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 way they went.] We went down at the Hill Bocawl, where there was now no Watch, and but seldom any.  From thence down to the Town of Bonder Cooswat, where my Father dyed; 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 Neure Cawlava, and all the way thro a Wilderness called Parroah Mocolane, full of wild Elephants, Tigres and Bears.

[They design for Anarodgburro.] Now we set our design for Anarodgburro, which is the lowest place inhabited belonging to the King of Cande:  where there is a Watch alwayes kept:  and nearer than twelve or fourteen miles of this Town as yet we never had been.

[They turn out of the way to avoid the King’s Officers.] When we came into the midst of this Countrey, we heard that the Governor thereof had sent Officers from the Court to dispatch away the Kings 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 Westernmost Parts of Ecpoulpot, being a remote part of that Countrey wherein we now were.  And there we sate to knitting until we heard they were gone.  But this caused us to overshoot our time, the Moon spending so fast.  But as soon as we heard they were departed out of the Countrey, we went onwards of our Journey, having kept most of our Ware for a pretence to have an occasion to go further.  And having bought a good parcel of Cotton Tarn to knit Caps withal, the rest of our Ware we gave out, was to buy dryed flesh with, which only in those lower Parts is to be sold.

[Forced to pass thro the Chief Governours yard.] Our way now lay necessarily thro the chief Governors Yard at Colliwilla.  Who dwells there purposely to see and examine all that go and come.  This greatly distressed us.  First, because he was a 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 resolutely 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 shew such a behaviour, as if we had authority to travail where we would.

[The Method they used to prevent his suspicion of them.] So we went forward, and were forced to enquire 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 occasion required, knowing before, that we must pass by him.  And all along as we went, that we might be the less suspected, we sold Caps and other Ware, to be paid for at our return homewards.  There were many cross Paths

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