, it was very lawful for them 
 to satisfy their bodies with their goods : 
 and the better to animate them in this 
 design, bid them bring him a piece, that 
 he might partake with them. So being 
 encouraged by the old Father, they went 
 on boldly in their intended business. 
 
 Now, if you would have an account of 
 the mettle and manfulness of these men, 
 as you have akeady had a taste of ours, 
 take this passage. The jack-fruit the 
 King's officers often gather, wheresoever 
 it grows, and give to the King's elephants, 
 and they may gather it in any man's 
 grounds, without the owner's leave, being 
 for ^the King's use. Now these English- 
 men were appointed to dwell in a house 
 that formerly belonged unto a nobleman ,^ 
 whom the King had cut off, and seized 
 upon it. In the ground belonging to this 
 house stood a jack- tree, full of fruit. 
 Some of the King's men came thither to 
 gather some of them, to feed the elephants* 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX, 57 
 
 But although the English had free ^liberty 
 to gather what they could eat or desire, 
 yet they would permit none but them- 
 selves to meddle with them, but took the 
 officers by the shoulders and turned them 
 out of the garden, although there were 
 more, a great many, than they could tell 
 what to do with. The great men were so 
 oivil, that, notwithstanding this affront, 
 they laid no punishment upon them. 
 But the event of this was, that a few days 
 after they were removed from this house 
 to another, where was a garden, but no 
 trees in it. And because they would not 
 allow the King a few, they lost all them- 
 ^ves. 
 
 I mentioned before two lads of this com. 
 pany, whom the King chose out for his 
 own service : their names were Hugh Smart 
 and Henry Man. These being taken into 
 his court, obtained great favour and 
 honour from him, as to be always in his 
 presence ; and very often he would kindly 
 and familiarly talk with them concerning 
 their country, what it afforded; and of 
 their King, and his strength for war. 
 Thus they lived in his favour for some time. 
 
58 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 Till at length, Hugh Smart, having a 
 desire to hear news from England, priv- 
 ately got to the speech of a Dutch 
 ambassador. Of which the King had 
 notice, but would not believe it, supposing 
 the information was given him out of envy 
 to his favourite, but commanded privately 
 to watch him ; and, if he went again, to 
 catch him there. Which he not being 
 aware of, went again, and was catched. 
 At which the King was very angry : for 
 he allows none to come to the speech of 
 ambassadors, much less one that served 
 in his presence, and heard and saw all 
 that passed in court. But yet the King 
 dealt very favourably with him ; for, had 
 it been a Chingulay, there is nothing 
 more sure than that he should have died 
 for it. But this Englishman's punishment 
 was only to be sent away and kept a 
 prisoner in the mountains, without chains, 
 and ordered him to be well used there : 
 where indeed he lived better content than 
 in the King's palace. He took a wife 
 here, and had one son by her, and after- 
 wards died by a mischance, which wa& 
 thus : as he w^as gathering a jack from 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX, 50 
 
 the tree by a crook, it fell upon his side, 
 and bruised him so that it killed him. 
 
 Henry Man, the other, yet remained in 
 favour, and was promoted to be chief over 
 all the King's servants that attended on 
 him in his palace. It happened one day, 
 that he broke one of the King's China 
 dishes ; which made him so sore afraid, 
 that he fled for sanctuary into a Vehar, 
 a temple where the chief priests always 
 dwell, and hold their consultations. This 
 did not a little displease the King; this 
 act of his supposing him to be of opinion 
 that those priests were able to secure him 
 against the King's displeasure. However, 
 he showing reverence to tlieir order, would 
 not violently fetch him from thence ; but 
 sent a kind message to the Englishman, 
 bidding him not to be afraid for so small a 
 matter as a dish (and it is probable, had he 
 not added this fault, he might have escape i 
 without punishment) ; and that he shoul 
 come and act in his place as formerly. At 
 which message he came forth, and im- 
 mediately, as the King had given order, 
 they took hold of him and bound his arms 
 above the elbows behind, which is their 
 
60 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 fashion of binding men. In which manner 
 he lay all that night, being bound so hard 
 that his arms swelled, and the ropes cut 
 through the flesh into the bones. The next 
 day, the King commanded a nobleman to 
 loose the ropes off his arms, and put chains 
 on his legs, and keep him in his house, and 
 there feed him and cure him. 
 
 Thus he lay some six months, and was 
 cured ; but had no strength in his arms, and 
 then was taken into his office again, and had 
 as much favour from the King as before ; 
 who seemed much to lament him for his 
 folly, thus to procure his own ruin. 
 
 Not long after he again offended the King: 
 which, as it is reported, was thus: a 
 Portuguese had been sent for to the city, to 
 be employed in the King's service ; to which 
 service he had no stomach at all, and was 
 greatly afraid of, as he justly might be. 
 For the avoiding therefore of it, he sends a 
 letter to this English courtier, wherein he 
 entreated him to use his interest to excuse 
 him to the King. The Englishman could 
 not read the letter, being writ in the Portu- 
 guese tongue, but gave it to another to 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 61 
 
 read ; which when he knew the contents of, 
 thought it not safe for him to meddle in 
 that business, and so concealed the letter. 
 The person to whom the Enghshman had 
 given it to read, some time after, informed 
 the King thereof. Whereupon both the 
 Portuguese that sent the letter, and the 
 Enghshman to whom it was sent, and the 
 third person that read it, because he in- 
 formed no sooner, were all three at one time, 
 and in one place, torn in pieces by elephants. 
 
 After this execution, the King, supposing 
 that we might bo either discontented in 
 ourselves, or discountenanced by the 
 people of the land, sent special order to 
 all parts where we dwelt, that we should 
 be of good cheer, and not be discouraged, 
 neither abused by the natives. 
 
 Thus jealous is the King of letters, and 
 allows none to come or go. We have seen 
 how dear it cost poor Henry Man. Mr. 
 WilHam Vassal, another of the Persia Mer- 
 chant men, was therefore more wary of 
 5ome letters he had, and came off better. 
 
 This man had received several letters, 
 and it was known abroad that he had ; 
 
62 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 which he, fearing lest the King should 
 hear of, thought it most convenient and 
 safe to go to the court, and present them 
 himself ; that so he might plead in his own 
 defence to the King : which he did. He 
 acknowledged to him that he had received 
 letters, and that they came to his hands 
 a pretty while ago ; but withal pretended 
 excuses and reasons to clear himself; as> 
 first, that, when he received them, he 
 knew not that it was against the law and 
 manner of the country ; and when he did 
 know, he took counsel of a Portuguese 
 priest (who was now dead), being old, and, 
 as he thought, well experienced in the 
 country. But he advised him to defer 
 awhile the carrying them unto the King, 
 until a more convenient season. After 
 this, he did attempt, he said, to bring 
 them unto the King, but could not be 
 permitted to have entrance through the 
 watches : so that until now he could not 
 have opportunity to present them. 
 
 The King, at the hearing hereof seemed 
 not to be displeased in the least, but bid 
 him read them : which he did in the 
 Engb'sh language, as they were writ; and 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 63^ 
 
 the King sat very attentive, as if he had 
 understood every word. After they were 
 read, the King gave Vassal a letter he had 
 intercepted, sent to us from Sir Edward 
 Winter, then agent at Fort St. George ; 
 hold asked the news and contents thereof : 
 which Mr. Vassal informed him at large of. 
 It was concerning the victory we had 
 gained over the Dutch, when Obdam, 
 Admiral of Holland, was slain; and con- 
 cerning the number of our ships in that 
 fight, being there specified to be an hundred 
 and fifty sail . The King inquired much after 
 the number of guns and men they carried. 
 The numberof men he computed to be, one 
 ship with another, about three hundred 
 per ship. At that rate , the King demanded 
 of him, how many that was in all. Which 
 Mr. Vassal went about to cast up in the 
 sand, with his finger; but, before he had 
 made his figures, the King had done it by 
 head, and bid him desist, saying it was 
 45,00C). 
 
 This news of the Hollanders' overthrow, 
 and the EngUsh victory, much dehghted 
 the King; and he inquired into it very 
 particularly. Then the King pretended he- 
 
-64 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 would send a letter to the English nation, 
 and bade Mr. Vassal inform him of a 
 trusty bearer ; which he was very forward 
 to do, and named one of the best which he 
 had made trial of. One of the great men 
 there present, objected against him, saying 
 he was insufficient, and asked him if he 
 \knew no other. At which Mr. Vassal 
 suspected their design, which was to learn 
 who had brought these letters to him ; and 
 so framed his answer accordingly, which 
 was, that he knew no other. 
 
 There was much other discourse passed 
 between the King and him at this time, in 
 the Portuguese tongue : which what it was 
 I could never get out of him, the King 
 having commanded him to keep it secret. 
 And he saith, he hath sworn to himself not 
 to divulge it, till he is out of the King's 
 hands. I At parting, the King told him, for 
 secrecy he would send him home privately, 
 or otherwise he would have dismissed him 
 with drums and honour. But after this the 
 King never sent for him again. And the 
 iman that he named, as fit and able as 
 carry the King's letter, was sent away 
 j)risoDer, to be kept in chains in the country. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 6S 
 
 It is supposed, that they concluded him to 
 have been the man that brought Vassal his 
 letters. And thus much of the captivity 
 and condition of the Persia Merchant men^ 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Concerning the Means that were used for our 
 Deliverance — And what happened to us in 
 the Rebellion — And how we were settled 
 afterwards, 
 
 A LLof us in this manner remained until 
 the year 1664 ; at which time arrived 
 a letter on our behalf to the King, from 
 the Right Worshipful Sir Edward Winter, 
 governor of Fort St. George, and agent 
 there. The Dutch ambassador also at that 
 time, by a commission from the governor 
 of Columbo, treated with the King for us. 
 With Sir Edward's message the King was 
 much pleased, and with the Dutch's 
 mediation so prevailed with, that he 
 promised he would send us away. 
 
 Upon this, he commanded us all to be 
 brought to the city ; whither when we came^ 
 
^6 CAPTIVITY AXD ESCAPE 
 
 we were very joyful, not only upon the 
 hopes of our liberty, but also upon the 
 sight of one another. For several of us had 
 not seen the others since we were first 
 parted. Here also we met with the Persia 
 Merchant men, whom until this time we 
 had not seen : so that we were nine-and- 
 twenty English in all. 
 
 Some few days after our arrival at the 
 city, we were all called to the court. At 
 which time, standing all of us in one of the 
 palace court-yards, the nobles, by command 
 from the King, came forth and told us, 
 that it was his Majesty's pleasure to grant 
 unto us our liberty, and to send us home 
 to our country, and that we should not any 
 more look upon ourselves as prisoners or 
 detained men. At which we bowed our 
 heads, and thanked hir> Majesty. They 
 told us moreover, that the King intended 
 to send us either with the Dutch am- 
 bassador, or by the boat which Sir Edward 
 Winter had sent; and that it was his 
 Majesty's good will to grant us our choice. 
 We humbly referred it to his Majesty's 
 pleasure. They answered,' his Majesty 
 AJOuld and would do bis pleasure, but 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 67 
 
 his will we.s to know our minds. After 
 a, short consultation we answered, since 
 it was his Majesty's pleasure to grant 
 us our choice, with many thanks and 
 obeisance, we chose to go with the Dutch 
 ambassador, fearing the boat's insuffi- 
 ciency, she having, as we were well 
 sensible, lain there a great while : and if 
 we had chosen the boat, the danger of 
 going that way might have served them 
 for a put-off to us, and a plea to detain 
 us still, out of care of us. And again, 
 had we refused the ambassador's kindness 
 at this time, for the future, if these things 
 succeeded not with us now, we could never 
 have expected any more aid or friendship 
 from that nation. 
 
 In the next place they told us, it was the 
 King's pleasure to let us understand, that 
 aU those that were willing to stay and 
 serve his Majesty should have very great 
 rewards, as towns, monies, slaves, and 
 places of honour conferred upon them. 
 Which all in general refused. 
 
 Then we were bidden to absent, while 
 they returned pur answers to the King. 
 
68 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 By and by there came order to call us in 
 one at a time, where the former promise* 
 were repeated to every one of us of great 
 favours, honours, and rewards from the 
 King to those that were willing to stay with 
 him. And after each one had given hi& 
 answer, he was sent into a corner in the 
 court, and then another called, and so all 
 round one after another, they inquiring 
 particularly concerning each man's trade 
 and office ; handycraf tsmen and trumpeters 
 being most desired by the King. We being 
 thus particularly examined again, there 
 was not one of us was tempted by the King's 
 rewards, but all in general refused the 
 King's honourable employment, choosing 
 rather to go to our native country. By 
 which we purchased the King's displeasure. 
 
 After this they told us, we must wait at 
 the palace gate daily, it being the King's 
 pleasure, that we should make our personal 
 appearance before him. In this manner 
 we waited many days. At length happened 
 a thing which he least suspected, viz. a 
 general rebellion of his people against 
 him ; who assaulted his palace in the 
 night: but their hearts failed them. 
 
OP CAPTAIX KXOX. 69 
 
 daring not to enter into the apartment 
 where his person was : for, if they had 
 had courage enough, they might have taken 
 him there ; for he stayed in his palace 
 until the morning, and then fled into the 
 'm ountains, and escaped their hands, but 
 
 ^r^rir^fhr'r^^^gh fVipir nr>wa,r.-l]ipfta s thfLTI his 
 
 valour . I shall mention here a few things 
 concerning ourselves, who were gotten into 
 the midst of these broils and combustions, 
 being all of us now waiting upon the King 
 in the city. 
 
 It was a great and marvellous mercy of 
 Almighty God to bring us safe through 
 these dangers ; for it so happened all 
 along, that we were in the very midst. 
 Before they gave the assault on the King's 
 palace, they were consulting to lay hands 
 on us, fearing lest we might be prejudicial 
 to their business, in joining to the help 
 And assistance of the King against them. 
 For though we were bub few in comparison, 
 yet the name of white men was somewhat 
 dreadful to them. Whereupon at first 
 their counsels were, to cut us off; but 
 others among them advised that it would 
 be better to let us alone; for that we 
 
70 CxVPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 being ignorant of their designs, as indeed 
 we were, and at quiet in our several 
 lodgings, could not be provided to hurt 
 or endanger them. But otherwise, if they 
 should lay hands on us, it would certainly 
 come to the King's ears, and alarm him,, 
 and then all would be frustrated and over- 
 thrown. This some of their own party 
 have related to us since. These counsels 
 were not given out of any secret good will 
 any of them bore to us (as I believe), but 
 proceeded from the overruling hand of 
 God, who put those things into their 
 hearts for our safety and preservation. 
 The people of the city whence the King 
 fled, ran away also, leaving their houses 
 and goods behind them; where we found 
 good prey and plunder, being permitted ta 
 ransack the houses of all such as were fled 
 away with the King. 
 
 The rebels having driven away the King^ 
 and marching to the city of Candy, to the 
 Prince, carried us along with them ; the 
 chief of their party telling us, that we 
 should now be of good cheer ; for what 
 they did upon very good advisement they 
 had done, the King's ill government 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 71 
 
 having given an occasion to it, who went 
 about to destroy both them and their 
 country ; and particularly insisted upon 
 such things as might be most plausible to 
 strangers; such as, keeping ambassadors, 
 discouraging trade, detaining of foreigners 
 that come upon his land, besides his cruel- 
 ties towards themselves that were his 
 natural people. All which, they told us, 
 they had been informed was contrary to 
 the government of other countries; and 
 now so soon as their business was settled, 
 they assured us, they would detain none 
 that 'were minded to go to their own 
 countries. 
 
 Being now at Candy, on Christmas Day 
 of all the days in the year, they sent to 
 call us to the court, and gave us some 
 money and clothes first, to make us the 
 more willing to take arms, which they 
 intended then to deliver unto us, and to 
 go with them upon a design to fall upon 
 the old King in the place whither he was 
 fled. But in the very interim of time, God 
 being merciful unto us, the Prince with his 
 aunt fled ; which so amazed and discouraged 
 them, that the money and clothes, which 
 
72 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 they were distributing to us and other 
 strangers, to gain us over to them, they 
 scattered about the court, and fled them- 
 selves. And now followed nothing but 
 cutting one another's throats, to make 
 themselves appear the more loyal subjects, 
 and make amends for their former rebellion. 
 
 We, for our parts, little thinking in what 
 danger we were, fell in to scramble among 
 the rest to get what we could of the monies 
 that were strewed about, being then in 
 great necessity and want. For the 
 allowance which formerly we had, was in 
 this disturbance lost, and so we remained 
 without it for some three months, the want 
 of which, this money did help to supply. 
 Having gotten what w^e could at the court, 
 we made way to get out of the hurly-burly 
 to our lodgings ; intending, as we were 
 strangers and prisoners, neither to meddle 
 nor make on the one side or the other, 
 being well satisfied if God would but permit 
 us quietly to sit and eat such a Christmas 
 dinner together, as he had prepared for us. 
 
 For our parts, we had no other dealings 
 with the rebels than to desire them to 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 73 
 
 permit us to go to our native country ; 
 which Hberty they promised we should not 
 want long. But being sent for by them 
 to the court, we durst not but go ; and 
 they giving us such things as we wanted 
 we could not refuse to take them. But 
 the day being turned, put us into great 
 fear, doubting how the King would take 
 it at our hands, from whom we knew this 
 could not be hid. 
 
 Into our houses we got safely ; but no 
 sooner were we there, but immediately we 
 were called again by a great man, who 
 had drawn out his men, and stood in the 
 field. This man, we thought, had been 
 one of the rebels, who, to secure himself 
 upon this change, had intended to run 
 away down to Columbo, to the Dutch; 
 which made us repair to him the more 
 cheerfully, leaving our meat a- roasting on 
 the spit. But it proved otherwise ; for no 
 sooner had he gotten us unto him, but 
 he proclaimed himself for the old King, 
 and forthwith he and his company, 
 taking us with him, marched away to 
 fight or seize the rebels; but meeting 
 none, went into the city, and there 
 
74 CAPyiVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 dismissed us, saying, he would acquaint 
 the King how willing and ready we were 
 to fight for 'him, if need had required ; 
 although, God knows, it was the least of 
 our thoughts and intents, yet God 
 brought it to pass for our good. For 
 when the King was informed of what 
 we had received of the rebels, this piece 
 of good service that we had done, or 
 rather supposed to have done, was also 
 told unto him. At the hearing of which, 
 himself justified us to be innocent ; saying, 
 *' Since my absence, who was there that 
 would give them victuals ?" And, '* It 
 was mere want that made them to take 
 what they did." Thus the words of the 
 King's own mouth acquitted us. And 
 when the sword devoured on every side, 
 yet by the providence God not one hair of 
 our heads perished. 
 
 The tumults being appeased, and the 
 rebellion vanished, the King was settled 
 in his throne again. And all this hap- 
 pened in five days' time. We were now 
 greatly necessitated for food, and wanted 
 some fresh orders from the King's mouth 
 for our future subsistence. So that 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 75 
 
 having no other remedy, we were fain 
 to go and Ue in the highway that leads 
 to the city, a-begging ; for the people 
 would not let us go any nearer towards 
 the King, as we would have done. There 
 .therefore we lay, that the King might 
 come to the knowledge of us, and give 
 command for our allowance again : by 
 which means we obtained our purpose ; 
 for having lain there some two months, 
 the King was pleased to appoint our 
 quarters in the country, as formerly, 
 not mentioning a word of sending us 
 away, as he had made us believe before 
 the rebelhon. 
 
 Now we were all sent away indeed, but 
 not into our own country, but into new 
 quarters : which being God would have to 
 be no better, we were glad it was so well, 
 being sora a- weary of lying in this manner ; 
 for, for some three months' time we had 
 no manner of allowance. We were all 
 now placed one in a town as formerly, 
 together with the Persia Merchant men 
 also, who hitherto had Uved in the city of 
 €andy, and had their provisions brought 
 them out of the King's palace, ready 
 
76 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 dressed. These were now sent away with 
 us into the country ; and as strict a charge 
 was given for our good entertainment 
 as before. 
 
 We were thus dispersed about the towns, 
 here one and there another, for the more 
 convenient receiving our allowance, and 
 for the greater ease of the people. And 
 now we were far better to pass than 
 heretofore, having the language, and being 
 acquainted with the manners and customs 
 of the people, and had the same proportion 
 of victuals, and the like respect, as 
 formerly. And now they fall into em- 
 ployments as they please, either husbandry 
 or merchandising, or knitting caps, being 
 altogether free to do what they will 
 themselves, and to go where they will, 
 excepting running away : and for that 
 end, we are not permitted to go down to 
 the sea, but wo may travel all about the 
 country, and no man regards us. For 
 though the people, some of the first years 
 of our captivity, would scarcely let us 
 go any whither, and had an eye upon u& 
 afterwards ; yet in process of time all their 
 suspicions cf our going away wore off; 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 77 
 
 especially when several of the English had 
 built them houses, and others had taken 
 them wives, by whom they had children, 
 to the number of eighteen living when 
 I came away. 
 
 Having said all this in general of th& 
 English people there, I will now continue- 
 a further account of myself. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 A Continuation of the Author^s particular 
 Condition after the Rebellion — Purchaseth 
 a Piece of Land. 
 
 yyi Y hap was to be quartered in a country 
 called Handapondown, lying to the 
 westward of the city of Candy : which place 
 liked me very well, being much nearer to 
 the sea than where I dwelt before ; which 
 gave me some probable hopes, that in time 
 I might chance to make an escape. But 
 in the mean time, to free myself from the 
 suspicion of the people, who watched me^ 
 by night and by day, had an eye to all my 
 actions, I went to work, with the help of 
 some of my neighbours, to build me another 
 
78 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 house upon the bank of a river, and 
 intrenched it round with a ditch, and 
 planted an hedge ; and so began to settle 
 myself, and followed my business in knitting 
 and going about the countries a- trading; 
 seeming to be very well contented in this 
 condition. 
 
 Lying so long at the city, without 
 allowance, I had spent all to some seven 
 shillings, which served me for a stock to 
 set up again in these hew quarters ; and by 
 the blessing of my most gracious God, 
 which never failed me in all my under- 
 takings, I soon came to be well furnished 
 with what that country afforded ; insomuch 
 that my neighbours and townsmen no more 
 suspected my running away ; but earnestly 
 advised me to marry, saying, it would be 
 an ease and help to me, knowing that I 
 then dressed my victuals myself : having 
 turned my boy to seek his fortune when we 
 were at the city. They urged also, that it 
 was not convenient for a young man, as 
 I was, to live so solitarily alone in a house ; 
 and if it should come to pass that the 
 King should send me hereafter to my 
 oountry, their manner of marriage, they 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 79 
 
 said, was not like ours, and I might, 
 without any offence, discharge my wife 
 an d go away. 
 
 I seemed not altogether to slight their 
 counsel, that they might the less suspect I 
 had any thoughts of mine own country, but 
 told them, that as yet I was not sufficient- 
 ly stocked, and also, that I would look 
 for one that I could love : though in my 
 heart I never purposed any such matter ; 
 but, on the contrary, did heartily abhor 
 all thoughts tending that way. 
 
 In this place I lived two years ; and all 
 that time could not get one likely occasion 
 of rimning for it : for I thought it >)etter 
 to forbear running too great a hazard by 
 being overhasty to escape, than to 
 deprive myself of all hopes for the future, 
 when time and experience would be a 
 great help to me. 
 
 In the year 1666, the Hollanders came 
 up and built a fort just below me, there 
 being but a ridge of mountains between 
 them and me ; but though so near, I could 
 not come to them, a watch being kept at 
 every passage. The King sent down 
 
80 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 against them two great commanders with 
 their armies ; but being not strong enough 
 to expel them, they lay in these watches 
 to stop them from coming up higher. 
 The name of this fort was called Arran- 
 dery : which, although they could not 
 prevent the Dutch from building at that 
 time ; yet, some years after, when they 
 were not aware, they fell upon it and 
 took it, and brought all the people of it 
 up to Candy, where those that remained 
 alive of them were, when I came from 
 thence. 
 
 In this country of Hotteracourly, where 
 the Dutch had built this fort, were four 
 Englishmen placed, whereof I was one : 
 all whom the King, immediately upon the 
 news of the Dutch invasion, sent order to 
 bring up out of the danger of the war into 
 Candy Uda, fearing that which we were 
 indeed intended to do, viz. to run away. 
 This invasion happening so unexpectedly, 
 and our remove so sudden, I was forced 
 to leave behind me that little estate which 
 God had given me, lying scattered abroad 
 in betel-nuts, the great commodity of 
 that country, which I was then parting 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 81 
 
 from ; and much ado I had to get my 
 clothes brought along with me, the 
 enemies, as they called them, but my 
 friends, being so near. And thus was I 
 carried out of this country as poor as I 
 came into it, leaving all the fruits of my 
 labour and industry behind me : which 
 called to my remembrance the words of 
 Job : ' ' Naked came I into this world , and 
 naked shall I return : God gave and God 
 hath taken away; blessed le the name of 
 the Lord." 
 
 We all four were brought up together 
 into a town, on the top of a mountain, 
 called Laggendenny : where I and my 
 dear friend and fellow-prisoner, and fellow- 
 bachelor, Mr. John Loveland, Uved to- 
 gether in one house. For by this time 
 not many of our people were as we, that 
 is, single men ; but seeing so little hopes, 
 despaired of their liberty, and had taken 
 wives or bedfellows. 
 
 At our first coming into this town we 
 were very much dismayed, it being one 
 of the most dismal places that I have 
 seen upon that land. It stands alone 
 
82 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 upon the top of a mountain, and no 
 other town near it, and not above four 
 or five houses in it. And oftentimes into 
 this town did the King use to send such 
 malefactors as he was minded suddenly 
 to cut ojff. Upon these accounts our 
 being brought to this place could not 
 but scare us, and the more, because it 
 was the King's special order and com- 
 mand to place us in this very town. 
 
 But this our trouble and dejection 
 ( thanks be to God ! ) lasted but a day- 
 For the King seemed to apprehend into 
 what a fit of fear and sorrow this our 
 remove would cast us, and to be sensible 
 how sadly we must needs take it to 
 change a sweet and pleasant country, 
 such as Handapondown and the country 
 adjacent was, for this most sad and 
 dismal mountain. And therefore the next 
 day came a comfortable message from 
 the King's own mouth, sent by no less 
 man than he who had the chief power 
 and command over those people who were 
 appointed to give us our victuals, where 
 we were. This message, which, as he 
 said himself, he was ordered by the King 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 8^ 
 
 to deliver to the people in our hearing, 
 was this : that they should not think that 
 we were malefactors, that is, such who 
 having incurred the King's displeasure 
 were sent to be kept prisoners there, but 
 men whom his Majesty did highly esteem, 
 and meant to promote to great honour 
 in his service, and that they should 
 respect us as such, and entertain ua 
 accordingly. And if their ability would 
 not reach thereunto, it was the King's^ 
 order, he said, to bid them sell their 
 cattle and goods, and, when that was done, 
 their wives and children, rather than we 
 should want of our due allowance : which 
 he ordered should be as formerly we used to 
 have ; and if we had not houses thatched, 
 and sufficient for us to d\^ell in, he said, 
 we should change and take theirs. 
 
 This kind order from the King coming so 
 suddenly, did not a Uttle comfort and 
 encourage us. For then we did perceive 
 the King's purpose and intent in placing 
 us in those remote parts, was not to punish 
 us but them : that we might be his instru- 
 ments to plague and take revenge of that 
 people ; who it seems had plundered the 
 
84: CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 King's palace in the time of the late re- 
 bellion, when he left it and fled ; for this 
 town lies near unto the same; and their 
 office lying about the court, they had the" 
 fairer opportunity of plundering it. For 
 the service they are to perform to the 
 King is to carry his palanquin, when he 
 pleaseth to ride therein, and also to bring 
 milk every morning to the court, being 
 keepers of the King's cattle. 
 
 In this town we remained some three 
 years ; by which time we were grown quite 
 weary of the place, and the place and 
 people also grown weary of us, who were 
 but troublesome guests to them ; for, hav- 
 ing such great authority given us over 
 them, we would not lose it : and being four 
 of us in call one of another, we would not 
 permit or suffer them to domineer over us. 
 Being thus tired with one another's com- 
 pany, and the King's order being of an old 
 date, we used all means we could to clear 
 ourselves of one another : often repairing 
 unto the court to seek to obtain a license 
 that we might be removed and placed any 
 where else : but there was none that durst 
 grant it, because it was the King's peculiar 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 85 
 
 command and special appointment, that 
 we must abide in that very town, j 
 
 During the time of our stay here, we 
 had our victuals brought us in good order 
 and due season : the inhabitants having 
 such a charge given them by their gover- 
 nor, and he from the King, durst not do 
 otherwise : so that we had but little to do, 
 only to dress and eat, and sit down to knit. 
 
 I had used the utmost of my skill and 
 endeavour to get a hcense to go down to 
 my former quarters, all things being now 
 pretty well settled, hoping that 1 might 
 recover some of my old debts ; but by no 
 means could I obtain it. The denial of so 
 resonable a desire put me upon taking 
 leave. I was well acquainted with the 
 way, but yet I hired a man to go with 
 me, without which I could not get through 
 the watches. For although I was the 
 master and he the man, yet when we came 
 into the watches, he was the keeper and 
 I the prisoner; and by this means we 
 passed without being suspected. 
 
 Being come into my old quarters, by 
 pretending that this man was sent down 
 
86 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 from the magistrate to^see that my debts 
 and demands might be duly paid and 
 discharged, I chanced to recover some of 
 them, and the rest gave over for lost, for 
 I never more looked after them ; and so 
 I began the world anew, and, by the 
 blessing of God, was again pretty well 
 recruited before I left this town. 
 
 In the time of my residence here, I 
 chanced to hear of a small piece of land 
 that was to be sold ; about which I made 
 very diUgent inquiry : for although I was 
 sore a- weary of living in this town, yet 
 I could not get out of it, not having other 
 new quarters appointed me, unless I could 
 provide a place for myself to remove to ; 
 which now God had put into my hand. 
 As for the King's command, I dreaded it 
 not much, having found by obseivation, 
 that the King's orders wear away by time, 
 and the neglect of them comes at last ta 
 be unregarded. However, I was resolved 
 to put it to a hazard, come what will. 
 
 Although I had been now some seven 
 or eight years in this land, and by this 
 .time came to know pretty well the customs- 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 87 
 
 and constitutions of the nation, yet I 
 would not trust my own knowledge, but, 
 to prevent the worst, I went to the 
 governor of that same country where the 
 land lay, to desire his advice, whether or 
 no I might lawfully buy that small piece 
 of land. He inquired whose and what land 
 it was ; I informed him, that it had been 
 formerly dedicated to a priest, and he at his 
 death had left it to his grandson ; who for 
 want was forced to sell it. Understanding 
 this, the governor approved of the business, 
 and encouraged me to buy it: saying, 
 that such kind of lands only were lawful 
 here to be bought and sold ; and that this 
 was not in the least litigious. 
 
 Having gotten both his consent and 
 advice, I went on cheerfully with my 
 purchase. The place also Hked me won- 
 drous well; it being a point of land 
 standing into a corn-field, so that corn- 
 fields were on three sides of it ; and, just 
 before my door, a little corn-ground 
 belonging thereto, and very well watered : 
 in the ground, besides eight cocoa-nut 
 trees, there were all sorts of fruit-trees the 
 country afforded. Bat it had been so 
 
88 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 long desolate, that it was all overgrown 
 with bushes, and no sign of a house 
 therein. 
 
 The price of this land was five-and- 
 twenty larees, that is, five dollars, a great 
 sum of money in the account of this 
 counbry ; yet thanks be to God, who had 
 so ixr enabled me after my late and great 
 loss, that I was strong enough to lay this 
 down. The terms of purchase being con- 
 cluded on between us, a writing was 
 made upon a leaf after that country 
 manner, witnessed by seven or eight men 
 of the best quality in the town : which 
 was delivered to me, and I paid the 
 money, and then took possession of the 
 land : it lies some ten miles to the south- 
 ward of the city of Candy, in the 
 country of Oudaneur, ia the town of 
 EUedat. 
 
 Now I went about building a house 
 upon my land, and was assisted by three 
 of my countrymen that dwelt near by, 
 Roger Gold, Ralph Knight, and Stephen 
 Rutland, and in short time we finished it 
 The country people were all well pleased 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 89 
 
 to see us thus busy ourselves about buying 
 of land and building of houses, thinking 
 it would tie our minds the faster to their 
 country, and make us think the less upon 
 our own. 
 
 Though I had built my new house, yet 
 durst I not yet leave my old quarters in 
 Laggendenny, but wait until a more con- 
 venient time fell out for that purpose. 
 I went away therefore to my old home, 
 and left my aforesaid three English neigh- 
 bours to inhabit in it in my absence. Not 
 long after I found a fit season bo be gone 
 to my estate at Elledat ; and upon my 
 going, the rest left the town also, and 
 went and dwelt elsewhere, each one where 
 he best liked. But by this means we all 
 lost a privilege which we had before ; which 
 was, that our victuals were brought unto 
 us, and now we were forced to go and 
 fetch them ourselves ; the people alleging 
 (true enough) that they were not bound 
 to carry our provisions about the country 
 after us. 
 
 Being settled in my new house, I began 
 to [plant my ground full of all sorts of 
 
90 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 fruit-trees ; and, by the blessing of God, all 
 grew and prospered, and yielded me great 
 plenty and good increase, sufficient both 
 for me and for those that dwelt with me : 
 for the three Englishmen 1 left at my house 
 when I departed back toLaggendenny, still 
 lived with me. We were all single men ; 
 and we agreed very well together, and were 
 helpful to one another. And for their 
 help and assistance of me, I freely granted 
 them hberty to use and enjoy whatsoever 
 the ground afforded, as much as myself. 
 And with a joint consent it was concluded 
 amongst us, that only single men and 
 bachelors should dwell there ; and such as 
 would not be conformable to this present 
 agreement, should depart and absent 
 himself from our society, and also forfeit 
 his right and claim to the forementioned 
 privilege; that is, to be cut off from al^ 
 benefit of whatsoever the trees and ground 
 afforded. I thought fit to make such a 
 covenant, to exclude women from coming 
 in among us, to prevent all strife and dis- 
 sension, and to make all possible provision 
 for the keeping up love and quietness 
 among ourselves. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 91 
 
 In this manner we four lived together 
 «ome two years very lovingly and con- 
 tentedly, not an ill word passing between 
 ns. We used to take turns in keeping at 
 home, while the rest went forth about their 
 business. For our house stood alone, and 
 no neighbour near it ; therefore we always 
 left one within. The rest of the English- 
 i»en Uved round about us, some four or 
 five miles distant, some more. So that 
 we were, as it were, within reach of one 
 another; which made us like our present 
 situation the more. 
 
 Thus we lived upon the mountains, being 
 round about us beset with watches, most of 
 our people being now married : so that now 
 all talk and suspicion of our running away 
 was laid aside ; neither indeed was it scarce 
 possible. The effect of which was, that 
 now we could walk from one to the other, 
 or where we would upon the mountains, 
 no man molesting or disturbing us in the 
 least. So that we began to go about a- 
 peddling and trading in the country farther 
 towards the northward, carrying our caps 
 about to sell. 
 
92 CAPTIVIT YAND ESCAPE 
 
 By this time two of our company, 
 seeing but little hopes of liberty, thought 
 it too hard a task thus to lead a single 
 life, and married : which when they had 
 done, according to the former agree- 
 ment, departed from us. So that our 
 company was now reduced to two, viz. 
 myself and Stephen Rutland ; whose in- 
 chnation and resolution was as steadfast 
 as mine against marriage. And we parted 
 not to the last, but came away together. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 A Return to the rest of the English, with 
 some further Accounts of them — and some 
 further Discourse of the Author'' s Course 
 of Life.j^^ 
 
 I ET us now make a visit to the rest of 
 our countrymen, and see how they do. 
 They reckoning themselves in for their lives, 
 in order to their future settlement, were 
 generally disposed to marry. Concerning 
 which we have had many and sundry- 
 disputes among ourselves; as particularly 
 concerning the lawfulness of matching with 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 93: 
 
 heathens and idolaters, and whether the 
 Chingulays marriages were any better than, 
 living in whoredom : there being no Chris- 
 tian priests to join them together, and it 
 being allowed by their laws to change their 
 wives and take others as often as they 
 pleased. But these cases we solved for our 
 own advantage, after this manner : that we 
 were but flesh and blood, and that it is 
 said, "It is better to marry than to bum ;" 
 and that, as far as we could see, we were 
 cut oJ0f from all marriages any where else, 
 even for our lifetime, and therefore that 
 we must marry with these or with none at 
 all. And when the people in Scripture 
 were forbidden to take wives of strangers, 
 it was then when they might intermarry 
 with their own people, and so no necessity 
 lay upon them ; and that when they could 
 not, there are examples in the Old Tes- 
 tament upon record, that they took wives 
 of the daughters of the lands wherein they 
 dwelt. These reasons being urged, there 
 was none among us that could object 
 aught against them, especially if those 
 that were minded to marry women here, 
 did take them for their wives during their 
 
94 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 lives, as some of them say they do; and 
 most of the women they marry are 
 such as do profess themselves to be 
 Christians. 
 
 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, accord- 
 ing to his gracious promise to the Jews, 
 in the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomy, 
 and the beginning, would turn my captiv- 
 ity, 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 unbelievers, 
 which several of my countrymen and 
 fellow-prisoners put themselves under. 
 
 By this time our people having plied 
 their business hard, had almost knit them- 
 selves 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 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 95 
 
 some to husbandry, ploughing ground, and 
 sowmg 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 commo- 
 dity to carry to another that wants it. 
 And thus, with the help of a little allow- 
 ance, they make a shift to subsist. Most 
 of their wives spin cotton yarn, which is 
 a great help to them for clothing, and at 
 spare times also knit. 
 
 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 discoimtenanced ; 
 but rather we have been favoured above 
 the natives themselves. 
 
96 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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. Upjau 
 t his the man who had beat the Englishman 
 was summoned ia to appear before him : 
 who seeing so many of us there, and 
 fearing the cause would go very hard with 
 him, to make the judge his friend, gave 
 him a bribe. He, haviag received it, 
 would have shifted o£E the punishment tr£ 
 the malefactor; but we day after day 
 followed him from house to court, and 
 from place to place, wherever he went, 
 demanding justice and satisfaction for the 
 wrong we received, showing the black and 
 blue blows upon the Englishman's shoulders 
 to all the rest of the noblemen at court. 
 He, fearing therefore lest the King might 
 be made acquainted herewith, was forced, 
 though much against his will, to clap the 
 Chingulay in chains : in which condition. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 97 
 
 after he got him, he released him not till, 
 besides the former fee, he had given him 
 another. 
 
 Lately was Richard Vamham taken into 
 the King's 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 halhert, 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 EngKshmen that 
 served him, spoken of before. 
 
 Some years since some of our nation 
 took up arms under the King; which 
 happened upon this occasion. The Hol- 
 landers had a small fort in the King's 
 country, called Bibligom Fort. This the 
 King minded to take and demolish, sent • 
 his army to besiege it : but being pretty 
 
y© CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 runaways, 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 foreign 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 entered into 
 the King's service, upon this expedition, 
 some of all nations, both Portuguese, 
 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 calico for 
 clothes, and commanded them to wear 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. \nf 
 
 breeches, hats, and doublets — a great 
 honour there. The King intended a 
 Dutchman, 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 Dutchman, de- 
 sired a captain of their own nation, 
 which the King granted, studying to 
 please them at this time. But the Eng- 
 lish 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 Portuguese 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, 
 
 They were all ready to go, their arms 
 and ammunition ready, with guns pre- 
 pared to send down; but, before they, 
 went, tidings came that the fort yielded 
 at the King's 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 
 
too CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 to watch at his gate. And now they are 
 reduced to great poverty and necessity : 
 for, since the King's first gift, they have 
 never received any pay or allowance ; 
 though they have often made their ad- 
 dresses 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 runaway 
 Dutchmen to serve in their steads, giving 
 them as much money and clothes 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 traitors 
 because they would not, and threatened 
 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 King's 
 service, as his own pride to make himself 
 greater by having more men under him. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 101 
 
 I will now turn to the progress of my 
 own story. It was now about the year 
 1672. I related before that my family 
 was reduced to two, myself and one 
 honest man more. We lived solitarily and 
 contentedly, being well settled in a good 
 house of my own. Now we fell to breed- 
 ing 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 likeli- 
 hood of liberty, we went about to make 
 all things handsom e and convenient about 
 us ; which might be serviceable to us while 
 we lived there, and might further our liberty 
 whensoever we should see an occasion to 
 attempt it ; which it did, in taking away 
 all suspicion 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 ourselves, with 
 all imaginable privacy, long before we 
 went away ; and therefore we laboured by 
 all means to hide our designs, and to free 
 them from so much as suspicion, 
 o 
 
102 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 We had now brought our house and 
 ground to such a perfection, that few 
 noblemen's seats in the land did excel us. 
 On each side was a great thorn gate for 
 entrance, which is the manner in that 
 country : the gates of the city are of the 
 same. We built also another house in the 
 yard, all open for air, for ourselves to sit 
 in, or any neighbours that came to talk 
 with us. For seldom should we be alone, 
 our neighbours oftener 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 although 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. 
 
 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 belong- 
 ing to the woman to manage. Whereupon 
 I perceivM a trade in use among them, 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 103 
 
 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 con- 
 verted 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 debtor's 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 come 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 owe. So 
 that they that miss getting their debts 
 this year must stay till the next, when it 
 will be double, two measures for one ; but 
 
104 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 the interest never runs up higher, though 
 the debt lie seven years unpaid. By means 
 hereof I was put to a great deal of trouble, 
 and was forced to watch early and late ta 
 get my debts, and many times miss of them 
 after aU my pains. Howbeit, when my 
 stock did increase 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 increased 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 myself, 
 but thankfulness to God, That he brought 
 me hither with my staff, and blessed me 
 so here, that I became two bands. 
 
 For some years together, after I removed 
 to my own house from Laggendenny, 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 105 
 
 to give it me. Which though I knew to 
 be true, yet I thought not fit to lose 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 people's poor 
 condition, appointed me monthly to come 
 to him at the King's palace, for a ticket, 
 to receive my allowance out of the King's 
 storehouses. 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 re- 
 ceived into the King\s Service, and what 
 M eans he used to avoid U — He meditates 
 and attempts an E scape , hut is often pre- 
 vented. 
 
 TpHIS frequent appearance at the court, 
 
 and waiting there for my tickets, 
 
 brought me to be taken notice of by the 
 
106 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 great men : insomucli that tliey wondei'ed 
 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 hence- 
 forward 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 should suddenly 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 
 com of the land of Canaan, the manna 
 ceased ; so when 1 was driven to forego my 
 allowance that had all this while sustained 
 me in this wilderness, God otherwise pro- 
 vided for me. 
 
 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 107 
 
 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 immediately 
 despatch and come to the court, to make 
 my personal appearance before the King ; 
 and in case of any delay, the officers of the 
 country were thereby authorized and com- 
 manded 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 ths chief actors in this business, 
 that he might bring me to preferment 
 at court. 
 
 Upon the abovesaid summons there was 
 no remedy, but to court I must go : where 
 I first applied myself to my said old neigh- 
 bour, Oua Matteral, who was the occasion 
 
108 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 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 ans- 
 wered, " Here is good news for you : you 
 are to appear in the Kiag's presence, 
 where you will find grea*: favour and 
 honourable entertainment, far more than 
 any of your countrymen yet here found." 
 Which the great man thought would be a 
 strong inducement to persuade me joyfully 
 to accept of the King's employments. 
 But this was the thing I always most 
 dreaded, and endeavoured to shun, know- 
 ing that being taken into court would be 
 a means to cut off all hopes of liberty from 
 me, which was the thing I esteemed equal 
 unto life itself. 
 
 Seeing myself brought unto this pass, 
 wherein I had no earthly helper, I recom- 
 mended 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 109 
 
 for me. If out of ambition and honour 
 I should have embraced the King's service, 
 besides the depriving myself 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 died 
 innocently; but if I should be executed 
 in his service, however innocent I was, I 
 should be certainly reckoned a rebel and 
 traitor, as they all are whom he commands 
 to be cut off 
 
 Upon these considerations, having thus 
 set my resolutions, as God enabled me, 1 
 returned him this answer : first, That the 
 Enghsh nation, to whom I belonged, had 
 never done any violence or wrong to their 
 King, either in word or deed. Secondly, 
 That the cause 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 
 King's bountiful liberality, or such as fled 
 
110 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 for the fear of deserved punishment ; where- 
 as, as they all well knew, I came not upon 
 any of these causes, but upon account of 
 trade, and came ashore to receive the 
 King's orders, which by notice we under- 
 stood were come concerning us, and to 
 render and account to the Dissauva of the 
 reasons and occasions of our coming into 
 the King's port. And that by the grief 
 and sorrow I had undergone, by being so 
 long detained from my native country (but, 
 for which I thanked the King's Majesty, 
 without want of any thing), I scarcely 
 enjoyed m3'self ; for my heart was always 
 absent from my body : hereunto adding my 
 insufficiency and inability for such honour- 
 able 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 whigh 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 custom and practice of a'l kings and 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. Ill 
 
 princes upon the earth to keep and detain 
 men that came into their countries upon 
 such peaceable accounts as we did ; much 
 less to compel them to serve them beyond 
 their power and abiHty. 
 
 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 bade me begone and tell 
 my tale to the Adigar : which im- 
 mediately I did; but he being busy, 
 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 befal me, and 
 the best I could expect was to be put 
 in chains. All my refuge was prayer to 
 God, whose hand was not shortened 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. 
 
 In this manner I lodged in an English- 
 man's^^house, thatj dwelt in^ the city. 
 
112 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 about ten days, maintaining myself at 
 my own charge, waiting with a sorrowful 
 heart, and daily expecting to hear my 
 doom. In the mean time my countrymen 
 and acquaintance, some of them, blamed 
 me for refusing so fair a proffer ; whereby 
 I might not only have lived well myself, 
 but also have been helpful unto my poor 
 countrymen and friendo; others of fhem 
 pitying 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 par- 
 taker with him in the felicities of the court. 
 
 It being chargeable thus to lie 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 day's 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 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 11^ 
 
 lodging, where I stayed 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 pre- 
 sence of the great men at court, but 
 dwelt in my own plantation, upon what 
 God provided for me by my labour and 
 industry. 
 
 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 aught I could see to the con- 
 trary, I was like to continue for my 
 lifetime. 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 entered 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 inquire 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 
 
114 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 considered, that there was no better way 
 than to take one of my poor countrymen's 
 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 myself 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 1673. Al- 
 though 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 country England, 
 ^nd lamented under the famine of God's 
 word and sacraments, the want [whereof 
 I found greater than all earthly wants; 
 and my daily and fervent prayers to God 
 were, in his good time to restore me to 
 the enjoyment of them. 
 
 I and my companion were still medi- 
 tating upon oar escape and the means to 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 115 
 
 compass it ; which our peddling about the 
 country 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 country-people; viz. concerning 
 the ways and the countries, and where 
 there were most and fewest inhabitants, 
 and where and how the watches lay from 
 one country to another ; and what com- 
 modities 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 ourselves with ware 
 that the respective places afforded. None 
 doubted but we had made these inquiries 
 for the sake of our trade, but ourselves 
 had other designs in them. Neither was 
 there the least suspicion 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. 
 
 By diligent inquiry I had come to under 
 stand, that the easiest and' most probable 
 way to make an escape was by travel- 
 ling to the northward, that part of the 
 land being least inhabited. Therefore we 
 
116 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 furnished ourselves 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 
 country generally are intric ate and difficult • 
 here being no great highways that run 
 through the land, but a multitude of Uttle 
 paths, some from one town to another, 
 some into the fields, and some into the 
 woods where they sow their corn ; and the 
 whole country 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 through those woods, they stop 
 it, and contrive another way ; neither do 
 they legard though it goes two or three 
 miles about: and to ask and inquire the 
 way for us white men is very dangerous. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 117 
 
 it occasioning the people to suspect us. 
 And the Chingulays themselves never travel 
 in countries 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. 
 
 But we made a shift to travel from Candy 
 Uda downwards towards the north from 
 town to town; happening at a place at 
 last which I knew before, having been 
 brought up formerly from Cooswat that 
 way, to descend the hill called Bocaul, 
 where there is no watch, but in time of 
 great disturbance. Thus by the providence 
 of God we passed all difficulties until we 
 came into the county of Neurecalava, which 
 are the lowest parts that belong to this 
 King, and some three days' journey from 
 the place whence we came. 
 
 We were not a little glad that we were 
 gotten so far onwards in our way, but 
 yet at this time we could go no farther, 
 for our ware was all sold, and we could 
 pretend^ no more excuses; and also we 
 had been out so long, that it might cause 
 our townsmen to come and look after 
 
 H 
 
118 CAPTIVITT AND ESCAPE 
 
 US, it being the first time that we had 
 been so long absent from home . 
 
 In this manner we went into these 
 northern parts eight or ten times, and 
 once got as far as Hourly, a town in the 
 extremities of the King's dominions, but 
 yet we could not attain our purpose ; for 
 this northern country being much subject 
 to dry weather, and having no springs,, 
 we were fain to drink of ponds of rain- 
 water, wherein the cattle lie and tumble, 
 which would be so thick and muddy, that 
 the very filth would hang in our beards 
 when we drank. This did not agree with 
 our bodies, being used to drink pure 
 spring water only. By which means, when, 
 we first used those parts, we used often 
 to be sick of violent fevers and agues, 
 when we came home. Which diseases 
 happened not only to us, but to all other 
 people that dwelt upon the mountains, 
 as we did, whensoever they went down 
 into those places ; and commonly the 
 major part of those that fall sick, die : at 
 which the Chingulays are so soared, that 
 it is very seldom they do adventure their 
 bodies down thither : neither truly would 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 119 
 
 I have done it, were it not for those 
 future hopes, which God of his mercy did 
 at length accomplish. For both of us 
 smarted sufficiently by those severe fevers 
 we got, when we should both lie sick 
 together, and one not able to help the 
 other: insomuch, that our countrymen 
 and neighbours used to ask us, if we went 
 thither purposing to destroy ourselves, 
 they Uttle thinking, and we not daring to 
 tell them our intent and design. 
 
 At length we learned an antidote and 
 counter-poision against the filthy veno- 
 mous water, which so operated by the 
 blessing of God, that after the use of 
 thereof we had no more sickness. It is 
 only a dry leaf (they call it in Portuguese, 
 Banga), beaten to powder, with some of 
 the country jaggory; and this we ate 
 morning and evening, upon an empty 
 stomach: it intoxicates the brain, and 
 makes one giddy, without any other opera- 
 tion either by stool or vomit. 
 
 Thus every voyage we gathered more 
 ^ experience, and got lower down; for this 
 is a large and spacious country. We 
 
120 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 travelled to and fro where the ways led 
 us, according to their own proverb, *' The 
 beggar and the merchant is never out of 
 his way;'" because the one begs and the 
 other trades wherever they go. Thus we 
 used to ramble until we had sold all our 
 ware, and then went home for more. And 
 by these means we grew acquainted both 
 with the people and the paths. 
 
 In these parts I met with my black 
 boy, whom I had divers years before 
 turned away, who had now wife and 
 children. He proved a great help to me 
 in directing me in the ways ; for he had 
 lived many years in these parts. Perceiv- 
 ing him to be able, and also in a very 
 poor and sad condition, not able to 
 maintain his family; I adventured once 
 to ask him, if a good reward would not be 
 welcome to him, for guiding us two down 
 to the Dutch; which having done, he 
 might return again, and nobody the wiser. 
 At which proposition he seemed to be 
 very joyful, and [promised to undertake 
 the same : only at this time, for reasons 
 he alleged, which to me seemed probable, 
 as that it was harvest- time and many 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 121 
 
 people about it, it could not so safely and 
 conveniently be done now, as it might be 
 some two months after. 
 
 The business was concluded upon, and 
 the time appointed between us ; but it so 
 fell out, that at the very precise time, all 
 things being ready to depart on the 
 morrow, it pleased God, whose time was 
 not yet come, to strike me with a most 
 grievous pain in the hollow on my right 
 side, that for five days together I was 
 not able to stir from the fireside ; but by 
 warming it, and fomenting and chafing it, 
 I got a Uttle ease. 
 
 Afterward, as soon as I was recovered, 
 and got strength, we went down and carried 
 one Englishman more with us for company, 
 for our better security, seeing we must 
 travel in the night upon our flight : but 
 though we took him with us, we dared not 
 to tell him of our design, because he had 
 a wife, intending not to acquaint him with 
 it, till the business was just ready to be put 
 into action. But when he came, expecting 
 to meet with our guide, he was gone into 
 another country, and we knew not where 
 
122 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 to find him, and we knew not how to 
 run away without him. Thus we were 
 disappointed that time. 
 
 But, as formerly, we went to and fro 
 until we had sold our ware, and so re- 
 turned home again and delivered the man 
 to his wife ; but never told him any thing 
 of our intended design, fearing lest, if he 
 knew it, he might acquaint her with it, 
 and so all our purposes coming to be 
 revealed might be overthrown for ever 
 afterwards : for we were resolved, by God's 
 help, still to persevere in our design 
 
 Some eight or nine years one after another 
 we followed this trade, going down into 
 this country on purpose to seek to get 
 beyond the inhabitants, and so to run 
 away through the woods to the Hollanders. 
 Three or four years together the dry 
 weather prevented us ; when the country 
 was almost starved for want of rain : all 
 which time they never tilled the ground. 
 The wells also were almost all dry ; so that 
 in the towns we could scarcely get water to 
 drink, or victuals to eat ; which affrighted 
 us at those times from running into the 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 123 
 
 woods, lest we might perish for thirst. All 
 this while upon the mountains, where our 
 dweUing was, there was no want of rain. 
 
 We found it an inconvenience when we 
 came three of us down together., reckoning 
 it might give occasion to the people to 
 suspect our design, and so prevent us from 
 going thither again. Some of the EngUsh, 
 that followed such a trade as we, had been 
 down that way with their commodities ; 
 but having felt the smart of that country's 
 sickness, would go there no more, finding 
 as much profit in nearer and easier joumies. 
 But we still persisted in our courses this 
 way, having some greater matter to do 
 here than to sell wares, viz. to find out 
 this northern discovery ; which in God's 
 good time we did effect. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 How the Author began his Escape, and got 
 onward of his Way about an hundred Miles. 
 
 WAVING often gone this way to seek 
 
 for libe ty, but could not yet find it, 
 
 we again set forth to try what success 
 
124 CAPTIVITY AXD ESCAPE 
 
 God Almighty would now give us, in 
 the year 1679, on the two -and- twentieth 
 of September, furnished with such arms 
 as we could well carry with safety and 
 secrecy, which were knives and small 
 axes; we carried also several sorts of 
 ware to sell, as formerly : the moon 
 being seven-and-twenty days old: which 
 we had so contrived, that we might 
 have a light moon, to see the better to 
 run away by ; having left an old man 
 at home, whom I hired to live with me, 
 to look after my house and goats. 
 
 We went down at the hill Bocaul, 
 where there was now no watch, and 
 but seldom any ; from thence down to 
 the town of Bonder Cooswat, where my 
 father died ; and by the town of Nicavar, 
 which is the last town belonging to 
 Hotcurly in that road. From thence- 
 forward the towns stand thin; for it 
 was sixteen miles to the next town, 
 called Parroah, which lay in the country 
 of Neurecalava, and all the way through 
 a wilderness called Parroah Mocolane, 
 full of wild elephants, tigers, and 
 bears. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 125 
 
 Now we set our design for Anarodg- 
 burro, which is the lowest place inhabited 
 belonging to the King of Candy; where 
 there is a watch always kept : and nearer 
 than twelve or fourteen miles of this town 
 as yet we never had been. 
 
 When we came into the midst of this 
 country, we heard that the governor 
 thereof had sent officers from the court 
 to despatch away the King's revenues 
 and duties to the city, and that they 
 were now come into the country : which 
 put us into no small fear, lest, if they 
 saw us, they should send us back again. 
 Wherefore we edged away into the western- 
 most parts of Ecpoulpot, being a re- 
 mote part of that country wherein we now 
 were ; and there we sat to knitting until 
 we heard they were gone. But this caused 
 us to overshoot our time, the moon spend- 
 ing so fast. But as soon as we heard 
 they were departed out of the country, 
 we went onwards of our journey, having 
 kept most of our ware for a pretence to 
 have an occasion t3 go further. And 
 having bought a good parcel of cotton 
 yarn, to knit caps withal, the rest of our 
 
126 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 ware, we gave out, was to buy dried flesh 
 with, which only in those lower parts is to 
 be sold. 
 
 Our way now lay necessarily through 
 the chief governor's yard at Coliwilla: 
 who dwells there purposely to see and 
 examine all that go and come. This 
 greatly distressed us: first, because he 
 was stranger to us, and one whom we had 
 never seen ; and secondly, because there 
 was no other way to escape him; and 
 plain reason would tell him that we, being 
 prisoners, were without our bounds. 
 Whereupon we concluded that our best 
 way would be to go boldly and resolu.ely 
 to his house, and not to seem daunted in 
 the least, or to look as if we did distrust 
 him to disallow of our journey, but to 
 show such a behaviour, as if we had 
 authority to travel where we would. 
 
 So we went forward, and were forced to 
 inquire and ask the way to his house, 
 having never been so far this way before. 
 I brought from home with me knives 
 with fine carved handles, and a red Tunis 
 cap, purposely to sell or give him, if 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 127 
 
 occasion required, knowing before that 
 we must pass by him. And all along as 
 we went, that we might be the less sus- 
 pected, we sold caps and other ware, to 
 be paid for at our return homewards. 
 There were many cross paths to and fro 
 to his house ; yet, by God's providence, 
 we happened in the right road; and, 
 having reached his house, according to 
 the country manner, we went and s^te 
 down in the open house ; which kind of 
 houses are built on purpose for the recep- 
 tion of strangers. Whither, not long 
 after, the great mail himself came and 
 sate down by us ; to whom we presented 
 a small parcel of tobacco and some betel. 
 And before he asked us the cause of our 
 coming, we showed him the ware we 
 brought for him, and the cotton yarn 
 which we had trucked about the country ; 
 teUing him withal how the case stood 
 with us : viz. that we had a charge greater 
 than the King's allowance would main- 
 tain; and that because dried flesh was 
 the chief commodity of that part (we 
 told him), that missing of the lading 
 which we used to carry back, we were glad 
 
128 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 to come thither to see if we could make it 
 up with dried flesh; and therefore if he 
 would please to supply us either for such 
 ware as we had brought, or else for our 
 money, it would be a great favour, the 
 which would oblige us for the future to 
 bring him any necessaries that he should 
 name unto us, when we should come again 
 unto those parts, as we used to do very 
 often; and that we could furnish him, 
 having dealings and being acquainted with 
 the best artificers in Candy. 
 
 At which he replied, that he was sorry 
 we were come at such a dry time, wherein 
 they could not catch deer; but if some 
 rain fell, he would soon despatch us with 
 our ladings of flesh. But, however, he 
 bade us go about the towns, and see 
 whether there might be any or no, though 
 he thought there was none. This answer 
 of his pleased us wondrous well, both 
 because by this we saw he suspected us not, 
 and because he told us there was no dried 
 flesh to be got. For it was one of our 
 greatest fears that we should get our lading 
 too soon : for then we could not have had 
 an excuse to go further ; and as yet we 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX ^^Q 
 
 could not possibly fly ; having still six miles 
 further to the northward to go before we 
 could attempt it, that is, to Anarodgburro. 
 
 From Anarodgburro it is two days' 
 journey further, through a desolate wilder- 
 ness, before there are any more inhabitants ; 
 and these inhabitants are neither under 
 this King nor the Dutch, but are Malabars, 
 and are under a prince of there own. This 
 people we were sorely afraid of, lest they 
 might seize us and send us back, there 
 being a correspondence between this 
 prince and the Eang of Candy : wherefore 
 ' it was our endeavour by all means to shun 
 them ; lest according to the old proverb, 
 we might leap out of the frying-pan into 
 the fire. 
 
 But we must take care of that as well as 
 we could when we came among them, for a-J 
 yet our care was to get to Anarodgburro. 
 Where although it was our desire to get, 
 yet we could not seem to be too hasty, 
 lest it might occasion suspicion ; but lay 
 where we were two or three days : and one 
 stayed at the governor's house a-knitting, 
 whilst the other went about among the 
 
130 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 towns to see for flesh. The ponds in -the 
 country being now dry, there was fish 
 every where in abundance, which they dry 
 like red herrings over a fire. They offered 
 to sell us store of them ; but they, we told 
 them, would not turn to so good profit as 
 flesh : the which, we said, we would have, 
 though we stayed ten days longer for it ; 
 for here we could Hve as cheap, and earn 
 as much as if we w ere at home, by our 
 knitting. So we seemed to them as if we 
 were not in any haste. 
 
 In the mean time happened an accident, 
 which put us to a great fright. For the 
 King having newly clapped up several 
 persons of quality, whereof my old 
 neighbour Oua Matteral, that sent for me 
 to court, was one, sent down soldiers to 
 this high sheriff or governor, at whose 
 house we now were, to give him order tD 
 set a secure guard at the watches, that no 
 suspicious persons might pass. This he 
 did to prevent the relations of these im- 
 prisoned persons from making an escape, 
 who through fear of the King might 
 attempt it. This always is the King's 
 custom to do. But it put us into an 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 131; 
 
 exceeding fear, lest it might beget an 
 admiration in these soldiers to see white 
 men so low down: which indeed is no: 
 customary nor allowed of; and so they 
 might send us up again : which doubtless 
 they would have done, had it not been of 
 God by this means and after this manner 
 to deliver us ; especially considering that 
 the King's command came just at that time, 
 and so expressly to keep a secure guard at 
 the watches, and that in that very way 
 that always we purposed to go in : so that 
 it seemed scarcely possible for us to pass 
 afterwards, though we should get off fairly 
 at present with the soldiers : which we did ; 
 for they having delivered their message, 
 departed, showing themselves very kind 
 and civil unto us. And we seemed ta 
 lament for our hard fortune, that 
 we were uot ready to go upward* 
 with them, in their good company: 
 for we were neighbours, dwelling in one 
 and the same county. However, we bid 
 them carry our commendations to our 
 countrymen the English, with whom they 
 were acquainted at the city, and so bade 
 them farewell : and glad we were when they 
 
132 CAPTIVITY AND E8CAPE 
 
 were gone from us. And the next day in 
 the morning we resolved, God willing, to 
 set forward ; but we thought not fit to tell 
 our host, the governor, of it, till the very 
 instant of our departing, that he might not 
 have any time to deliberate concerning us. 
 
 That night he being disposed to be 
 merry, sent for people whose trade it is to 
 dance and show tricks, to come to his house 
 to entertain him with their sports. The 
 beholding them spent most part of the 
 night; which we merrily called our old 
 host's civiUty to us at our last parting : as 
 it proved indeed, though he, honest man, 
 then little dreamed of any such thing. 
 
 The morning being come, we first took 
 care to fill our bellies ; then we packed up 
 those things which were necessary for our 
 journey to carry with us, and the rest of 
 our goods, cotton yarn, and cloth and other 
 things, that we would not encumber our- 
 selves withal, we bound up in a bundle, 
 intending to leave them behind us. 
 This being done, I went to the 
 governor, and carried him four or five 
 oharges of gunpowder, a thing somewhat 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 133 
 
 scarce with them, entreating him, rather 
 than we should be disappointed of flesh, 
 to make use of that, an 1 uhoot same deer; 
 which he was very willing to accept of, 
 and to us it could be no-ways profitable, 
 not having a gun : while we, we told him, 
 would make a step to Anarolgburro, to 
 see what fle^h we could procure there. 
 In the mean time, according as we had 
 before laid tie business, came Stephen 
 with the bundle of goodi, desiring to leave 
 them in his house tU we came back: 
 which he was very ready to grant us leave 
 to do. And seeing us leav3 such a parcel 
 of goods, though, God knows, butof Uttle 
 account in themselves, yet of considerable 
 value in that land, he could not suppose 
 otherwise but that we were intended to 
 return again. Thus we took our leaves, and 
 immediately departed, not giving him time 
 to consider with himself, or consult 
 with others about us. And he, like a good- 
 natured man, bid us heartily farewell. 
 
 Although we knew not the way to this 
 town, having never been there in all our 
 lives, and durst not ask, lest it might breed 
 suspicion; yet we went on confidently 
 
 I 
 
134 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 through a desolate wood, and happened to 
 go very right, and came out directly at the 
 place. 
 
 But in our way, before we arrived hither, 
 we came up with a small river, which ran 
 through the woods, called by the Chingulays 
 Malwat Oyah : the which we viewed well, 
 and judged it might be a probable guide 
 to carry us down to the sea, if a better did 
 not present. Howbeit, we thought good 
 to try first the way we were taking, and to 
 go onward towards Anarodgburro, that 
 being the shortest and easiest way to get 
 to the coast : and this river being as under 
 our lee, ready to serve and assist us, if 
 other means failed. 
 
 To Anarodgburro therefore we came, 
 called also Neur Waug; which is not so 
 much a particular single town, as a 
 territory. It is a vast great plain, the like 
 I never saw in all that island : in the midst 
 whereof is a lake, which may be a mile 
 over, not natural, but made by art, as 
 other ponds in the country, to serve them 
 to water their corn-grounds. This plain is 
 encompassed round with woods, and small 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. l'S5 
 
 towns among them on every side, inhabited 
 by Malabars, a distinct people from the 
 Chingulays. But these towns we could not 
 see till we came in among them. Being 
 come out through the woods into this plain, 
 we stood looking and staring round about 
 us, but knew not where nor which way to 
 go. At length we heard a cock crow, 
 which was a sure sign to us that there was 
 a town hard by ; into which we were resolved 
 to enter. For standing thus amazed was 
 the ready way to be taken up for suspicious 
 persons, especially because white men 
 never come down so low. 
 
 Being entered into this town, we sa.te 
 ourselves under a tree, and proclaimed 
 our wares, for we feared to rush into their 
 yards, as we used to do in other places, 
 lest we should scare them. The people 
 stood amazed as soon as they saw 
 us, being originally Malabars, though 
 subjects of Candy. Nor could they 
 understand the Chingulay language, in 
 which we spake to them. And we stood 
 looking one upon another until there came 
 one that could speak the Chingulay 
 tongue : who asked us, from whence we 
 
loo CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 came ? We told him, from Candy Uda. 
 But they believed us not, supposing that 
 we came up from the Dutch, from 
 Manaar : so they brought us before their 
 Governor. He not speaking Chingulais, 
 spake to us })y an interpreter. And to 
 know the truth, whether we came from 
 the place we pretended, he inquired about 
 news at court ; demanded, who were 
 governors of such and such countries? 
 and what was become of some certain 
 noblemen, whom the King had lately cut 
 off? and also, what the common people 
 were employed about at court ? for it is 
 seldom that they are idle. To all which 
 we gave satisfactory answers. Then he 
 inquired of us, who gave us leave to come 
 down so low ? We told him, that privilege 
 was given to us by the King himself, full 
 fifteen years since, at his palace at 
 Nellemby,-^ when he caused it to be 
 declared unto us, that we were no longer 
 prisoners, and (which indeed was our own 
 addition) that we were free to enjoy the 
 benefit of trade in all his dominions. 
 
 To prove and confirm the truth of 
 which, we alleged the distance of the way 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 137 
 
 that we were now come from home, being 
 near an hundred miles, passing through 
 several counties, where we met with 
 several governors and officers in their 
 respective jurisdictions ; who, had they 
 not been well sensible of these privileges 
 granted to us, would not have allowed us 
 to pass through their countries. All 
 which officers we described to him by 
 name; and also that now we came from 
 the high sheriff's house at Colliwilla, 
 where we had been these three days, and 
 there heard of the order that was come 
 to secure the watches ; which was not for 
 fear of the runnins; away of white men, 
 but of the Chingulays. These reasons gave 
 him full satisfaction, that we were inno- 
 cent traders, seeing also the commodities 
 that we had brought with us : this further 
 confirmed his opinion concerning us. 
 
 The people were very glad of our 
 coming, and gave us an end of an open 
 house to he in : but at present they had no 
 dried flesh, but desired us to stay two or 
 three days, and we should not fail ; which 
 we were very ready to consent to, hoping 
 by that time to come to the knowledge of 
 
188 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 the way, and to learn whereabout the watch 
 was placed. To prevent the least surmise 
 that we were plotting to run away, we 
 agreed, that Stephen should stay in the 
 house by the things, while I with some few 
 went abroad ; pretending to inquire for 
 dried flesh to carry back with us to Candy, 
 but intending to make discoveries of the 
 way, and provide necessaries for our flight, 
 as rice, a brass pot to boil our rice in, a 
 little dried flesh to eat, and a deer's skin 
 to make us shoes of. And , by the provid- 
 ence of my gracious God, all these things 
 I happened upon and bought. But as 
 our good hap was, deer's flesh we could 
 meet with none. So that we had time 
 enough to fit ourselves ; all people think- 
 ing that we stayed only to buy flesh. 
 
 Here we stayed three days; during 
 which we had found the great road that 
 runs down towards Jafnapatam, one of 
 the northern ports belonging to the Dutch, 
 which road we judged led also towards 
 Manaar, a Butch northern port also, 
 which was the place that we endeavoured 
 to get to, lying above two or three days' 
 journey distant from us. But in this road 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 139 
 
 th re was a watch lay, which must be 
 passed. Where this watch was placed, 
 it was necessary for us punctually to know, 
 and to endeavour to get a sight of it. 
 And if we could do this, our intent was 
 to go unseen by night, the poople being 
 then afraid to travel, and being come up 
 to the watch, to sUp aside into the woods, 
 and so go on until we were past it ; and 
 then strike into the road again. But this 
 project came to nothing, because I could 
 not without suspicion and danger go and 
 view this watch; which lay some four or 
 five miles below this plain ; and so far I 
 could not frame any business to go. 
 
 But several inconveniences we saw 
 here, insomuch that we found it] would 
 not be safe for us to go down in this 
 road. For if we should have slipt away 
 from them by night, in the morning we 
 should be missed, and then most surely 
 they would go that way to chase us, 
 and ten to one overtake us, being 
 but one night before them. Also, we knew 
 not whether or no it might lead us into the 
 country of the Malabar prince, of whom 
 we were much afraid. 
 
140 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 Then resolving to let the great road 
 alone, we thought of going right down 
 through the woods, and steer our course 
 by the sun and moon ; but the ground 
 being so dry, we feared we should not 
 meet with water: so we declined that 
 counsel also. Thus being in doubt, we 
 prayed God to direct us, and to put it into 
 our hearts which way to take. Then, 
 after a consultation between ourselves, all 
 things considered, we concluded it the 
 best course to go back to Malwat Oyah, 
 the river we had well viewed that lay in 
 our way as we came hither. And back 
 thither we resolved to repair. 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 The Author's Progress in his Flight from 
 Anarodgburro into the Woods, unto their 
 Arrival in the Malabar s^ Country. 
 
 1^ OW God of his mercy having prospered 
 our design hitherto, for which we 
 blessed his holy name, our next care was, 
 how to come off clear from the people of 
 Anarodgburro* that they might not present- 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 141 
 
 ]y miss us, and so pursue after us : which 
 if they should do, there would have been 
 no escaping them; for from his town to 
 Colli w ilia, where the sheriff lived with 
 whom we left our goods, they are as well 
 acquainted in the woods as in the paths ; and 
 when we came away we must tell the people 
 that we were going thither, because there is 
 no other way but that. Now our fear was, 
 lest upon S3me occasion or other any men 
 might chance to travel that way soon 
 after we were gone, and not finding 
 us at Colhwilla, might conclude, as they 
 could do no otherwise, that we were 
 run into the wood^. Therefore, to avoid 
 this danger, we stayed in the town till it 
 was so late, that we kn3w none durst 
 venture to travel afterwards for fear of 
 wild beasts : by which means we were sure 
 to gain a night's travel at least, if they 
 should chance to pursue us. 
 
 So we took our leaves of the governor, 
 who kindly gave us a pot of milk to drink 
 for a farewell; we telling him, we were re- 
 turning back to the sheriff at Colliwilla, 
 to whom we had given some gunpowder 
 when we came from him to shoot us some 
 
142 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 deer, and we doubted not but by that 
 time we should get to him, he would have 
 provided flesh enough for our lading home. 
 Thus bidding him and the rest of the neigh- 
 bours farewell, we departed, they giving us 
 the civility of their accustomed prayers ^ 
 Diabac, that is, God bless, or keep you. 
 
 It was now the twelfth day of October, 
 on a Sunday, the moon eighteen days old. 
 We were well furnished with all things 
 needful, which we could get, viz. ten days^ 
 provision, rice, flesh, fish, pepper, salt, a 
 basin to boil our victuals in, two calabashes 
 to fetch water, two great tallipats for tents, 
 big enough to sleep under if it should rain, 
 jaggory and sweetmeats, which we brought 
 from home with us, tobacco also and betel, 
 tinder-boxes two or three for failing, and 
 a deer's skin to make us shoes, to prevent 
 any thorns running into our feet as we 
 travelled through the woods ; for our 
 greatest trust under God was to our feet. 
 Our weapons were, eg^ch man a small axe 
 fastened to a long staff in our hands, and 
 a good knife by our sides. Which were 
 sufficient, with God's help, to defend us 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 145 
 
 from the assaults of either tiger or bear; and 
 as for elephants, there is no standing 
 against them, but the best defence is to flee 
 from them. 
 
 In this posture and equipage we marched 
 forward. When we were come within a mile 
 of this river, it being about four in the even- 
 ing, we began to fear, lest any of the people 
 of Anarodgburro, from whence we came, 
 should follow us to CoUiwilla; which place we 
 never intended to come at more ; the river, 
 along which we intended to go, lying on 
 this side of it. That we might be secure 
 therefore that no people came after us, 
 we sat down upon a rock, by a hole that 
 was full of water, in the highway, until 
 it was so late, that we were sure no people 
 durst travel. In case any had come after 
 us, and seen us sitting there and gotten 
 no further, we intended to tell them, that 
 one of us was taken sick by the way, and 
 therefore not able to go. But it was our 
 happy chance there came none. So about 
 sundown we took up our sacks of provi- 
 sions, and marched forward for the river, 
 which, under God, we had pitched upon 
 to be our omide down to the sea. 
 
144 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 Being come at the river, we left the 
 road and struck into the woods by the 
 river-side. We were exceedingly careful 
 not to tread on the sand or soft groun:!, 
 lest our footsteps should be seen ; and 
 where it could not be avoided we went 
 backwards, so that by the print of our 
 feet it seemed as if we had gone the 
 contrary way. We were now gotten a 
 good way into the wood ; when it grew 
 dark and began to rain, so that we thought 
 it best to pitch our tents, and get wood 
 for firing before it was all wet, and too 
 dark to find it : which we did, and kindled 
 a fire. 
 
 Then we began to fit ourselves for our 
 journey against the moon arose. All ouj 
 sale- wares, which we had left, we cast 
 away ( for we took care not to sell too 
 much ), keeping only provisions and what 
 was very necessary for our journey. 
 About our feet we tied pieces of deer's 
 hide, to prevent thorns and stumps annoy- 
 ing our feet. We always used to travel 
 barefoot, but now being to travel by^^night, 
 and in the woods, we feared so to do. 
 or if our feet should fail f us now, we 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 145 
 
 were quite undone. And by the time we 
 had well fitted ourselves, and were refreshed 
 with a morsel of Portuguese sweetmeats, 
 the moon began to shine. So having com- 
 mended ourselves into the hands of the 
 Almighty, we took up our provisions 
 upon our shoulders, and set forward, and 
 travelled some three or four hours, but 
 with a great deal of difficulty; for the 
 trees being thick, the moon gave but 
 little Ught through; but our resolution 
 was to keep going. 
 
 Now it was our chance to meet with an 
 elephant in our way, just before us : which 
 we tried, but could not scare away : so he 
 forced us to stay. We kindled a fire and 
 sat down, and , took a pipe of tobacco, 
 waiting tiU morning. Then we looked 
 round about us, and it appeared aU like a 
 wilderness, and no sign that people ever 
 had been there ; which put us in great 
 hopes that we had gained our passage, 
 and were past all the inhabitants. Where- 
 upon we concluded that we were now in 
 no danger of being seen, and might travel 
 in the day securely. There was only one 
 great road in our way, which led to 
 
146 CAPTIVITY AND I-:SCAPE 
 
 Portaloon from the towns which by and 
 by we fell into; this road therefore we 
 were shy of, lest, when we passed it over, 
 some passengers travelling in it, might see 
 us ; and this road we were in expectance 
 about this time to meet withal, secure, as 
 I said before, of all other danger of people. 
 But the river winding about to the north- 
 ward brought us into the midst of a parcel 
 of towns, called Tissea Wava, before we 
 were aware. For the country being all 
 woods, we could not discern where there 
 were towns, until we came within the 
 hearing of them. That which betrayed us 
 into this danger was, that meeting with a 
 path, which only led from one town to 
 another, we concluded it to be that great 
 road above mentioned; and so having 
 passed it over, w^e supposed the danger we 
 might encounter in being seen, was also 
 past over with it ; but we were mistaken ; 
 for, going further, we still met with other 
 paths, which we crossed over, still hoping 
 one or other of them was that great road : 
 but at last we perceived our error ; viz. 
 that they were only paths that went from 
 one town to another. And so wliile we 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 147 
 
 were avoiding men and towns, we ran 
 in^o the midst of them. This was a great 
 trouble to us, hearing tiie noise of people 
 round about us, and knew not how to 
 avoid them ; into whose hands we knew if 
 we had fallen, they would have carried us 
 up to the King, besides beating and 
 plundering us to boot. 
 
 We knew before that these towns were 
 hereaway, but had we known that this river 
 turned and run in among them, we should 
 never have undertaken the enterprise. 
 But now to go back, after we had newly 
 passed so many paths, and fields, and 
 places where people did resort, we thought 
 not advisable, and that the danger in so 
 doing might be greater than in going 
 forward. And had we known so much 
 then, as afterwards did appear to us, it 
 had been safer for us to have gone on, 
 than to have hid there as we did ; which 
 we then thought was the best course we 
 could take for the present extremity; viz. 
 to secure ourselves in secret until night, 
 and then to run through in the dark. 
 All that we now wanted was a hole to 
 
148 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 creep in to lie close, for the woods there- 
 abouts were thin, and no shrubs or bushes, 
 under which we might be concealed. 
 
 We heard the noise of people on 
 every side, and expected every moment 
 to see some of them to our great 
 terror. And it is not easy to say in 
 what danger, and in what apprehension 
 of it we wj^re : it was not safe for us to 
 stir backwards or forwards for fear of 
 running among people, and it was as 
 unsafe to stani still where we were, lest 
 somebody might spy us; and where to 
 find covert we could not tell. Looking 
 about us, in these straits, we spied a great 
 tree by us, which, for the bigness thereof, 
 it is probable might be hollow : to which 
 we went, and found it so. It was like a 
 tub, some three foot high. Into it immed- 
 iately we both crept, and made a shift to 
 sit there for several hours, though very 
 uneasily, and all in mud and wet; but, 
 however, it did greatly comfort us in the 
 fright and amazement we were in. 
 
 So soon as it began to grow dark, we 
 came creeping out of our hollow tree, and 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 149 
 
 put for it as fast as our legs could carry 
 us; and then we crossed that great road 
 which all the day before we did expect to 
 come up with, keeping close by the river- 
 side, and going so long till dark night 
 stopped us. We kept going the longer, 
 because we heard the voice of men 
 hollowing, towards evening : which created 
 us a fresh disturbance, thinking them to 
 be people that were coming to chase us. 
 But at length we heard elephants behind 
 us, between us and the voice, which we 
 knew by the noise of cracking the boughs 
 and small trees, which they break down 
 and eat. These elephants were a very 
 good guard behind us; and were, me- 
 thought, like the darkness that came 
 between Israel and the Egyptians. For 
 the people, we knew, would not dare 
 to go forwards, hearing elephants before 
 them. 
 
 In this security we pitched our tents by 
 the river-side, and boiled rice and roasted 
 flesh for our supper, for we were very 
 hungry ; and so commending ourselves to 
 Ood's keeping, lay down to sleep. Th© 
 
150 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 voice which we heard still continued, 
 which lasting so long, we knew what it 
 meant ; it was nothing but the hollowing of 
 people that lay to watch the corn-fields, 
 to scare away the wild beasts out of their 
 corn. Thus we passed Monday. 
 
 But nevertheless next morning, so soon 
 as the moon shone out bright, to prevent 
 the worst, we took up our packs and were 
 gone : being past all the tame inhabitants, 
 with whom we had no more trouble ; but 
 the next day we feared we should come, 
 among the wild ones, for these woods are 
 full of them. Of these we were as much 
 afraid as of the other ; for they would 
 have carried us back to the King, where 
 we should bo kept prisoners : but these we 
 feared would have shot us, not standing 
 to hear us plead for ourselves. And indeed 
 all along as we went, by the sides of the 
 river, till we came to the Malabar inhabit- 
 ants, had been the tents of wild men, 
 made only of boughs of trees. But, God be 
 praised, they were all gone, though but very 
 lately before we came : as we perceived 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 151 
 
 by the bones ou cattle, and shells of 
 fruit, which lay scattered about. We 
 supposed that want of water had driven 
 them out of the country down to the 
 river-side ; but, since it had rained a 
 shower or two, they were gone again. 
 Once, about noon, sitting down upon a 
 rock by the river-side, to take a pipe of 
 tobacco and rest ourselves, we had almost 
 been discovered by the women of these 
 wild people, coming down, as I suppose, 
 to wash themselves in the river : who 
 being many of them, came talking and 
 laughing together. At the first hearing of 
 the noise, being a good distance, we 
 marvelled what it was : sitting still and 
 listening, it came nexrer, a little above 
 where we sat ; and at last we could plainly 
 distinguish it to be the voices oi women 
 and children. Whereupon we thought it 
 no boot to sit longer, since we could escape 
 undiscovered, and so took up our bags, 
 and fled as fast as we could. 
 
 Thus we kept travelling every day from 
 morning till night, still along by the river- 
 side, which turned and winded very 
 
152 ( APTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 crooked. In some places it would be 
 pretty good travelling, and but few bushes 
 and thorns, and in others a great many : so 
 that our shoulders and arms were all of a 
 gore, being grievously torn and scratched; 
 for we had nothing on us but a clout 
 about our middles, and our victuals on our 
 shoulders, and in our hands a tallipjit and 
 an axe. 
 
 The lower we came down this river, the 
 less water, so that sometimes we could go a 
 mile or two upon the sand, and in some 
 places three or four rivers would all meet 
 together. When it happened so, and was 
 noon, the sun over our head, and the 
 water not running, we could not tell 
 which to follow, but were forced to stay 
 till the sun was fallen, thereby to judge of 
 our course . We often met with bears , hogs , 
 deer, and wild buffaloes, but aU ran so 
 soon as they saw us. But elephants we 
 met with no more than that I mentioned 
 before. The river is exceeding full of 
 alligators, all along as we went; the upper 
 part of it nothing but rocks. Here and 
 there, by the side of this river, is a world of 
 
OF CAPTAIN KXOX. 153 
 
 hewn stone pillars, standing upright, and 
 other heaps of hewn stones, which I sup- 
 pose formerly were buildings. And ia 
 three or four places are the ruins of bridges, 
 built of stone ; some remains of them yet 
 standing upon stone pillars. In many 
 places are points built out into the river, 
 like wharfs, all of hewn stone; which I 
 suppose have been built for kings 
 to sit upon for pleasure : for I cannot 
 think they ever were employed for 
 traffic by water; the liver being so full of 
 rocks that boats could never come up 
 into it. 
 
 The woods in all these northern parts 
 are short and shrubbed, and so they are 
 by the river-side, and the lower the worse; 
 and the grounds so also. 
 
 In the evenings we used to pitch our tent, 
 and make a great fire both before- and behind 
 us, that the wild beasts might have notice 
 where we lay ; and we used to hear the voices 
 of all corts of them ; but, thanks be to God, 
 none ever came near to hurt us. Yet we 
 were the more wary of them, because once 
 
154 CAPTIVITY AND E8CAPB 
 
 a~ tiger showed us a cheat : for having 
 bought a deer, and having nothing to salt 
 it up in, we packed it up in the hide there- 
 of, salted, and laid it under a bench in an 
 open house, on which I lay that night, 
 and Stephen lay just by it on the ground, 
 and some three people more lay then in 
 the same house ; and in the said house a 
 great fire, and another in the yard. Yet 
 a tiger came in the night, and carried deer 
 and hide and all away ; but we missing it, 
 concluded it was a thief : we called up the 
 people that lay by us, and told them what 
 had happened; who informed us, that it 
 was a tiger, and with a torch they went to 
 see which way he had gone, and presently 
 found some of it, which he let drop by the 
 way. When it was day we went further, 
 and picked up more which was scattered , 
 till we came to the hide itself, which 
 remained uneaten. 
 
 We had now travelled till Thursday 
 afternoon, when we crossed the river called 
 Coronda Oyah, which was then quite dry : 
 this parts the King's country from the 
 Malabars. We saw no sign of inhabitants 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 155 
 
 here. The woods began to be very very 
 full of thorns, and shrubby bushes with 
 clif ts and broken land ; so that we could 
 not possibly go in the woods; but now 
 the river grew better, being clear of rocks, 
 and dry, water only standing in holes : 
 so we marched along in the river upon the 
 sand. Hereabouts are far more elephants 
 than higher up ; by day we saw none, but 
 by night the river is full of them. 
 
 Friday, about nine or ten in the morn 
 ing, we came among the inhabitants : for 
 then we saw the footing of people on the 
 sand, and tame cattle with bells about 
 their necks. Yet we kept on our way 
 right down the river, knowing no other 
 course to take to shun the people. And 
 as we went still forwards we saw Coracan 
 corn sowed in the woods, but neither towns 
 nor people ; nor so much as the voice of man. 
 But yet we were somewhat dismayed, 
 knowing that we were now in a country in- 
 habited by Malabars. The Wanniounay , o 
 prince of this people, for fear, pays tribut ^ 
 to the Dutch, but stands far more affected 
 (^owards the King of Candy: which made 
 
156 CAPTIVIIT AND ESCAPE 
 
 our care the greater to keep ourselves out 
 of his hands ; fearing lest, if he did not 
 keep us himself, he might send us up to 
 our old master: so that great was our 
 terror again, lest, meeting with people, we 
 might be discovered. Yet there was no 
 means now left us how to avoid the 
 danger of being seen. The woods were 
 so bad, that we could not possibly travel 
 in them for thorns ; and to travel by 
 night was impossible, it being a dark 
 moon, and the river a-nights so full of 
 elephants and other wild beasts coming to 
 drink; as we did both hear and sea, lying 
 upon the banks with a fire by us. They 
 came in such numbers because there was 
 water for them no where else to be had, 
 the ponds and holes of water, nay the 
 river itself in many places, being dry. 
 
 There was therefore no other way to be 
 taken but to travel on in the river. So 
 down we went into the sand, and put on 
 as fast as we could set our legs to the 
 ground, seeing no people (nor I think 
 nobody us), only buffaloes in abundance 
 n the water. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 157 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 BeiTUf in the Malabar Territories, how they 
 encountered two Men, and what passed be- 
 tween them — And of their getting safe 
 unto the Dutch Fort — And their Reception 
 there, and at the Island Manaar, until 
 their embarking for Columbo. 
 
 HTHUS we went on till about three of the 
 clock afternoon : at which time, com- 
 ing about a point, we came up with twa 
 Bramins on a sudden, who were sitting 
 under a tree boiling riee. We were within 
 forty paces of them ; when they saw us they 
 were amazed at us, and as much afraid of 
 us as we were of them. Now we thought 
 it better policy to treat with them than 
 to flee from them ; fearing they might 
 have bows and arrows, whereas we were- 
 armed only with axes in our hands, and 
 knives by our sides; or else that they might 
 raise the country and pursue us. So we 
 made a stand; and, in the Chingulay 
 language, asked their leave to come near 
 to treat with them, but they did not 
 understand it: but, being risen up, spake 
 to us in the Malabar tongue, which w& 
 
158 cAPrn^TY and escape 
 
 •could not understand. Then, still standing 
 at a distance, we intimated our minds to 
 them by signs, beckoning with our hand ; 
 which they answered in the same language. 
 Then offering to go towards them, and 
 seeing them to be naked men and no 
 arms near them, we laid our axes upon 
 the ground with our bags, lest we might 
 scare them, if we had come up to them 
 with those weapons in our hands, and so 
 went towards them with only our knives 
 by our sides. By signs with our hands, 
 showing them our bloody backs, we made 
 them understand whence we came, and 
 whither we were going : which when they 
 perceived, they seemed to commiserate 
 our condition, and greatly to admire at 
 such a miracle which God had brought to 
 pass : and as they talked one to another, 
 they lifted up their hands and faces towards 
 heaven, often repeating Tombrane, which 
 is God in the Malabar tongue. 
 
 And by their signs we understood they 
 would have us bring our bags and axes 
 nearer; which we had no sooner done, 
 but they brought the rice and herbs, which 
 they had boiled for themselves, to us, and 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 159 
 
 bade us cat ; which we were not fitted to 
 do, having, not long before, eaten a hearty 
 dinner of better fare ; yet could not but 
 thankfully accept of their compassion and 
 kindness, and eat as much as we could ; 
 and in requital of their courtesy, we gave 
 them some of our tobacco : which, after 
 much entreating, they did receive, and it 
 pleased them exceedingly. 
 
 After these civilities passed on either 
 side, we began by signs to desire them to 
 go with us and show us the way to the 
 Dutch fort : which they were very unwilling 
 to do, saying, as by signs and some few 
 words which we could understand, that 
 our greatest danger v\ as past, and that by 
 night we might get into the Hollanders' 
 dominions. Yet we being weary with 
 our tedious journey, and desirous to 
 have a guide, showed them money to the 
 value of five shillings, being all I had ; and 
 offered it to them to go with us : which, 
 together with our great importunity, so 
 prevailed, that one of them took it ; and, 
 leaving his fellow to carry their baggage, 
 he went with us about one mile, and then 
 began to take his leave of us, and to 
 
160 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 return : which we supposed was to get 
 more from us. Having therefore no more- 
 money, we gave him a red Tunis cap and 
 a knife, for which he went a mile farther, 
 and then as before would leave us, signify- 
 ing to us, that we were out of danger, and 
 he could go no further. 
 
 Now we had no more left to give him, 
 but began to perceive, that what we had 
 parted withal to him was but flung away ; 
 and although we might have taken all 
 from him again, being alone in the wood, 
 yet we feared to do it, lest thereby we might 
 exasperate him, and so he might give notice 
 of us to the people, but bade him farewell, 
 after he had conducted us about four or 
 five miles. And we kept on our journey 
 down the river as before, until it wa& 
 night, and lodged upon a bank under a 
 tree ; but were in the way of the elephants ; 
 for in the night they came and had like 
 to have disturbed us, so that for our 
 preservation we were forced to fling fire- 
 brands at them to scare them away. 
 
 The next morning being Saturday, as 
 soon as it was light, having eaten to 
 
OP CAPTAIN- KNOX. 161 
 
 strengthen us, as horses do oats before 
 they travel, we set forth, going still 
 down the river : the sand was dry and 
 loose, and so very tedious to go upon : 
 by the side we could not go, being all 
 overgrown with bushes. The land here- 
 abouts was as smooth as a bowling-green, 
 but the grass clean burned up for want 
 of rain. 
 
 Having travelled about two hours, we 
 saw a man walking in the river before, 
 whom we would gladly have shunned, 
 but well could not, for he walked down 
 the river as we did, but at a very slow 
 rate, which much hindered us. But we 
 considering upon the distance we had 
 <3ome, since we left the Bramin, and 
 oomparing with what he told us, we con- 
 cluded we were in the Hollanders' jurisdic- 
 tion; and so amended our pace to 
 -overtake the man before us ; whom we 
 perceiving to be free from timorous- 
 ness at the sight of us, concluded he 
 had used to see white men. Whereupon 
 we asked him to whom he belonged. He, 
 speaking the Chingulay language, answered, 
 To the Dutch ; and also that all the country 
 
102 CA1»TIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 was under their command, and that we 
 were out of all danger, and that the fort of 
 Arrepa was but some six miles off : which 
 did not a little rejoice us. We told him 
 we were of that nation, and had made our 
 escape from Candy, where we had been 
 many years kept in captivity ; and having 
 nothing to give him ourselves, we told him,, 
 that it was not to be doubted, but the 
 chief commander at the fort would boun- 
 tifully reward him, if he would go with 
 us and direct us thither. But whether 
 he doubted of that or no, or whether he 
 expected something in hand, he excused 
 himself, pretending earnest and urgent 
 occasions that he could not defer ; but 
 advised us to leave the river, because it 
 winds so much about, and turn up with- 
 out fear to the towns, where the people 
 would direct us the way to the fort. 
 
 Upon his advice we struck up a path 
 that came down to the river, intending to 
 go to a town, but could find none ; and 
 there were so many cross paths that w& 
 could not tell which way to go; and the 
 land here so exceedingly low and levels 
 that we could see no other thing but trees. 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 168 
 
 .For although I got up a tree to look if 1 
 could see the Dutch fort, or discern any 
 houses, yet I could not ; and the sun being 
 right over our heads, neither could that 
 direct us : insomuch that we wished our- 
 selves again in our old friend the river^ 
 So after so much wandering up and down, 
 we sat down under a tree, waiting until 
 the sun was fallen, or some people came 
 by : which not long after three or four 
 Malabars did ; one of which could speak a 
 little Portuguese. We told these men we 
 were Hollanders, supposing they would be 
 the more willing to go with us, but they 
 proved of the same temper with the rest 
 before mentioned. For until I gave one 
 of them a small knife, to cut betel-nuts, 
 he would not go with us ; but for the lucre 
 of that he conducted us to a town. From 
 whence they sent a man with us to the next , 
 and so we were passed from town to town 
 until we arrived at the fort called Arrepa •. 
 it being about four of the clock on Saturday 
 afternoon, October the 18th, 1679. Which 
 day God grant us grace that we may never 
 forget, when he was pleased to give, us so 
 great a dehverance from such a long 
 
164 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 ■capt^^ivity, of nineteen years and six months 
 and odd days, being taken prisoner when I 
 was nineteen years old, and continued upon 
 the mountains, among the heathen, till I 
 attained to eight -and- thirty. 
 
 In this my flight through the woods, I 
 'Cannot but take notice with some wonder 
 and great thankfulness, that this travell- 
 ing by night in a desolate wilderness was 
 little or nothing dreadful to me, whereas 
 formerly the very thoughts of it would 
 seem to dread me ; and in the night when 
 I lay down to rest with wild beasts round 
 me, I slept as soundly and securely as ever I 
 did at home in my own house. Which 
 courage and peace I look upon to be the 
 immediate gift of God to me, upon ray 
 ■earnest prayers, which at that time he 
 poured into my heart in great measure 
 and fervency. After which I found myself 
 freed from those frights and fears which 
 'Usually possessed my heart at other times. 
 In short, I look upon the whole business as 
 a miraculous providence, and that the hand 
 of God did eminently appear to me, as it 
 <lid of old to his people Israel inthe like cir- 
 -cumstances, in leading and conducting me 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 165 
 
 through this dreadful wilderness, and not to 
 suffer any evil to approach nigh unto me. 
 
 The Hollanders much wondered at our 
 arrival, it being so strange that any should 
 escape from Candy ; and entertained us 
 very kindly that night : and the next 
 morning, hiing Sunday, sent a corporal 
 with us to Manaar, and a black man to 
 carry our few things . 
 
 At Manaar we were brought before the 
 captain of the castle, the chief governor 
 being absent. Who, when we came in, 
 was just risen from dinner : he received us 
 with a great deal of kindness, and bade 
 us sit down to eat. It seemed not a 
 little strange to us, who had dwelt 
 so long in straw cottages among the black 
 heathen, and used to sit down on the 
 ground and eat our meat on leaves, now to 
 sit on chairs, and eat out of China dishes at 
 a table : where were great varieties, and a 
 fair and sumptuous house, inhabited by 
 white and Christian people; we being 
 then in such habit and guise, our natural 
 colour excepted, that we seemed not fit 
 to eat with his servants, no nor his slaves, 
 
 St 
 
166 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 After dinner the captain inquired con- 
 cerning the affairs of the King and 
 country, and the condition of their am- 
 bassadors and people there : to all which we 
 gave them true and satisfactory answers. 
 Then he told us, that to-morrow there 
 was a sloop to sail to Jafnapatam, in 
 which he would send us to the commander 
 or governor, from whence we might have 
 passage to Fort St. George, or any other 
 place on that coast, according to our 
 desire. After this he gave us some 
 money, bidding us go to the castle, to 
 drink and be merry with our countrymen 
 there, i or all which kindness giving him 
 many thanks in the Portuguese language, 
 we took our leaves of him. 
 
 When we came to the court of guard 
 at the castle, we asked the soldiers if there 
 wore no Englishmen among them. Immed- 
 iately there came forth two men to us, the 
 one a Scotchman, named Andrew Brown, the 
 other an Irishman, whose name was, Francis 
 Hodges: who, after very kind salutes 
 carried us unto their lodgings in the castle, 
 and entertained us very nobly, accord- 
 ing to their ability, with rack and tobacco. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 167 
 
 The news of our arrival being spread in 
 the town, the people came flocking to see us, 
 a strange and wonderful sight ! and some to 
 inquire about their husbands, sons, and 
 relations, which were prisoners in Candy. 
 
 In the evening a gentleman of the town 
 sent to invite us to his house, where we were 
 gallantly entertained both with victuals 
 and lodging. 
 
 The next day being Monday, ready to 
 embark for Jafnapatam, came order from 
 the captain and council, that we must 
 stay until the commander of Jafnapatam, 
 who was daily expected, came thither. 
 Which we could not deny to do : and 
 order was given to the victuallers of the 
 soldiers to provide for us. The Scotch and 
 Irish man were very glad of this order, 
 that they might have our company longer ; 
 and would not suffer us to spend the 
 captain's benevolence in their company, 
 but spent freely upon us at their own 
 charges. Thanks be to God, we both 
 continued in health all the time of our 
 escape : but within three days after we 
 came to Manaar, my companion fell very 
 sick, that I thought I should have lost him. 
 
168 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 Thus we remained some ten days ; at 
 which time the expected commander 
 arrived, and was received with great 
 ceremonies of state. The next day we 
 went before him to receive his orders 
 concerning us ; which were, to be ready to 
 go with him on the morrow to Columbo, 
 there being a ship that had long waited in 
 that road^ to carry him : in which we 
 embarked with him for Columbo. At our 
 coming on board to go to sea, we could 
 not expect but to be sea-sick, being now 
 as fresh men, having so long disused the 
 sea; but it proved otherwise, and we were 
 not in the least stirred. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Their Arrival at Columbo, and Entertain- 
 ment there — Their Departure thence to 
 Batavia — And from thence to Bantam — 
 Whence they set sail for England. 
 
 O EING arrived safely at Columbo, before 
 
 the ship came to an anchor, their came 
 
 a barge on board to carry the commander 
 
 ashore. But being late in the evening, 
 
OP CAPTAIN KNOX. 169 
 
 and my consort sick of an ague and fever, 
 we thought it better for us to stay until 
 morning, to have a day before us. The 
 next morning we bid the skipper farewell, 
 and went ashore in the first boat, going 
 straight to the court of guard, where all the 
 soldiers came staring upon us, wondering 
 to see white men in Chingulay habit. We 
 asked them if there were no Englishmen 
 among them ; they told us there were none, 
 but that in the city there were several. A 
 trumpeter being hard by, who had for- 
 merly sailed in English ships, hearing of 
 us, came and invited us to his chamber, 
 and entertained my consort, being sick of 
 his ague, in his own bed. 
 
 This strange news, of our arrival from 
 Candy, was presently spread all about the 
 city, and all the Englishmen that were 
 there immedi^ately came to bid us welcome 
 out of our long captivity. With whom we 
 consulted how to come to speech of the 
 governor. Upon which one of them went 
 and acquainted the captain of the guard 
 of our being on shore : which the captain 
 understanding, went and informed the 
 governor thereof; who sent us answer, 
 that to-morrow we should come before him. 
 
170 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 After my consort's fit was over, our 
 countrymen and their friends invited us 
 abroad, to walk and see the city. We 
 being barefoot and in the Chingulay habit, 
 with great long beards, the people much 
 wondered at us, and came flocking to see 
 who and what we were ; so that we had a 
 great train of people about us as we 
 walked in the streets. After we had 
 walked to and fro, and had seen the city, 
 they carried us to their landlady's house, 
 where we were kindly treated both with 
 victuals and drink ; and returned to the 
 trumpeter's chamber, as he had desired 
 us, when we went out. In the evening 
 came a boy from the governor's house, 
 to tell us that the governor invited us to 
 come to supper at his house; but we 
 having dined late with our countrymen 
 and their friends, had no room to receive 
 the governor's kindness : and so lodged 
 that night at the trumpeter's. 
 
 The next morning the governor, whose 
 name was Ricklof Van Gons, son of Rick- 
 lof Van Gons, general of Batavia, sent for 
 us to his house : whom we found standing 
 in a large and stately room, paved with 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 171 
 
 black and white stones; and only tlie 
 commander, who brought us from Manaar, 
 standing by him : who was to succeed 
 him in the government of that place. On 
 the further side of the room stood three 
 of the chief captains, bare-headed. First, 
 he bid us welcome out of our long capti- 
 vity, and told us, that we were free men, 
 and that he should have been glad if he 
 could have been an instrument to redeem 
 us sooner, having endeavoured as much 
 for us as for his own people. For all which 
 we thanked him heartily, teUing him we 
 knew it to be true. 
 
 The governor perceiving I could speak 
 the Portuguese tongue, began to inquire 
 concerning the affairs of the King and 
 country very particularly, and oftentimes 
 asked about such matters as he himself 
 knew better than I. To all his questions 
 my too much experience enabled me to 
 give a satisfactory reply. Some of the 
 most remarkable matters he demanned of 
 me were these : 
 
 First, they inquired much about the 
 reason and intent of our coming to Cottiar. 
 
172 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPK 
 
 To which I answered them at large 
 Then they asked, If the King of Candy 
 had any issue ? I told them, As report 
 went, he had none. And, Who were the 
 greatest in the realm next to him ? I 
 answered, There were none of renown 
 left, the King had destroyed them all. 
 How the hearts of the people stood 
 affected? I answered. Much against their 
 King : he being so cruel. If we had never 
 been brought into his presence ? I told 
 them. No; nor had ever a near sight of 
 him. What strength he had for war ? I 
 answered. Not well able to assault them, 
 by reason the hearts of his people were 
 not true to him; but that the strength 
 of his country consisted in mountains and 
 woods, as much as in the people. 
 
 What army he could raise upon occasion? 
 I answered, I knew not well, but, as I 
 thought, about thirty thousand men. 
 
 Why he would not make peace with them, 
 they so much suing for it, and sending 
 presents to please him ? I answered, I 
 was not one of his council, and knew 
 not his meaning. 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 173 
 
 But they demanded of me, What 1 
 thought might be the reason or occasion 
 of it ? I answered, Living securely n the 
 mountains, he feareth none ; and for traffic 
 he regard eth it not. 
 
 Which way was best and most secure to 
 send spies or intelhgence to Candy ? I told 
 them, By the way that goeth to Jafniput- 
 tan, and by some of that country people, who 
 have great correspondence with the people 
 of Neurecalava, one of the King's countries. 
 
 What I thought would become of that 
 land after this King's decease ? I told 
 them, I thought, he having no issue, it 
 might fall into their hands. 
 
 How many Englishmen had served the 
 King, and what became of them ? which 
 I gave them an account of. 
 
 Whether I had any acquaintance or dis- 
 course with the great men at court ? j 
 answered, that 1 was too small to have any 
 friendship or intimacy, or hold discourse 
 with them. 
 
 How the common people used to talk 
 concerning them ? I answered. They used 
 
174 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 much to commend their justice and good 
 government in the territories and over the 
 people belonging unto them. 
 
 Whether the King did take counsel of 
 any, or rule and act only by his own will 
 and pleasure ? I answered, I was a stranger 
 at court, and how could I know that ? 
 
 But they asked further, What was my 
 opinion ? I replied, He is so great, that ^e*e 
 is none great enough to give him eotmsel. 
 
 Concerning the French, If the King knew 
 not of their coming before they came? I 
 answered, I thought not, because their 
 coming see ned stranga and wonderful unto 
 the people. 
 
 If I knew any way or means to be used 
 whereby the prisoners in Candy might be 
 set free ? I told them. Means I knew none, 
 unless they could do it by war. 
 
 Also, they inquired about the manner 
 of executing those whom the King com- 
 mands to be put to death. They inquired 
 also very curiously concerning the manner 
 of our surprisal, and entertainment or 
 usage among them ; and in what parts of 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 175 
 
 the land we had our residence : and par- 
 ticularly concerning myself ; in what parts 
 of the land, and how long in each I had 
 dwelt, and after what manner I lived 
 there, and of my age ; and in what part 
 or place, when God sends me home, 
 I should take up my abode. To all which 
 I gave answers. 
 
 They desired to know also, how many 
 Englishmen there were yet remaining 
 behind. I gave them an account of 
 sixteen men, and also of eighteen children 
 born there. They much inquired concern- 
 ing their ambassadors detained there, and 
 of their behaviour and manner of living; 
 also what the King allowed them for 
 maintenance ; and concerning several 
 officers of quality prisoners there, and in 
 general about all the rest of their nation. 
 And what countenance the King showed to 
 those Dutchmen that came running away 
 to liim ? I answered, The Dutch runaways 
 the King looks upon as rogues. And 
 concerning the Portuguese they inquired 
 also. I told them, The Portuguese were 
 about some fifty or threescore persons, and 
 six or seven of those Europe men born. 
 
176 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 They asked me moreover, How we had 
 made our escape, and which way, and 
 by what towns we passed, and how long 
 we were in our journey ? To all which 
 I answered at large. 
 
 Then the governor asked me, What 
 was my intent and desire ? I told him, 
 To have passage to our own nation at 
 Fort St. George. To which he answered, 
 That suddenly there would be no con- 
 venient opportunity ; but his desire was, 
 that we would go with him to Batavia, 
 where the general his father would be very 
 glr.d to see us. Which was not in our 
 pc wer to deny. Then he commanded to 
 ca i a Dutch captain, who was over the 
 countries adjacent, subject to their juris- 
 diction : to him he gave order to take us 
 home to his house, and there well to 
 entertain us, and also to send for a tailor 
 to make us clothes. Upon which I told 
 him, his kindness shown us already was 
 more than we could have desired; it 
 would be a sufficient favour now to supply 
 us with a little money upon a bill, to be 
 paid at Fort St. George, that we might 
 therewith clothe ourselves. To which he 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 177 
 
 answered, That he would not deny me any 
 sum I should demand, and clothe us upon 
 his own account besides. For which we 
 humbly thanked his Lordship : and so took 
 our leaves of him ; and went home with the 
 aforesaid captain. 
 
 The governor presently sent me money 
 by his steward, for expenses when we 
 walked abroad in the city. We were 
 nobly entertained, without lack of any 
 thing, all the time we stayed at Columbo. 
 My consort's ague increased," and grew 
 very bad; but the chief chirurgeon, by 
 order, daily came to see him, and gave 
 him such potions of physic, that by God's 
 blessing he soon after recovered. 
 
 During my being here, I writ a letter to 
 my fellow-prisoners I left behind me in 
 Candy: wherein I described at large the 
 way we went, so that they might plainly 
 understand the same : which I finding to 
 be safe and secure, advised them, when 
 God permitted, to steer the same course. 
 This letter I left with the new Governor, 
 and desired him, when opportunity pre- 
 sented, to send it to them: who said he 
 
178 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 would have it copied out into Dutch for 
 the benefit of their pris6ners there, and 
 promised to send both together. 
 
 The governor seemed to be pleased with 
 my aforesaid relations, and replies to his 
 demands, insomuch that he afterwards 
 a,ppointed one that well understood Portu - 
 guese to write down all the former 
 particulars. Which being done, for further 
 satisfaction they brought me pen and paper, 
 desirmg me to write the same that I had 
 related to them in English, and sign it with 
 my hand, which I was not unwilling to do. 
 
 Upon the governor's departure there 
 were great and royal feasts made : to 
 which he always sent for me. Here were 
 exceeding great varieties of food, wine, 
 and sweetmeats, and music. Some two- 
 and- twenty days after our arrival at 
 €olumbo, the governor went on board 
 «hip to sail to Batavia, and took us with 
 him. At which time there were many 
 scores of ordnance fired. We sailed all the 
 way with flag and pennant under it, 
 being out both day and night, in a ship 
 of about eight hundred tons burden; 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX. 179 
 
 and a soldier standing, armed, centinel 
 at the cabin-door, both night and day. 
 He so far favoured me, that I was 
 in his own mess, and ate at his table : 
 where every meal we had ten or twelve 
 dishes of meat, with variety of wine. We 
 set sail from Columbo the four-and- 
 twentieth of November, and the fifth of 
 January anchored in Bat a via road. 
 
 As we came to greater men, so we found 
 greater kindness ; for the General of 
 Batavia's reception of us, and favours to 
 us, exceeded (if possible) those of the 
 governor his son. As soon as we came 
 before him, seeming to be very glad, he 
 took me by the hand and bade us heartily 
 welcome, thanking God on our behalf, 
 that had appeared so miraculously in our 
 deliverance ; tilling us withal, that he had 
 omitted no means for our redemption, and 
 that if it had lain in his power, we should 
 long before have had our liberty. I 
 humbly thanked his Excellency, and said, 
 that I knew it to be true ; and that though 
 it missed of an effect, yet his good will was 
 not the less, neither were our obligations, 
 being ever bound to thank and pray for him. 
 
180 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE 
 
 Then his own tailor was ordered to take 
 measure of us, and furnish us with two suits 
 of apparel. He gave us also monies for to- 
 bacco and hotel, and to spend in the city. 
 All the time we stayed there, our quarters 
 were in the captain of the castle's house. 
 And oftentimes the general would send for 
 me to his own table, at which sat only him- 
 self and lady ; who was all bespangled with 
 diamonds and pearls. Sometimes his sons 
 and daughters-in-law, with some other 
 strangers, did eat with him ; the trumpet 
 sounding all the while. We finding our- 
 selves thus kindly entertained, and our 
 habits changed, saw, that we were no more 
 captives in Candy, nor yet prisoners 
 elsewhere; therefore cut off our beards 
 which we had brought with us out of our 
 captivity ; for until then we cut them not ; 
 God having rolled away the reproach of 
 Candy from us. 
 
 Here also they did examine me again 
 concerning the passages of Candy, causing 
 all to be writ down which I said and 
 requiring my hand to the same. Which 
 I refused, as I had done before, 
 and upon the same account, because 
 
OF CAPTAIN KNOX, 181 
 
 I understood not the Dutch language. 
 Whereupon they persuaded me to write a 
 certific£tte, upon another paper, under my 
 hand, that what I had informed them of 
 was true : which I did. This examination 
 was taken by two secretaries, who were 
 appointed to demand answers of nie 
 concerning the King of Ceylon and his 
 country : which they committed to writing 
 from my mouth. 
 
 The General's youngest son being to go 
 home admiral of the ships this year, the 
 General kindly offered us passage upon 
 their ships, promising me entertainment 
 at his son's own table, as the governor 
 to Columbo had given me in my voyage 
 hither. Which offer he made me, he said, 
 that I might better satisfy their Company 
 in Holland concerning the affairs of Ceylon, 
 which they would be very glad to know. 
 
 At this time came two English merchants 
 hither from Bantam, with whom the 
 General was pleased to permit us to go. 
 But when we came to Bantam, the English 
 agent very kindly entertained us, and 
 being not willing that we should go to 
 
182 CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPK 
 
 the Dutch tor passage,"^ since God had 
 brought us to our own nation, ordered 
 our passage in the good ship Csesar, lying 
 then in the Road, bound for England, the 
 land of our nativity, and our long-wished- 
 for port. Where, by the good providence 
 of God, we arrived safe in the month 
 of September, 
 
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