An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

[The Probable season of our Surprize.] I impute the main reason of our Surprize to our Neglect, viz. in not sending a Letter and Present to the King at our first coming.  Who looking upon himself as a great Monarch, as he is indeed, requires to be treated with sutable State.

[The number of those that were left on the Island.] Thus were Sixteen of us left to the mercy of those Barbarians, the Names of which are as follow.  The Captain, Mr. Joh.  Loveland, John Gregory, Charles Beard, Roger Gold, Stephen Rutland, Nicolas Mullins, Francis Crutch, John Berry, Ralph Knight, Peter Winn, William Hubbard, Arthur Emery, Richard Varnham, George Smith, and my Self.  Tho our hearts were very heavy, seeing our selves 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 Dissauva departs.] The Ship being gone, the King sent to call the Dissauva speedily to him, who upon this order immediately marched away with his Army, leaving us where we were.  But concerning us was no order at all.

CHAP.  II.

How we were carried up into the Countrey, and disposed of there, and of the sickness, sorrow and death of the Captain.

[They intend to attempt an Escape, but are prevented.] The Dissauva with his men being gone, the people of the Town were appointed to guard and secure us until further order.  But they carryed us some six miles higher into the Countrey, and would not yet adventure to bring the Long boats-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 could have catched her there.  This Vessel had some forty men belonging to her who were not made Prisoners as we were, but yet lay in the same Town:  with those we had concluded, that they would furnish us with Arms, and in the night altogether 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 lay at their mercy.

[Their condition commiserated by the People.] 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 Cande, and those of the low-lands where we now are placed, who are of a kinder nature by far than

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An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.