THE
LIFE and ADVENTURER
O F
JOHN CHRISTOPHER Mf^f^
LATE principal secretary of sSfX?£[jj
a t
JAFFANAP ATNAM, in CEYLON;
tocethir    with a
DESCRIPTION OF THAT ISLAND, ITS  NATURAL PRODUCTIONS,
and The
manners and customs of jts inhabitants.
Tranflated from the Original German.
To the Whole is added, a  short,  but comprehensive
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAME ISLAND, By Mr. Eschelskroon.
LONDON, irinied   for   g. g. j. and   J. robinson, in   P a t e r-n o s t £ r-r 0 w.
M DCC LXX XV.
PREFACE.
THE ifland of Ceylon feems likely, on many confiderations, to become an object of great confequence to this nation j yet we know little or nothing concerning it, more than what may bo collected from thehiftory of it written in the laft century by Captain Robert Knox, who was prifoner there nineteen years. The book was publimed by Dr, Richard
Hooke, and is now very fcarce. It gives an accurate defcription of the manners and cufloms of the inhabitants at that period; but with refpeet to the Dutch, who have been long the matters of it, is totally filent, Raynal's account is very erroneous in many particulars. The voluminous and coltly work of Valentyn is very fcarce, and is bendes written in the Dutch language. The public will there-* fore, it is prefumed, receive with pJea-fure the following account of the ifland, Written by a man, who a few years lince A 2 wai
[  " ]
was in a high department under the Dutch government there, being ftyled in \\\zNaa?nbookje van delloogc Indianfcbe Regeringe (lilt of theperfons coinpolVng the Dutch regency in the Eaft-Indies, made out in 1766), Eerfte gezivooren Clcrq van Politie en Jujlitit,   This account of his life and travels was pub-limed by the author in 1782, fbmc few years after his return, at which time he lived at Rocbel in Mecklenburgh. The author appears throughout the whole work in the character of a plain, but truly honcft man, defcribing what he has feen, without ornament, and indeed very often without due order or connection.   He is circumstantial, becaufe his chief aim feems to be, to tell the truth; and his ignorance of the art of writing, does not allow him to exprefs it othcrwifc.   He not only docs not fpare us the falutes of the fentinels, and his refufal of the governor's niece, both which his vanity might have fomc fharc
in
In prompting him to relate, bet ever? feems to think it his duty to give a faithful account of the drubbings he received from the governor, &c.
It was neceffary to lay thus much, by way of eftabliihing his character for veracity j as he has had occasion to make mention of feveral things which border on the marvellous, and probably will not eafily be believed by every one. Of this nature are fome circumftances he has related with regard to the elephant, and above all, the tail he has bellowed on the nrft king of the ifland; which, however, ferves in fome meafure to confirm the marvellous ftories told us to that purpofe by Linnaeus from Koeping, and quoted by lord Monboddo, in his Origin and Progrefs of Language, in order to countenance his ftrange theory of the origin of man, and his relation to apes and monkies.
Not being fkilled in natural hiftory, the author may confcquently be expected
to
to have been guilty of fome miftakes in defcribing that of the ifland. Whether, for example, the animals he calls bears and elks were really of the fame fpecies with thofe known by that name in Europe, may admit of fome doubt the latter being probably a fpecies of antelope, and perhaps the Antilope Qryx of Dr. Sparrman; at leaf! this, according to that learned naturalift, is the animal known to the Dutch at the Cape by the name of elk (Vid. Sparrman $ Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, &c.) His cu* rious and entertaining account of the rolleway, may ferve to correct an error into which the public have been led with refpect to the native place of this animal; that learned profeffor having been himfelf deceived by the perfon, who exhibited it as a mew in Holland, and who perhaps, bona fide, fuppofed it to be a native of Guinea. The reader will eafily fee the improbability, that not only the fame animal fhould be an
in*
inhabitant of two diftant quarters of the globe, but that likewife the fame name mould be given it by the natives of either country.
But above all, the author himfelf appears to be an object worthy of our curiofity. A man, who fetting out in the moft early part of life, with a folitary /hilling only in his pocket, and without either friends or education, raifed himfelf, by patience, induftry, and an inviolable attachment to truth and fecrecy, cannot be an uninftructive companion to our youth, and is a legitimate object of our curiofity at any age. In fhort, it is to be hoped, that the tedious dif-fufenefs, together with the want of method and ftyle, in fome meafure vifible in this work, will be thought fufficiently compenfated for by truth and accuracy of obfervation ; and that, contrary to the Roman poet's remark on the palace of the fun, " Materiam fuperabat opus" In this little work it will be found,
that
that " the manner is excelled by the matter."
As the author, willing to advance as little as polTible on any fubjecl:, to which he was not an eye-witncfs, has confined his remarks chiefly to the province of Jaffanapt;tnam, the place of his reiidence, the tranilator has endeavoured to fupply this deficiency, by inferting at the end of thefe fheets, a Defeription of the Ifland of Ceylon, written iaic year in the German language, by M. Efcbelfkroon; a gentleman who has lately vifited that quarter of the globe, and gained great applaufe from the learned on the continent, by the accurate accounts he has given of Sumatra. This of Ceylon feems to be in fome meafure an abridgement of the celebrated Valentyn% defcription of the ifland, but is enriched with many new and curious articles, fo as to form, with the preceding work, a tolerably Complete treatife on the fubject.
THE
mxt\ the LIFE and ADVENTURES
o f
JOHN CHRISTOPHER WOLF.
ON the fifteenth of Auguftj in the year of our Lord 1730, I came into the world. My extraction is from the lower clafs of trades-people; and my education was fuitable to it. My parents could not afford to let me learn to read and write with any tolerable degree of excellence; and as foon as I arrived at the age of ten years, 1 was B obliged
obliged to leave fchooh This period was the beginning of my misfortunes. I now had a ftep-father : this worthy perfonage did not find himfelf much difpofed to pay three-pence for me every Saturday to the fchool-mafter : but in-ftead of that, obliged me to work. I did every thing in my power on the occafion; I entreated, I cried, I begged hard to go to fchool one year longer, but all in vain. I got no other anfwer than a few clouts on the head, and a good cudgelling. All this I put up with; and indeed could do no other than put up with it: however, at times I flill continued petitioning, but it was all to no purpofe. I fretted and tormented my-felf night and day, without being able to hit on any fcheme that feemed likely to make for my advantage. I then attempted work above my lk.111 and abilities; but, as may be imagined, without fuccefs. I was now continually the I object
[   3 3
object of his fcorn and ridicule, and was honoured by him with opprobrious appellations of every kind : in fhort, my life was a burthen to me. I naturally fought for protection and affiftance from my mother; but, alas ! fhe was forbid tofpeak to me: and when it happened, as it often did, that fhe did fpeak to me, and my father knew of it, he fought to revenge hhnfelf on both of us. In fine, I was reduced to a Hate of abfolutc defpair. At length, a fancy (truck me, that I would make my complaints to God Almighty, and crave his affiftance; for at that time I had not fenfe enough to know, that the Almighty was acquainted with all my wants. For this purpofe I made choice of a garden, where there was an oven; this oven was my bed-chamber. At firft I could make nothing of it, being hardly able to make out a fingle fentence. In procefs of time, however, things went on better;
B 2 and
and at lafl I arrived at fuch a pitch of eloquence, that I was able to pour out my whole heart to the Almighty with tears and ^applications. This was my conftant practice, as often as I could find an opportunity. Having by this means eafed my mind, and found fome confolation, I got courage enough to afk my ftep-father, how long in reality I was to ferve him ? It was with great difficulty that he was perfuaded by my mother at length to fet a time, at the expiration of which I might go whither I would. When the term of my vaffaiage was at an end, I was about fourteen years of age; but when I was in the laft week of it, I was feized with a violent fit of illnefs, which kept me back a year longer, without, however, altering my refolution in the lean:. As foon as I was perfectly recovered, I prepared to depart — whither, I could not tell. All I knew of the matter was,
that
[   5 I
that I wanted to learn fomething ; this was my whole defire, aim and intention. Accordingly I got up early in the morning, and after having called upon God to guide my fteps, I was in fuch high fpirits, as to be enabled to take leave of my father-in-law with a cheerful countenance.   He gave me a fcornful look, accompanied with the following kind exprcffion :  *' Thou art half a fool already; and, I do not doubt, at the laft, wilt turn out a fool complete." This was all I could get from him 5 for he did not once wifh me luck on my journey.   I, on the other hand, thanked him for his care in my education, and afked his forgivenefs, if at any time I had acted contrary to my duty as a fon. The parting between me and my dear mother was very affecting : fhe wept inceflantly, thinking fhe mould never fee me more : fo that I was obliged my-felf, forrowful as I was, to be her com-B 3 forter,
forter. Before we parted, me owned to me, that my ftep-father had made her take an oath, not to give me any money for my journey. This news at firfb gave me great pain: however, I foon recovered myfelf fufhcient.ly to tell her, *' Never mind it, my dear mother, I have frill a rich father, who will provide for me -t" and other things to the ftme purpofe.
I now took my bundle, which confided of two fhirts, a pair of {lockings, a pair of coarfe linen breeches, and fix grofchen * in money ; fo that I had no great weight to carry. I travelled above five and forty miles in a ftraight line $ in the courfe of which journey, half my capital went for bread, which, with the pure water of the brook, was my only fuflenance.   I now began to con-
* One (hilling EngUfti, reckoning the grofchen at two-pence,
fider,
t  7 ]
fider, what I mould do when the othe* three grofchen were fpent. Thefe reflections excited in me no fmall degree of terror. For I was not willing to afk alms of any body, neither have I ever had any occafion fo to do, as the Almighty has always fent me relief in due feaibn. But a fteadfaft previous faith on this head belongs not to man; and in my particular cafe, was, I muft own, qualified with a great many doubts.
However, I refolved to make a trial at a place, where I arrived on Saturday evening. Accordingly I afked my poor landlord (for I could not afford to go to any decent inn) whether there was any opportunity of getting into a fchool in that place ; and found by his anfwer, that it was but a fhort time fince a houfe for the maintenance and education of orphans had been erected there, the director or overfeer of which was extremely good-natured and affable. Hear-B 4 ing
ing this, I took but a (hort time to con-fider of the matter ; but the following day, which was Sunday, paid my refpects to the gentleman, who received me very kindly.   On my difcovering my cir-cumftances to him, and afking his advice and affiftance, he bid me come to him again the next day.   I accordingly waited on him, when he reprefented to me in a lively manner the difficulties that would attend my ftudies j and, in ihortj endeavoured to diffuade me entirely from the undertaking.  Upon this I took my leave very forrowful and heavy-hearted -y  but having, during my ftay in the place, got acquainted with this gentleman's fervant, he invited me to go with him  into  his   mailer's garden. There were fome people at work upon it; and he aiked me, whether I had any inclination to do the fame.   I anfwered him in the affirmative, and immediately taking hold of a fpade, filled a wheelbarrow
t   9 ]
barrow full of earth, and drove off with it in an inllant.   When I had made three or four turns, thedirector coming thither, flood and looked at me; and after a little chat, ordered me to go with him into the houfe.   I appeared to pleafe him, and he was frill kinder than before. The day after I was told at my inn, where he had likewife made fome en^ quiries about me, that the director had accepted of me, and that I was to live in his houfe with his fervant.   How light was my heart, as I went from my inn I I fkipt and ran, as if I was going to take pofleffion of the world.   On my arrival the director gave me a book, and pointed out to me a paragraph, that I was to get by heart againil the next morning. A thoufand dollars would not have given me fo much pleafure at that time, as this book, and the leffon it contained. The day following, the director fet me at his own table, and promifed to take
care
r *o %
care of my fortune j at the fame time citing the example of the learned M. Rambach, who in the early part of life had been a carpenter; and concluded with thefe words, " Perhaps I mail employ you in my orphan-houfe, as foon as it is nniihed: fo that I fhall not beffin with teaching you the languages, but fhall do my beffc to initruct you in the Chriftian faith and the principles of morality; and at the fame time teach you to write a fine hand, and caft accompts. Among other things requifite in this undertaking, I {hall have need of a per-fon that can inftruct the lads in thefe particulars, and this is what I have thought of for you." In this kind manner was I provided for by this worthy man, who is now gone to receive his reward in heaven.
A year after this, he thought proper to get me appointed a ftudent at Berlin, that I might become (till more fit to
exercifc
( y 1
exercife the calling he intended me for* With this view he wrote to a gentleman there,  who fent word back, that he wifhed very much to fee me.   It was fome few weeks before it was convenient for me to fet out on my journey. I was equipped by my worthy director in a very handfome manner, and went by water, all the way on the river Spree. In the fpace of a week I arrived at Berlin, and prefented my letters whither they were addreffed.   The gentleman, who wanted to fee me, behaved in a very friendly manner, but lamented that I had not come a fortnight fooner, for the place he had defigned for me was now in the poffeffion of another : as, having received no anfwer to his laft letter, he had doubts with refpect to my coming.   So that I found I had undertaken this journey to no purpofe, and accordingly refolved to return by the iirffc opportunity.
In
4   12 f
In the mean while the man, aboard whofe veffel I had failed down the Spree, or rather I mould fay his wife, propofed to me to fpeak for me to the prorector of the grey cloijiers ; and I was foon after informed by thefe people, that I might wait on the proreclor in perfon. Accordingly I made my appearance before him, and having acquainted him with the particular lituation of my circum-ftances, was infcribed as a fcholar in the gymnafium, or academy, and put into the fifth clafs, I acquainted the director by the next poft with what I had done; and foon after received the following reply, tr that he was very forry he had let me go to Berlin ; that this courfe of going through the claffes of an academy, and learning the learned languages, was by no means proper for me, and was diametrically oppofite to his defigns ; and that I had done very ill in fetting about this matter without his
partici-
t   '3 1
participation, nay, againfl his inclination."   Towards the end of his letter, however, he feemed to give way a little, and only recommended to me to be wary and prudent in my conduct.   The pro-re&or, who fome time before had taken a fhepherd's boy under his care, and caufed him to make fuch progrefs in the fpace of four years as to obtain a batchefor's degree ;  this gentleman behaved to me in a very kind manner, and upon my (liewing him the letter I had received, gave me great encouragement to proceed : he likewife procured me the means of maintaining myfelf. He introduced me to the acquaintance and good graces of a certain baron, who gave me  a weekly allowance  for pocket-money :  belidcs this, he procured me a ilipend elfewhere, and gave me a place among the finging boys in the choir. In addition to all this, I had undertaken the inftrudlion of three children belonging
[  H ]
ing to a merchant. My pupils were perfectly fatisfied with my conduct towards them, and with my leffons. So that I lived a moil: happy life : but fome crofs accidents foon intervened.
A fcholar belonging to the Cologne academy there, with whom I was not in the leaft acquainted, one afternoon came into a hall, where I was with fome others, and fired off fome gunpowder. The rector thought to difcover the perpetrator of this action by my means ; but as I was in reality entirely unacquainted with him, and therefore could not name him, I not only came to be fufpected by the rector of difobedience, but got likewife (contradictory as it may feem) the hatred of my fchool-fellows, as a common tale-bearer, and one entirely devoted to the rector. One morning, as I was going along the Stralau-ftreet, a lad, of whofe perfon I thought I had fome little recollection, on a fudden
jumped
I is 1
jumped acrofs the way tome, and In an inn-ant drawing his fword, cried, " Stand ftill, you thief, this moment !  Stir not an inch for your life!"   I immediately recollected him to be the fame perfoti as had fired the gunpowder off in the hall • and in my fright, jumping on one fide, got to a latch door, where a man was leaning over.   The man directly opened the door for me, and afked me what was the matter? I anfwered him, « I knew no more than he: undoubtedly the lad was wrong in his head."   I always kept to this tale, and conftantly pretended as if I did not know the lad in the lean:.
My fchool-fellows were very much enraged again A: me. They faid I was a fectary and a foreigner, and was come to take the bread out of their mouths, with other reproaches of that kind. Thus circumftanced, I wrote to the very worthy and venerable M. Schubert, at
Zoffen,
Zonen, and to him, as a man of great knowledge and experience, I difclofed my religious tenets, &c. His anfwer might have ferved me for a rule of conduct through life. I* Providence, faid he, has a variety of ways : if a man go in any of thefe, no changes can hurt him, he is always in his proper element." In this letter a ducat was inclofed, without the leaft mention being made of it.
There now happened another affair to add to my perfections. A pious man of my acquaintance came to me one morning early, and begged me to go with him to his houfe. At nril I excufed myfelf to him on account of its interfering with the fchool-hours, which it would be the more unpardonable in me to mils, as I was on the foundation. As we went along, he told me his wife was ill, and was defirous of {peaking with ine. I wondered what fhe could want with me, which, indeed, he feemed as
ignorant
[ I? ]
ignorant of as I. At laft I arrived at the houfe, and entered the chamber of the fick woman, who was lying on a tent-bed. She defired her huiband to leave us alone; accordingly he pretended to go away, but ftaid in the room, without her feeing him, behind the bed. She now addreffed herfelf to me, begging my- affiftance; that fhe was a loft foul, damned to all eternity, &c. I, for my part, was fo much terrified, that I was not able to anfwer her a word : but looked at her hufband, who feemed al-moft diffolved in tears. Finding me filent, fhe began again entreating me to aflift her. I begged her to fend for a clergyman, or any one elfe capable of comforting and relieving her: for my part, I was but a poor ftudent, and had not yet been in the practice of admini-llering comfort to dying perfons. I could pray, however, furely: would I be fo kind as to pray by her." I told C her,
her, I thought it would be much better, were the to pray herfelf. tf Ah, replied ihe, Godwill not hear a wretched {inner." I now therefore began to comfort her with paffages out of the bible and other good books, concerning the love of God and of our Saviour to finners. At iirft I fpoke in fhort fentences only, and with frequent interruptions; but foon after went on with more courage, and with a good flow of exprefTion. At length me joined me, and out of the fulnefs of her heart, uttered with her lips the mofl affecting and comfortable texts and fentences out of the facred fcriptures; the hearing of which niled my heart with afecretjoy. She then called her for rowing hufband to her, and comforted him in the mofl affectionate and engaging manner. About half an hour after this me died. A fcene fuch as this, I had never in my life before been witnefs to.
Had
[   19 ]
Had I at that time been told, that 1 get into a fcrape in confequence of this event, I fliould certainly not have believed it.   For I had doubtlefs done no bad action; I was called upon quite unexpectedly, and had fpoke what my heart prompted me to fay j and as far as my flender (hare of learning would bear me out, without the leaft reward, or hopes of obtaining any.    How came I then to be blamed and get an evil name on this account? It was faid, that I had taken upon me the office of a clergyman ; that I had done things which it was not proper for a ffudent to undertake • and in fine, that I was totally unworthy of the favours that had been hitherto beftowed on me.   My comrades now exultingly cried, that it had long been obferved, that I was privately a fectary; that they had long known me for a methodifr,, an anabaptifl, &c. In the mean time I took every thing deeply C 2 to
[    & ]
to heart, and went no more to fchool. In fine, I could not recover this fliock, and pined away vilibly. I wandered about without knowing what I was doing, or whither I was going. The worthy prorector, who had been at fome pains to enquire concerning my conduct in this affair, through the channel of the woman's hufband, was extremely hurt on my account, and wifhed to give the mo ft favourable turn to every thing. He accordingly bid the widower tell me to go to him. This honed man, who blamed himfelf as being the occafion of my misfortunes, a circumftance I had never thought of laying to his charge, endeavoured all he could to perfuade me to go to the prorector. At length I went: and if ever in my life I law a friendly and companionate look, I faw it then on his countenance. He ad-dreffed me at fir ft with the mod: encouraging expreflions, and after testifying
his
his fiitisfacTion at what I had done, af-fured me, that the clergyman who had complained of me, had been put to fhame and difmiffed; that my patron, the baron, who had conceived a wrong opinion of me, had been fince fully convinced by him, that I was a true genuine Lutheran; that he had praifcd me publicly in the clafs that very day, and therefore expected to fee me'there again the day following. And
on the fubject of this laft article, I was forced to give him my hand, at parting, by way of promife. Nothing came of it however, for I ftaid away, and lived with the merchant, whofe childrens* education I fuperintended, till my departure for Hamburgh, which happened fome weeks after. Previous to this, I wrote to my old friend and benefactor the overfeer, to afk his advice concerning my affairs. In a very friendly reply, he advifed me to go to Magdeburgh, C 3 to
to the Abbe Steinmetz, who at that time lived there, and to whom he would give me a letter of recommendation.   I received the fame advice from M. Schubert, whom I mentioned before, and other worthy gentlemen.   But I could not eafily prevail on myfelf to take this flep: the flate of mind I was then in kept me back, and prefented a heap of difficulties to my imagination.    I could not make the leaft preparation for the journey : but grieved day and night, fo that I had hardly any fleep; and for fix nights fucceflively had a dream each night, attended with circumftances of a fimilar nature.   I dreamed that I flood on the more of a great fea, and threw out a hook with a defign to catch fifh. It was not long before I had a bite; and I had no fooner drawn up my fifli and "began to view it, than it was changed to a man before my face ; at the fight of which I was extremely pleafed, although
at
[   23 1
at the fame time much amazed. I laid, however, not the leaft ftrefs on this dream; and it was only by chance that I fpoke of it to a perfon, who immediately told me the fignification of it, which was, that I fliould foon go on a voyage, and by that means make my fortune.
At length the appointed day arrived ; I fet out on my journey in a waggon, and got fafe and found to Hamburgh. Here I was obliged to flay nine days, before I could get a veffel to carry me farther on my journey. A few hours only before my departure, a beggar-lad, about thirteen years old, came to me, faying, he was from Saxony ; that he had neither father nor mother, and did not know what to do to get his living. I took companion on him'; and after having clothed him from head to foot, made an agreement with the an after of C 4 the
the vefTel, and took him with me to Amfterdam.
This voyage took us up feven weeks, as at the beginning of it, by reafon of the wind being contrary, we were obliged to lay to on the Stohr * off Gluckfladt. At length, however, we came in fight of the great and far-famed city of Amfterdam, and foon after anchored before it. The captain going on Ihore took me with him and I gave my fervant, who, during the whole voyage had been very handy and ferviceable, fome of my effects to take care of till my return, when I intended to take him and them away together. In the mean time the captain took me to a good inn, where I made an agreement for board and lodging for myfelf and lad. But when I returned on board the ihip, I
* The Stohr is a river in Holflein, that falls into the Elbe a little below Gluckfladt.
found
found that my hopeful youth, to teftify his gratitude, had taken to his heels, and carried off with him part of my linen, a lofs which I felt very fenfibly,
I was now in Holland, and, indeed, in the very metropolis of it, I {laid here Jiowever full half a year; and in the mean time amufed myfelf with viewing the curiofities of the place, and made myfelf acquainted with the environs. At laft, my purfe decreasing daily, I was obliged to turn my thoughts towards getting a livelihood. I had many different projects in my head, one after another. At one time a merchant offered to make me his factor, if I would learn the Dutch language : but I had no great liking to that employ. At another time I took it into my head to go to Jerufalem; and a captain, who was bound for Smyrna, proffered to take me thither for nothing; but from this fcheme I was diffuaded by my hoft.
This
This kit perfon offered me money and entertainment as long as I mould want it, though I told him that he mud not expect any reimburfement from my friends and relations in Germany.
One day my landlord came home and wifhed me joy of fomewhat, that, in his opinion, would turn out one of the belt things that could happen to me. In fact,
he had fpoken of me to Admiral B--,
who had feemed pleafed with what he heard of ine, and had promifed to come thither the next morning on purpofe to fee me. For my part, I expected him with anxiety mingled with pleafure ; and the next day he made his appearance. His Item manner and harfh utterance infpired me with the greatefl awe. He informed himfelf concerning the place of my birth, my patronage, age, religion, and the views that had brought me to Amfterdam ; and finally afked me, whether I would undertake the office of chaplain
(Zieken*.
(Ziekentroofler) on board of his fhip ? As I had but a confufed idea of the duties of this office, I was told that they confifted in reading public prayers every night and morning, and on Sunday evening a fer-mon, or elfe to give a fhort exhortation in its (lead, and to inftrucf and comfort, on their death-beds, fuch of the fick as required it.   Upon this, without hefi-tation, I anfwered immediately in the affirmative.   The admiral then gave me his hand, faying, " you are now engaged with me, and I fhall take care to let you know the day you are to go on board." After this he made enquiry concerning fome particulars relative to Branden-burgh i telling me withal that he was born at Stetin, had come to Holland, while he was yet a boy, and there had taken to the fea, where he had made his fortune.   Here he broke off the con-vcrfation, as he had to go directly after this to the Haft-India Houfe.   My joy
on
r 28 ]
on this occafion was not to be defcribed, any more than the defire I felt to depart ; and my imagination was continually roving on the fea. But in the midft of all my rejoicings, there flill occurred a difagreeable reflexion ; and that was, how my landlord, who had taken care of me fo long and fo kindly, was to be paid? After puzzling my head about it for a long while to no purpofe, I put the queftion to himfelf. He an-fwcred me, laughing; '* What, Moffey! * are not you aware then that you have met with a crimp, and that our fine Admiral that has engaged you, is neither more nor lefs than a pirate." " A crimp! cried I, with a loud laugh, more like a confectioner I think; for
* The nickname of Moff, is given by the populace of Holland, to the Germans, that arrive there in fwarms every year, particularly from Lower Saxony, to go onboard the Dutch fhips, and to afiift them in getting in their harveft.
you
you have preferved this poor body of mine this many a day, and with it, I hope, my foul into the bargain. But, jefling apart, do, be fo kind as to inform me how I am to pay you for all your kindnefs" Well! replied he, fincc you are fo very importunate, know that your payment is to confift in this. If you fliould live to return fortunate and rich, as I fincerely hope you will, then you (hall pay me in hard coin : but if you fliould chance to die abroad, why then, you know, death pays all." At the fame time he clapped a few gilders into my hand with thefe words; " There are a few gilders for you ; when you get to Africa, you may drink my wife's and my health with them. Now my dear Moffey, what fay you ? are you content ? do you like the bargain ?" I Hood and flared at the man and his wife, flruck quite dumb with aftonifhmcnt:
nor
t   SO )
nor could I find a fingle word to thank them on the occafion.
The evening before my departure, my landlord fiiewed me a chert, in which he had packed up every thing that I was to take with me; and giving me the key to it, faid, " See here, my young adventurer, here in this little box, is contained your whole eflate, real and perfo-nal, being every thing you have to take with you from Europe. It does notfignify overhauling the contents now: you will fee them faft enough by and by, when you will have more time to rummage it. I only wifh you may bring it back from the Indies filled with better fluff than it is at prefent."
The next morning I went on board the Hoop that was to take the reft of the crew, together with the lading, to the Admiral's fhip. As foon as all were on board we fet fail for the Texel, where
we
we found the Admiral's (hip, with feven others, that were fitted out for the fame voyage. When we had weighed anchor and got out to fea, I had leifure to review the contents of my cheft: I accordingly unpacked it, being very defirous of feeing what my worthy hoft at Amfterdam had put up in it for me j and was afto-nifhcd to find, not only neceffaries of every kind, but even feveral articles which, to a man in my fituation, might be deemed fuperfluous; but which he had taken care to provide, as tokens of his friendfhip. This cheft I have always preferved with as great care as a good catholic would the relicks of his faint, and twenty years after brought it back fafe to Amfterdam. There I was in hopes to have produced it to my worthy benefactor, and at the fame time to have prefented him with fome of the contents: but heaven had ordered it, that i juft
r 3* ]
juft before my arrival, he had changed this life for a better.
For fome days, at fir ft, we had tolerable wind and weather; but this latter foon changed and grew boifterous, and, indeed, was fo tempeftuous, that for fourteen days together we faw neither fun, moon, nor ftars. We were not able to keep a fire in the kitchen day nor night, fo that we could not get our pro-vifions boiled, or even warmed, by which means a great part of the crew fell fick. At laft we found ourfelves a fecond time near the entrance of the Texel. In this fituation we fired a few guns, on which a pilot came out to us, in order to take us again into the harbour. But there was now no occafion for him, the wind coming round, and the weather clearing up. However, we made no great progrefs on our voyage, for we found the North Sea very
i unpro-
t   33 1
unpropitious to us; it was in a continual rage or foam, fo that we were not a little afraid of running foul of the banks on the Flemifh coaft, which lay directly before us, and through which we were obliged to fail through a very narrow pafs. To our great misfortune, what we fo much dreaded came to pafs; and ere we were aware of it, we fluck fait on one of the above-mentioned banks* On this occafion the Admiral, officers, and the mofl expert failors, appeared as if they were thunderftruck. They feemed to have neither eyes, hands, nor underflanding; a deep and univerfal filence prevailed; in Short, the utmoff, defpair feemed to have taken pofTeflion of the minds of the whole crew. The good Admiral ran to his cabin, and falling on his knees wrung his hands, at the fame time calling to God to help him. By good luck, however, foon afterwards the wind veered about, and D carried
carried our veffel off from the bank again. As foon as we found that fhe was afloat again, we tried the pumps, and fearched every part of the veffel to fee if (lie had got any damage. Happily all was fafe and found. For this great and miraculous prefervation, we returned public thanks to the Almighty, on which occafion I likewife preached a fuitablc difcourfe.
Our worthy Admiral had no fooner come out of the cabin, than we perceived a confiderable change in his countenance. The anxiety of his mind had given it a deadly caff, j his features had loft all animation, and his whole appearance portended a dreadful and fpeedy alteration. In lliort, from that day forward, he never looked up, but pined away and wafted daily. When his end approached, he fent for me, and after having un-burthened his confeience to me, arid received what fpiritual comfort I was able
to
I   35 ]
to impart to him, he prcffed my hand", and faid, in the kindeft manner, that he would provide for me flill farther ; that he had fome friends in Batavia, to whom he would recommend me; that he would give orders for me to change my fhip at the Cape, and be put on board Captain Eiken's veffel. I thanked him for his kind care of me, but wifhed that I might have the happinefs to live a long
while yet under his aufpices. " No, replied he, my good friend! It is now too late to nourifh fuch hopes as thefe. Death has already laid his cold hand upon me. Call in the Captain, I have fome-thing to fay to him." When the Captain came, after tranfacting fome necef-fary bufinefs, he defired him to deliver fome letters to feveral of his acquaintance in Batavia j the contents of which were, to recommend me to them in the ftrongefr. terms. He concluded with requeuing him to put me on board Cap-D 2 tain
tain Eiken's fhip as foon as he mould arrive at the Cape. For, continued he, I would not, by any means, wilh him to go with you to Ceylon. The Captain promifed punctually to obey his orders. The next day the Admiral died. His lofs was universally lamented.
For my part, I was almoft inconfol-able. He had ever treated me with fuch kind partiality, as to make every body on board fufpecf that I was at lean: a relation of his, if not his natural fon. This was put to me very clofe, foon afterwards, by the Captain; but when I affured him that I did not, in any fliape whatever, belong to the late Admiral's family, that I was born in Mecklenburg, of ordinary though honeft parents, and that it was God alone that had inclined the Admiral's heart towards me: he replied, this is fomewhat extraordinary; I do not know what to think of it. I have given my hand to the Admiral upon it, that I
would
t  37 I
would put you aboard Captain Eiken's fhip at the Cape: but I'll tell you what I intend to do, if you approve of it: I will do more for you than even our de-ceafed friend did. If you chufe it, you mall fit here, everyday, in my cabin, at the fame table with the perfon that keeps my log-book. He is a native of Holland; and you may practife fpeak-ing the Dutch language, which may probably hereafter be of ufe to you. At the fame time you may learn the art of navigation, and that I will undertake to teach you myfelf. What fay you?" I anfwered him; " Sir, it is your's to command : it (hall always be my pride to obey you: I perceive, with joy and gratitude, that the lofs I have fuftained in the death of my late benefactor is already repaired." He immediately gave orders to his fervant to ferve me daily with provifions from his own ftore. The very next day I fet about learning D 3 Dutch,
Dutch, in which the Secretary aflifted me as much as lay in his power. At noon, when the altitude was taken, the longitude and latitude obferved, and the rout of the fhip laid down on the chart, I was always a fpedtator. In procefs of time I had likewife an aftrolobe given me, and was fhewn how to take an altitude. This I practifed daily, an occupation that by no means interfered with the exercifes of my function. For on Fridays and Saturdays I kept myfelf dif-engaged from every other employment, and compiled a difcourfe for the following Sunday, from jf. Axcnds, and other books of that kind,
The weather being almofr. continually fine and moderately warm, the commandant or captain of the marines ordered the fire-arms to be brought out and cleaned, and the foldiers to perform their exercife. This order was obeyed with the greated alacrity and cheerful-
nefs j
t   39 ]
nefs; for there were no blows given nor received on the occafion. They "fed likewife topraclife fham fights and other military manoeuvres. About three or four days from the commencement of thefe feigned attacks, having fpied at noon a veffel of a confiderable fize, we hoilfed our flag, and fired a gun; and looking at her through the glafs, we obferved that fhe was Turkifh. The Muffulman was fo fullen, as neither to
difplay his flag, nor anfwer our falute. We then fired a ball on one fide of them, but to no manner of purpofe. The third time we took aim at the top of their mainmaft; and with fuch fuccefs, as to break it in two. It was extremely aftonifhing to me, to fee how foon every thing was got ready for the engagement. The papers that were of confequence, were given me in charge, together with a little cafket, to which was fattened an iron weight, that in cafe of our being D 4 defeated,
defeated, I might without delay throw it into the tea. But things did not come to this extremity, as the wind foon carried us out of fight of the Turks, who feemed in no hurry to follow us, and fet us a wondering, what could have been the meaning of their conduct. 'In the fpace of about three hours, however, we came out of this reverie, in conference of feeing her companion, that was failing after her. Had they both been together at firfl, we mould undoubtedly have found very hot work with them.
Five days after, we had a different kind of antagonift to cope with, again ft whom neither weapons nor fire-arms were of any avail. In fhort, we were overtaken by a ftorm, which came on about three o'clock in the afternoon. Happily we had had time to take in all our fails, excepting one fmall one; as we faw our enemy approaching in the
fhape
I 4* ]
mape of a dark thick fog, that took up the whole circle of our horizon. Juft after we had got prepared for its reception, it poured on us all on a fudden, as if it had been fhaken in a moment out of a fack.   The onfet was dreadful, nor was its progrefs lefs terrible.  As quick as thought, we lamed down the helm, and lay to under one of our courfes, giving ourfelves up entirely to the mercy of the winds and the waves.   Our fears had driven moft of us to the bottom of the hold, where we lay all in a lump, like a heap of maggots, that intertwining one with the other, compofed an irregular mafs, not indeed abfolutely without motion, but entirely without any order or diftincftion.   The captain wound up the whole, by calling out through a fpeaking trumpet,   " Let every man pray to God in his own way." This was, as it were, a clap of thunder in the ears of all that heard it, and bereft us
at
t 4* 1
st once of the power of fpeech as well as of underftanding. J, for my part, had thrown myfelf on my knees in my chamber, with my hands clafped together, without either praying or calling to any one. In this poflurc I muft have remained above an hour. By degrees, however, I came, to my fpnfes again ; and the fir ft fenfation I had, was that of being .ftill alive ; prefently I began to think farther, and found my ideas and imagination return to me; and now, for the fir ft time, I was able, to pray. In confequence of having thus prayed, I prefently loft all fear, and grew brifk and chearful, hope now fucceeding to de-fpair j and was withal fo courageous, as to venture to crawl over the foldiers, who were ftill all in a heap and panic-itruck, to my friend the commandant, whofe chamber was near mine. With great pains and difficulty (for there was no fuch thing even as ftanding) I got
at
[   43 1
at him, and found him ftill in a fwoon. I took him by the moulders, and Ihook him with all my might and main; at the fame time calling out, " Hear me, my worthy friend ! The Lord Jehovah of a truth liveth, and our Prophet fleepeth not; take courage, my good friend, as I have done -y for I have been dead, and am come to life again." At length he revived, and by degrees recovered his fpeech. We had not, however, been long together, before it began to thunder and rain moft terribly. " Now, cried I, clapping my hands, the day is our own ! " In effect, the wind fell, and the fea became more calm; fo that" within an hour, we had unlafhed our rudder, had unfurled fome of the fails, and by break of day, were able to keep our courfe.
This fright was followed by an uni-verfal difpolition to mirth and jollity : for we had a fair wind with a clear fky,
and
and as fine weather as we could wifh for in our circumfiances. The foldiers began to grow quite hearty and full of fpirit, and the fick were much better. Some played on mufical inflruments, while others danced; and at laft, they even took it into their heads to act a comedy, in which the parts of the Doctor and Hans Wurft were performed by a Saxon, who had formerly played Harlequin in his own country, and had brought his coat and his whole gear along with him. He was a fine laughable fellow, full of tricks and fun, and in fhort, no contemptible Harlequin. He had juft finifhed his nrfl performance, and was making a few leaps round about the fides of the fhip, by way of con-clufion, when he unfortunately leaped on one fide, and fell into the fea; and though we looked after him with the greatell care and anxiety, never was feen again.   Thus clofed our comedy in a
truly
truly tragical manner : at the fame time the captain gave orders, that no fuch nonfenilcal fports mould be carried on for the future.
Soon after this, we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. The foldicrs were almoft out of their wits for joy, and talked of nothing but Cape wine from the time we defcried land.    The failors, who from having made the voyage before, were more in the fecret, and knew that no foldier is ever allowed to go on more there, on hearing this joyful difcourfe, carried on the joke, and begged their freih-water brethren not to forget to treat their companions in  the voyage with a bottle of the beff, wine at the tavern, as foon as they mould get on more.   The next day we got into the harbour, and immediately calf anchor ; during which we fired eleven guns, which were directly anfwered by the fort with nine. In the mean time the foldiers
prepared.
t  46 J
prepared to go into the town, having drcfTed themfelves in their heft clothes, and put up in their handkerchiefs a few pounds of tobacco, fome fmall looking-glalfes, their tobacco-boxes, with flint, fleel and tinder, and every thing elfe that remained to them iince their departure from St. Jago, where we had flopped to bury the admiral. Mofl of thefe precious articles were intended to be exchanged for this fame bewitching Cape wine. Thus they flood all prepared, fome of them every now and then flealing up on the deck, to afk how long it would be before we mould land; all of them to a man having turned merchants: for there was not a foul there, that had not fomething to fell, were it only pins and needles. But before they could well look about them, they were fummoned by the bell upon deck, as the com-miflioncrs of the regency were jufl come to mufler the people on board, according
to
to cuftom. When the mufter was over, the foldiers, who had tricked themfelves out fo nicely, were told, that they mufl flay on board, and, on penalty of death, not dare on any occafion whatever to go on fhore. This, it is true, was a hard rub : but foon after, fome of the Cape traders, who are very well acquainted with the trim of thefe poor fellows, found their way on hoard, not only with
wine, but with every thing elfe that was tempting either to the eye or the belly : and fo they went to it pell-mell, and continued buying and bartering, till there was hardly a man among them all left with buckles in his (hoes. The commifhoners having fmifhed their •bufinefs, returned, and the captain went with them, leaving mc in the fliip ; at the fame time telling me, that I mould hear from him foon, and defiring me in the mean while to take care of myfdf, and want for nothing.   I had now
nothing
nothing to do but to amufe myfelf; for the fick were taken on more, and there were no prayers read.
I had been informed, that Captain Eiken's fhip, the Love, the veffel that was to take me to Batavia by the defire of the late admiral, was already arrived in the harbour. I cannot fay that I had any great inclination to go with it: for I was now quite ufed to the fhip I was in, my bufinefs was eafy to me, and I was treated with peculiar kindnefs. Befides, I thought I fliould not in that cafe be able to make any farther progrcfs in learning Dutch and navigation: add to all this, that Batavia was defcribed to me as a very unhealthy place; the fecre-tary, who was my informer in this point, calling it " the burial-place of the Europeans." However, I did not puzzle my brains much about it, but left every thing to Providence. The morning after I had taken this refolution, the fecond
mate
mate of the (hip came on board, and told me the captain wanted to fpeak with me. Accordingly I got into the boat with him, when he whifpered me in the ear, that our captain, to the great aftonifh-ment of every one, was chofen admiral in the room of my deceafed friend, and that I might fafely congratulate him upon it. As foon as I got out of the boat, I haftened to pay my compliments to the new admiral, who had apartments at the judge advocate's. He came a few fteps acrofs the hall to meet me, and received my congratulations with the grcateft pleafure in his countenance; at the fame time making me a prefent of ten Spanifh wafts, which came very opportunely, as I had had no more than two gilders from my kind hoft of Amfterdam. When I was preparing to take my leave, the admiral addreffed me with, " A-propos, my dear Wolf, what do you think of your intended trip to Batavia r E Mr,
[   SO ]
Mr. Eiken, who is to take you thither, is here, and I fpoke with him about it yefterday ; he is very willing to take you aboard his fhip, and I am to the full as willing to keep you in mine. What do you think to do in this cafe?" This was fufficient to make me come to a refolution immediately : in confequence of which I replied, " I muff have loft all fenfe of gratitude to my worthy admiral, for the affection and favour he has fhewn me, were I to think of doing any other than what he wifhed and commanded." Upon this he gave me his hand, faying, *c Be it fo ! You fhall have every thing on board of my fhip the fame as I have myfelf." I made my obeifance with my humble thanks, and went my way.
I fhall not trouble my reader with a defcription of the Cape and its inhabitants, the Hottentots; and therefore fhall only obferve, that we took our
leave
t  5i J
leave by firing nine guns, which were anfwered with the fame number from the fort. At firft fetting off, we had remarkably fine weather, and the wind was fo much in our favour, that we made almoft eight hundred leagues in the fpace of fix days ; and had this lafled a little while longer, we fliould have reached Ceylon in a very fhort time. But fuch good luck did not fall to our lot. We were overtaken by a violent tempeft, that carried us very far wide of the place of our deftination; as the better to weather the florm, we were obliged to abandon the helm, and leave the fhip to the mercy of the winds and waves. And when afterwards, we endeavoured to fteer into the right courfe pointed out by the compafs, we obferved, that we had got above a hundred miles too high. Befides, notwithstanding all the pains we took, we found it at firft im-poflible to get into the right courfe; as E 2 we
we had to encounter not only with adverfe winds, but likewife with a flrong current, by which means we went back more than we advanced. Thunder, lightning, low winds and rain, made the weather unpleafant and troublefome, and indeed quite infupportable to the foldiery, who were thinly clad, and who felt an uncommon degree of cold that penetrated to their very bones. In order to remedy this, fome bales of cloth, that had been provided by the Eafl-India Company for the purpofe, were brought out, and diftributed among them -f not gratis indeed, for they were put down feparately to each man's account. At length we were refrefhed with a clear Iky, favourable winds, and fine weather. On a fudden we faw a water-fpout in the clouds, which we were prepared to fire at with a cannon-ball, in cafe fhe came too near our fhip. It was produced in an inftant from the clouds, in 6 the
the Form of a column, which defcended as quick as thought into the water. Ori the other hand, a violent motion was obferved in the fea, and a large quantity of Water was drawn up, and carried into the cloud. Upon this, the cloud changed its colour inftantaneouily, turning quite black, and drawing its column after it: and foon after this, it was dif-folved into rain. This rain we received in veffels, and obferved that it had a fulphureous fmell -3 on which account, orders were immediately given, that nobody mould drink of it.
Some time after this, we came in fight of the coafl of Madura. The next day about noon, a kattemaran* came from the commandant of Ponnokail-f-, defiring
* A kind of boat, made of logs and trunks of trees lafhed together, on which the Indians often venture to confiderable diftances out in the fea.
f Ponnokail is a factory on this coaft belonging to the Dutch.
E 3 to
to know the (hip's name, with that of the commander, and other particulars. Towards evening we arrived at the port of the chief factory Tutukoryn, where we anchored. From this harbour it was flill fix and thirty miles to Ceylon,or more properly to the port of Colombo*, whither our (hip was bound -y but which, in confequence of its being becalmed, could not be got thither under fome weeks.
The next day I read evening prayers for the laft time to my congregation, and concluded them with a fermon. When divine worfhip was over, the admiral took me into his cabin, and fpoke to me as follows: ** I have heard your farewel fermon with attention, and I mull: give you my teftimony, that you have truly and duly difcharged the
* Colombo is the principal place belonging to the Dutch in Ceylon, and is the refidencc of the governor of the ifland,
duties
f  55 I
duties of your calling. I will now dif-clofe to you my intentions with refpect to you. I will folicit the governor and council of Ceylon, to allow me a third mate on board my fhip, and then I will appoint you to the place; and by this means, I am in hopes of getting you on hoard of my fhip again. If this fcheme fhould take, you fhall then fee, that I fhall fpare no pains to aflifl you ftill farther in the advancement of your fortune. What fay you to this ?" I replied, u that I had no will but his:" at the fame time making the beft acknowledgments I was capable of, for thefe frefli tokens of his friendfhip. Taking me by the hand, he continued : ** I intend writing this very day to the governor in your behalf; for you will foon be fetched away, with the remainder of thofe who are to ftay on the ifland, as you ftand infcribed on the mufter-roll among thofe who are at the difpofition E 4 or
[   56 ]
' * ' . ■ '
of the governor and council : but this does not fignify a draw. If the governor fliould think proper to employ you in any thing, be quiet and obey him -t for as foon as I mull have fpoken to him, all will be right, and we iliall have you on board again/' Having afked the admiral, whether there were any infr.ru-mcnts of navigation to be had in Ceylon, he anfvvered me, that I mieht make ufe of his j and, as he had duplicates of them, he would make me a prefent of fuch as were neceflary for me.
A few days after this, there came two floops from Colombo, and demanded all our crew, except fifty failors, who were to flay with the fhip, in order to take her into the harbour of Colombo ■ and by this opportunity I was alfo to depart. If I might have had my will, I had much rather have remained on board with the admiral. At taking leave of him, I was very much affected; and
were
t   57 }
were I to fay, that he embraced me in his cabin, and wept at parting, I fliould fay nothing more than what was true. *' By the bleffing of God we fhall fee each other again," were his laft words. The letter of recommendation, which Was drawn up not without art, he did not give into my care, but into that of the officer who commanded the foldiers, in company with whom I went on board the floop, and immediately fet fail.
In this veffel we were obliged to remain all night. At day-break, we had the fatisfaction of feeing the fort of Colombo, from whence we were about a mile diflant, but did not arrive there in lefs than three hours. At length, however, we got to the harbour, which is not the befl anchorage for mips, as in florms and high winds there is always danger of driving on the fhore •> a cir-cumftance that has already occafioned the deflrudfion of many a fine veffel.
We
t 58 }
We had not been long at anchor, ere two flat-bottomed boats came to the floop, in order to take the men with their boxes and chefls aihorc. While every one was looking after his baggage, and I confequently had to take care of mine, one of our foldiers came to me, and told me, that my chefl was opened, and empty. I ran to it in a fright, and found it but too true. If ever I was affected by the lofs of a few trifling poffeffions, it was now. I was {truck dumb, and could not fpeak one word ; and had not my friend the captain, and all the foldiers near me, began to administer comfort to me, mould have remained longer in this fituation. I muft fay, that I did not know of one among them, that did not love and refpecl me j for which reafon, I could not poflibly fufpect any one of them. One of the failors belonging to the floop muft confequently have been the thief; and had the time
per-
permitted, my trufty foldiers would have certainly found him out, if he had been above ground, and in all probability would not have treated him with the utmoft gentlenefs. The rogues had left me nothing but my books, and what lay in my fmall trunk along with my ten Spanifh matts. Among the former was Wudriaris School of the Crofs, which I immediately laid hold on, faying, " My dear Wudrian, thou fhalt be my comforter.'1 This accident engroffed the converfation, till we landed on the ifland of Ceylon.
The foldiers immediately went towards the guard, which was entirely formed of recruits, and where they were to remain three days, and then to be relieved by another party. At laft I took the refolution of dealing foftly after them. As I went, or rathdr (from being fo long confined to the {hip) waddled along, I was accofted by a black man, drefied in
the
r 60 j
the Dutch fafhion, who afked me in Dutch, whether I was the domine (or chaplain) of the fhip ? and whether I had brought any letters out from my native country, at the fame time requeft-ing the favour of niy company at his houfe to fmoak a pipe with him ? This invitation I made no fcruple to accept. His wife was white, and fpoke nothing hut Portuguefe. The man was a painter by profeffion, and fhe wed me feveral pieces, which in my opinion were by no means contemptible. Though he had never been in Europe, yet he had acquired no inconfiderable portion of knowledge by reading the beft authors. He was very defirous to know my fitua-tion and circumftances; and I told him as much of them, as I thought it was proper for him to know. He feemed to have no doubt, but that I fhould make my fortune; and expreffed much forrow at not being able to lodge me at his own
houfe,
houfe, but would recommend me to a good lodging elfewhere. And this he actually performed, entirely to my fatif-faction; taking me to a certain poil-mafter's, who received me in a very friendly manner. This man was obliged every evening to lay before the governor an account of every thing that happened during the day, within the fphere of his employ. He confequently, the very firfl ■ night, reported that I was come to his houfe. The next day the governor defired to fee me: accordingly I appeared before him. After putting feveral queftions to me, he delired to fee my hand-writing; accordingly I wrote a few lines in German and Dutch. With this he appeared perfectly fatisfied, and afked me farther, how old I was, and whether I chofe to go to the kingdom of Jaffanapatnam. I told him, I was nineteen years of age, and was willing to go whitherfoever he pleafed to fend me.   On this he ordered
me
C   62 ]
me to make my appearance at his palace every day, and to avoid bad company; at the fame time promifing me, that if I conducted myfelf properly, and was diligent in improving myfelf in my ftudies, he would make my fortune. When I got home, I afked my landlord, the poft-mafter, how far the place of my deftination was from Colombo ? He replied, about a hundred miles j adding, that it was a very unhealthy fituation for Europeans, and in that point not much fuperior to Batavia. This anfwer put me into a terrible fright5 I rang my hands, and cried, " Good heavens! what a ffep have I taken ! What have I pro-mifed ? To give up navigation for this ! Is not my word engaged to the admiral on this head?" The poftmafter, convinced of my honeft intentions, began to comfort me; and withal difcovered to me, that he had received commands from the governor, to look narrowly
to
to all my ways and actions. At length I imagined that I had found out a way of deceiving the governor, and (by the admiral's afliftance) of getting again into my old clement, as foon as the /hip fhould arrive : for this purpofe, I would pretend to be fick, and confequently not fit for the journey. This fcheme I communicated to my landlord, who fhook his head, and fa id, " Things are not here as they are in Europe. You will immediately be vifited by proper officers, and fent to the hoipital." The only thing I had now to wifli for, was the admiral's fpeedy arrival, as nobody but he could make the leaf! change in this affair. But alas! it was all of no avail, and I was obliged to fct out on my journey, after I had been a fortnight at Colombo, and had rcfied myfelf a little. It is true, according to all appearance, the governor meant me very well $ for on the poflraafler's giving his teflimony
in
[  «4 ]
in my favour, he not only gave me to underftand, that he was very well fatif-fied with me, but likewife made me prefents at different times, of money, to the amount of fifty dollars. But the defUnation he had intended for me, was diametrically oppofite to my plan of life; and the idea of being tranfported to a remote pagan country, I iade me perfectly fhudder, whenever it came athwart my imagination.
But what could I do in this cafe? Nothing ! I therefore, in a full reliance on God's providence, fet out on my journey in a miferable veffel, belonging to a pagan merchant; and confequently, all the people in it were likewife pagans, except one old man who was an European, and had been above forty years in that country, and who was the only perfon I could converfe with. I had about thirty miles to go with this veffel, a voyage which
was
t 6j ]
was performed,with thcgreateft dangef#in not lei's than three days; as thefe people coafting very near the more, whenever the wind blew a little frefh, took down their fails that they might neither be carried out too far to fea, nor yet be run amore. The very nrft day we were near being fhipwrecked; our veffel, through the unfkilfulnefs of the failors, having ftruck upon 4. rock, fo that we loft our rudder entirely. Immediately all the Indians leapt at once into the fea, in order to fave their lives by fwimming, leaving me alone with the old European. This poor creature began to cry aloud to God and his faints, calling out with all his might to his tutelary faint and the Virgin Mary; at the fame time he took out his rofary to aflift his devotion ; but from the anxiety and terror he was in, could not count the beads, which he now and then let flip through his fingers by the dozen at a time. I, for my part, re-F mained
mained quiet, performing my devotions in fecret. We had been more than an hour in this dreadful condition, the Indians all the while fwimming at a diitance, in expectation of feeing the veffel go down; when, obferving that {he was buoyant, jufl as fhe was at nrfl# they approached her again. Upon which the old fellow called to them in their language, defiring them to endeavour to bring back the rudder and come on board, as he imagined the rudder had received no great harm. In a very fhort time they were all on board again; and were welcomed with fo many curfcs by theold man, my companion, that my very flefh crawled to hear him. I could not help fpeaking to him on this fubjecl; and this naturally brought me to the fubject of the rofary and invocation of faints. But he directly took me up in thefe words; You are a wife man tq be fure, if one may take your word for
5 lt>
it; for I fee very plainly, that you do not care a ftraw for either faint or rofury. No doubt but that you are wifer than our priefts. My good boy, take my advice, and let your beard grow a little before you meddle with thefe matters." In the mean time our veffel was got off again, and the wind was become tolerably favourable, fo that we made about twelve miles that day. In the evening we ran as near fhore as we could get, and threw out two buoys with a ftone fattened to the end of each. Early in the morning we continued our voyage, and arrived about noon, at a place called Kudermalle. Here we anchored again, and the whole crew went afhore in a wherry. The old man and I went with them, on purpofe to view the confecrated tomb of a Pagan faint, which is to be feen there, and of which, my companion, after his wrath had cooled a little, had given me a defcrip-F 2 tion ;
tion ; at the fame time informing me, that the Pagan, who was buried there, had led a very ftri<5t and holy life after the manner of hermits; that all the Pagans that came this way, went on more here, in order to make their offerings, and prefent their petitions; and that thefe offerings, when the pilgrims had taken their departure, were always carried off by a hermit that lived in the neighbourhood .When Icame to the tomb, which was nothing but a heap of earth thrown up into a mound, and terminated at each end by a flone, I could not help wondering at the earnefr, devotion terrified by our failors, who lay on their faces above half an hour together, appearing to tell the deceafed every thing that puffed in their hearts, and praying to him to fend them a happy voyage. After this they retired about the diftancc of a gun-fhot from the tomb; and having made a fare,   they  dreffed fome
victuals,
victuals, and brought a part of it to the deceafed; ftrewing flowers at the fame time over his tomb. In the evening they got fome earthen lamps, with oil in them, which they lighted up at the tomb; and thus pafTed half the night in exercifes of the moft exemplary devotion. Having thus performed their duty at the fepulchre of their faint, they fet fail again, with chearfulnefs and alacrity, for the ifland of Manaar *, where we anchored in the evening. This was the old man's home; for my part, I was, that very evening, taken to the Commandant, who received me in a friendly manner, and found me in provifion during the fpace of nine days.
On the tenth, I fet out on the journey -f, with a large company, frefh,
* Manaar is a little ifland, lying north-eaft from Ceylon, and between that and the continent.
f The ftreight between Manaar and Ceylon is very narrow. The author therefore fpeaks of this expedition, as if it was made entirely by land.
F 3 brifV
[   7° 3
briilc and lively. My baggage was light enough ; for what I had provided for the journey, I had given to the Commandant, who had affured me that I mould have no need of it, as the Purveyor, who went with us, was obliged to furnifh me with victuals gratis : a piece of information that had made me very happy, and freed me entirely from all care and forrow. At noon every man began to prepare for dinner, while I made the filliefl: figure that it is poffible to conceive : the whole company being hard at work with hand and mouth, and I, all the while, a fimple fpecfator. When I afked the Purveyor, where was my dinner, he anfvvered me very civilly, " that if I had any thing to eat, I was welcome to fall to and do as they did." I defired him to recollect, 41 that I had brought no provihon with me, as he well knew j affuring him at the fame time, that if the commandant had not told me, that
he,
r 71 i
he, as purveyor, was obliged to find me in victuals on the road, I fhould certainly never have got into fuch a fcrape. I begged him therefore to let me have fomething to eat, even if I paid for it; for I could not otherwife poffibly keep foul and body together, and confequently could not proceed on the journey with them." To this he replied, " that he had no victuals for me, either with money or without; and as for the reft, it was nothing to him, what I did, or what became of me 5 that was my bufinefs, and not his." I therefore held my tongue. In the evening, when they went to flipper, I had as little to ftill my ftomach with as at dinner-time: and when I lay down, though I was heartily tired, yet its continual cravings kept me from deeping.
The next day, though I was lighter than ever I had been in my life, yet my feet would not carry me forward; not-F 4 withstanding
withstanding which, I made a fhift to keep on till noon : I had however, even then taken a reiolution at the next ftage to lay me down, and wifh the world a good night. At length we arrived there. I now laid myielf along on the earth, which I addreffed with a faint voice in thefe words: f* Here will I end my days ! Now thou wilt no longer need to hear me, or afford me nourifhment: do thou but, as a kind mother, receive and keep me in thy bofom, that the wild hearts tear me not in pieces and devour me." My fellow-travellers having by this time began dinner, two of them, one a Venetian, the other from a different part of Italy, came to me ; they had but a trifling portion of provisions, but endeavoured to perfuade me to take a part with them, and refrefh myfelf. At firft I refufed : but afterwards complied with their kind rcqueft, thinking I fhould tempt God if I did
other wife.
otherwife. They then brought me fome water, mixed with a little fpirits ; fo that I had both victuals and drink fet before me. Pleafed to fee me eat, they bid me take courage, promising to help me forwards, even if they mould be obliged to carry me. By this means, I recovered myfelf fo as to be able to keep up with the company. Thefe good creatures, notwithftanding their being of a different religion from mine, fhewed mercy and tendernefs towards me, and conftantly divided their fcanty portion into three parts, which, thus divided, was little more than iufficient to keep life in our bodies.
On Sunday in the afternoon I arrived at Jaffanapatnam, before the principal fortrefs, called Noffa Senhora de Milagro. The officer of the guard came out of the fort to meet me, and afked me my name, and whence I came. When I had fatisfied him on thefe points, he
told
told me, that they had already received a letter concerning me. As he walked very fair., I was obliged to tell him, that I was almoft ftarved to death, and had not ftrength enough to follow him. He pitied my condition, and taking me under the arm, led me to his houfe; where he ordered fome pepper to be boiled in a little water, and fome light food to be got ready for me. I was for fome time fo weak, that he was obliged to treat me as one would an infant. This good countryman of mine (for he was a German) took care of me thus for the fpace of a fortnight, and would have done fo longer, had he not been obliged to go elfewhere upon duty. Not content with what he had done for me, he farther fpoke in my prefence to the purveyor of the hofpital in my behalf; whom I likewife myfelf offered to pay beforehand for any thing I might have from him. The man himfelf did not feem to be at
all
[  75 ]
all against it; but referred me to his wife, who was not to be won either by-money or intreaties.   All the anfwer I could get from her was,     She could not afllft me;" to which I made no other reply than, " Well, God is the fearcher of all hearts," and directly went my way through the fort, going on in a straight line through the town that lay at a fmall distance from it, till I came to fome Malabar huts.   Here I foon perceived a black man make towards me, who afked me, what I wanted, and whither I was going ?   I told him, " I wanted to fatisfy the cravings of hunger, if it were poffible,  for that I did not know where to get victuals for love nor money."   Upon this he made me go with him to his hut.   I followed him joyfully; and an hour afterwards, he brought me upon fome green leaves a mefs that I eat with an appetite.   I then afked this honefl fellow, if he could not
procure
procure me a little victuals twice every day ? This he undertook to do. At parting, I was going to give him a couple of German grofchen ; but he rcfufed them, faying, " No, I will not take any thing of you : by and bye, when you come to be a «great man amongd us, mould I be alive at the time, I will then afk you to pay me for this meal." I began to laugh; but he allured me, that the moment he faw me, he had conceived the high'eft refpecl: for me, and could not at that prefent time harbour any other thoughts concerning me, than what he had juft uttered. After this, he went with me to my lodging, and having feen it, returned home. This worthy pagan was my purveyor for fome months, and paid more attention to me than many followers of Chrift do to their fellow-chriflians. If at any time he obferved that I did not cat heartily, he appeared uneafy, and
begged
begged me to tell him, if there was any thing I could like better. This good Samaritan was dill alive when I left the ifland. In my profperity I have often invited him to my houfe, and now and then have been his gueft at his cottage; but I ftill look on myfelf as indebted to him for the firft meal I made at his table.
The governor, that had fent me to this place, now came hither himfelf, and took on him the government. I very foon appeared before him ; but at firft he did not recollect me. At length he afked me, how things went with me, and what made me look fo miferablc ? Upon this I told him downright, that had I known that I fliould have been fo hard put to it in this country, I would have taken care never to have come to it; for I had been very nearly ftarved to death. He find, that I needed be under no farther apprehensions on that account,
as
as fie would take care that I mould be plentifully fupplied with the neceflaries of life. Accordingly he immediately ordered fome dozen of bottles of wine and ltrong beer, together with various eatables, to be carried to my chamber ^ promifing me, that when thefe were confumed, they mould be followed by more. I returned him thanks, and begged to be accommodated with a better lodging, and one better adapted for the carrying on of my fludies. Having obtained his promife on this head, I took my leave.
The night after this, one of the clergy of the place fent for me, I found him alone. He behaved in a very friendly manner, and queftioned me pretty clofe-ly, '* whence I came, whither I was going, &c." He then began with pitying my cafe, as in his opinion I had got into the wrong road. With this he burft out into the grofleft invectives again (I
the
the governor: and finally promifed to aflift me in getting away from thence; for that cut-throat (as he called the governor) would never afTift me any farther,   but  would  fooner add  to my wretchednefs than relieve it.   I, that hitherto had no reafon to complain of my fupreme lord and matter, chofe to conceal my thoughts j telling him in the mean while, that I would think of his propoials.   The next morning, the governor gave orders to the ferjeant, to bring me before him : this man afked me what I had done, for that the governor was in a monilrous pallion. I, that was not confeious of any crime, told him, I could not recoiled the having offended his honour in any in-ftance.   As foon as I made my appearance, the governor afked me, Whether I had been with Parfon P-the preceding evening ?   I told him I had.— How came I there ?   I replied, he had
fent
fent for me.—What had he faid to me ? He had put various queftions to me, as, ** How old was I, where was I born, what religion was I of, and what had I itudied ? &c."—" Had he faid nothing elfe?" " Poflibly he might, replied Ij but if he did, I paid no attention to it. I attended to nothing but his queftions, and anfwered them to the belt of my knowledge."—" But, fays the governor, what did he fay of me ? what fort of a man did he make me out to be ?" To this query I could give no anfwer, but ftood fpcechlefs. At this he took fire directly, and flew into a violent paffion. I, on my part, began to tremble ; and all I could utter was, that I begged his honour's pardon, I could not at prefcnt recollect any thing, being perplexed and confounded beyond meafure. He then gave me fome time to recover myfelf, but loon repeated his queries. But Ending that I ftill pleaded ignorance, and
chofe
chofe to fay nothing about the arrair, he made me a prefent at parting, that went to my very marrow; and how I'got away from him, and came to the bottom of the great flonc flair-cafe, I cannot now fay.—A fine introduction this, to my advancement in life ! thought I; fo fine a beginning muft have a glorious fequel, without doubt ! The minifler, whom I had to thank for all this, feft't one of his flaves for me at twelve o'clock at night. When I was introduced to him, he tcftified the greateff. forrovv for what had happened. M An old woman, he told me, who had been there to pay a vifit to her daughter, one of his fervants, had overheard every thing he had faid, and gone that very night to relate it to the governor. He had been informed of what had happened. He commended my filence, and fwore to me, that were I but willing, he would procure an opportunity forme to make my efcape."
G To
To this propofal I made feveral objections.—The next day I was fummoned to appear before the fecond in council. This man endeavoured, by crofs queftions, to get me to confefs; but I was too cunning for him.   Finding that I was perfectly mailer of my tongue, he began to make ufe of threats;  but all to no purpofe.    I fhood to it, that I had not taken notice of every thing that had been faid in the courfe of the converfa-tion -} but this I was fure of, that I had not fpoken ill of any one; that they might do what they would with me, it would all come to nothing. Several Europeans, that did not want for art, were likewife fet upon me -t but in vain. I was refolved rather to die, than betray the parfon; as what he had faid, was fpokc in wrath, and I had in fome mea-fure been theoccafion of his mifconduct. Some days after this, the governor fent for me again.   At firft he questioned
me
I 83 ]
me with a kind of indifference; till at laft he preffed me hard. I, however, ftill flood to my former afTertions; and with tears in my eyes begged him to forgive me, and not to place the mifbehaviour of others to the account of an obfcure and miferable creature, that was almoft dead already with hunger and affliction ; as I had at any time rather die, than give my teftimony to a thing that I was not thoroughly fure of. Upon this I was difmiffed from his prefence, in a manner that for many reafons I do not chufe to relate. As foon as I got home, in the wickednefs of my heart, I began to de-fpair; but recovered from this horrid ftate, by conftantly praying to the Almighty, and reading good books. I now became fixed in my purpofe, and was re-folved to fee the affair out. My innocence contributed to make me ftill bolder ; and at times I was inclined to look upon the whole matter as a mere trifle.
G z For
[ H ]
For the fpace of fix weeks not a word more was faid to me about it. I was, as it were, forgot j and, keeping myfelf apart from the red of mankind, taught myfelf Dutch and Portuguefe. This period of reflection was of ufe to me, in teaching me to be difcreet and cautious, and to weigh my words well, before I uttered them. By the practice of thefe prudential maxims, I diftinguimed myfelf from the common run of mankind, and recommended myfelf to the cfteem of every one.
One day there came to me a flave, to request that I would go with him to his mailer's houfe. Accordingly I followed him, thinking that it was the judge-advocate that wanted to fpeak with me : but, in fact, it was the infpector of the works. He received me in a mofl friendly manner, kept me to dinner, and quef-tioned me very clofely with regard to my prefent circumftances. Obferving,
how-
however, a fhynefs on my part, he fwore by all that was facred to be true to me, and promifed to amft me as far as lay in his power. I then acquainted him with every thing relative to the affair; in return, he endeavoured to comfort me, and told me he would take me into his houfe. In fact, that very evening he ordered my baggage to be brought, and kept me with him, converling with me, and in every refpect treating me as a friend. He was rich and childlefs. At length it pleafed God to change the heart of my dread lord and mailer towards me. He fent for me a third time. Accordingly I made my appearance, but with more indifference than before. He afked me, " Whether by this time I had thought better of the matter; and which I took to be my commander, him or the prief]: ?' With all humility and fub-mifnon, I begged his honour to forgive me. At length he faid, " Well, be it G 3 fo'
fo! I will forgive you this time; and fee in future how you are inclined towards me : and if I find you honefl and faithful, I will, notwithstanding this faux pas, perform my promife. Your admiral made great intereft for you with me, and I, on my fide, promifed to do for you." After fome converfation, he bade me come to him again in three or four days; " When, faid he, I'll let you know what you are to do." With this I took my leave, and got down the high ftair-cafe rather better than I had done before. My worthy host was waiting for me, and feemed as happy as myfelf at my reception. It was not till three years after, that I heard he had been my mediator. He had explained the whole affair to the governor, by whom he was much refpecled, andfhewn the best fide of it with refpect to me; giving him, at the fame time, to underhand, that I could never have given
him
t 87 3
him better proofs of difcretion and fi-lcnce than I had done in this matter; and that, therefore, I might be of great fervice in the cabinet.
Three days after this, when I waited on the governor, he took me into the office, and pointed out to me the table at which I was to write. At the fame he ordered his fecretary to give me fome papers of little confequence to copy, that 1 might be thus initiated and brought on by degrees. This man, who was a nobleman by birth, promifed obedience ; but, as foon as the governor's back was turned, he (hewed his good inclinations towards me by the following ex pre f-fions : " I cannot comprehend what is the meaning of all this. You will certainly never be capable of doing the bufinefs that is tranfacted here : efpecially as you are a German, and do not as yet under (land the Dutch language. The governor would have acted much wifer, G 4 if
if he mud needs do you a fervlce, in making a foldier of you : for in that cafe you might have been an officer in time."
I had now paffed a year on this footing, when I again got a thorn in my fide, that tormented me for the fpace of eleven months. The fact: was, that two thcufand rixdollars were flolen out of the office; and as, about that time, I had got a very handfome new fuit of clothes, I was fufpected of having committed the theft. In order to find me out, various methods were tried, but all in vain \ and no wonder ! for I was perfectly innocent, and had neither committed the theft, nor knew who had. Still, however, I was conlidered by mofl people as the thief, although they did not dare fay fo : accordingly I felt the effects of their ill-will in the higheft degree ; nay, they ufed me worfe than a dog i and had not the fear of what might
have
[   «9 1
have been fiid by the world intcrpofcd, God knows what they might have done to me. All this while I was fretting myfelf almoft to death, walled to a ma-dow, and began to hate life. In this inexpreflibly miferablc fituation I had palled, as I faid before, eleven months, when one morning the governor met me with thefe words: " Forgive me; I have carried things too far with you." I for my part was frightened, not knowing what all this meant. At Lift the governor's lady came, and explained the matter to me: before this, I did not even know that I lay under any fufpi-cion. In order to make me fome amends, and put me into good humour again, I had a prcfent made me of a fuit of clothes and fome linen.
Notwithstanding this, I could not help conftantly feeling a fecret dread; fo that I wilhed, from the bottom of my heart, to go away from this place to
another.
another. I had no other hopes of attaining this, but what depended on the admiral's return. At length he came; but wrote me word, that, " Being obliged to return in a fortnight to the coaft of Coromandel, to his great forrow and dif-appointment he fhould not be able to fee me ; but wifhed me every good fortune that could poMibly attend me in Ceylon." At reading this letter I loft all hopes, and fell into fuch a melancholy, that for fome days I neither ate nor drank : which the governor perceiving, and enquiring into the reafon of it, I told him it proceeded from being indif-pofed. He then would needs have me make a change in my way of life ; and having furnifhed me with lire-arms, and at the fame time fending an interpreter with me, defired me to make excuriions in the neighbourhood. But we foon got out of our latitude; when there came about us a number of blacks, with a
deiigu
defign to kill mc. By the help of an innocent lye, however, that I was obliged to coin in this extremity, I got away from them, and at laft arrived fife at my own dwelling, though not till the night after our fetting out. In confe-quence of this adventure, the governor would not let me ftroll out any more.
I was now to give in my declaration, whether I was capable of doing any thing or not j and, indeed, it was high time : for they could not poffibly keep me there any longer, learning and doing nothing. Indeed I did not well know what to make of myfelf. As to a military life, I could not bear to think of it, even if they would have made me an officer. And as for the other fcheme, that I fliould ever be capable of perfectly underftand-ing different languages, of tranfacting the bufinefs of the cabinet, and of taking part in the government of the country, appeared to me utterly impofliMe ;
2 and
and I was forced to acknowledge ingcnu-oufly, that the judgment palled upon me by the private fecretary was not without fome foundation. A decifive an-fwer was required from me, and as I was not able to give this, it was all over with mc. At this inflant of my dif-mifiion from the office, the private fecretary took his leave of me with the greatefl good humour.
I was now once more my own maf-ter; and for above nine months went about juit where I pleafed. The greater part of this time, however, I employed in lludy. In this situation I was, much againil my inclination, drawn into a correfpondence with a major. On coupon a time, my correfpondent happened to arrive in our parts quite unT cxpectcdly; and waited on the governor, expecting likewife to find me there. But not feeing me at court, nor hearing any thing of me, he enquired where J
was}
was; and was anfwcred briefly, that I had been difmilfed on account of my incapacity. This he feemed to wonder at much; pror.eff.ing, that he himfelf thought very differently of me ; as from his correspondence with me he could not help being of opinion, that I might be very ufeful. He then {hewed my lai'l letter, that he happened to have about him, in which I had reprefented my own deftiny by way of allegory. The company prefent flared, at finding mc capable of writing in fuch a flyle; and the private fecretary was called to give his judgment upon it. This worthy man was quite certain that I had only copied the letter. On this, the major begged that I might be fent for. On my firft entrance the governor afked me, *' where I had hid myfelf, and what I was about." I replied, that " I continued fludying the Dutch and Portu-guefe languages, and had begun to learn
the
r 94 i
the Malabar." I was now quefttoned about the letter. I affured the governor, that I had written it myfelf: but was rather my in explaining the allegorical part. This was the hiftory of a wolf, that was continually tormented and drawn into fcrapes by a fet of artful rafcally foxes. The Governor now went afule with the major; and afterwards coming up to me, faid, ** You may flay here, and return to the office again. Be diligent in your fludies; perhaps you may make fuch a progrefs, that I may be able to make ufe of you." I now relumed to the office, and was received there by the Secretary, not quite with the fame kindnefs and good humour, as he had fhewn at the time when I took leave.
My diligence did not pafs unobferved by the" Governor. One morning he converfed with me in a very friendly and familiar way; and at* laft concluded with
faying,
t   95 1
fay"n&* " but may I abfolutely depend upon your fidelity, obedience, and dif* crction?" I replied, " I would pledge my very foul upon it." But would I fwear this by the Holy Trinity?" I anfvvered, " with all my heart," and took the oath accordingly; after he had previouily threatened me with the rack and gallows, in cafe I fhould prove un-» true to him. After this, he gave me a 'key, and took me to a cheff of books,
faff locked up, in which all his private papers, containing the mofl full and accurate inflruclions, and expofmg the real principles of government in that part of the world, were found difpofed in the beft order. " By the perufal of thefe, fays he, you may acquire knowledge, and become mailer of your bufinefs: but in order that I may be able to judge of the progrefs you make, you fhall write fome remarks on the principal things you meet with worthy of obfer-
vation."
Vation."-By thefe means I became,
in a year's time, fit to be employed in ftate affairs, of which, an unexpected event obliged me to give a proof fooner than I.thought to have done. On this occafion the Governor appeared extremely well pleafed, faying, at the fame time, " I could never have expected fo much of you. You are now come to that pitch, as to be capable of ferving me effentially." And to fliew how much he was pleafed with me, he gave orders for a filver hiked fword; with an elegant embroidered fword-knot, the whole accompanied with a fuit of blue velvet, to be made for me. My fword he put on himfelf; at the fame time clapping on my head a hat of great value, and flying, " Now you are a gentleman/' At dinner, I was fet at table directly oppo-fite the Governor: whereas, before this, I had been u'fed to fit at a fide-table. Iri the afternoon, the Governor went out
a wal k-
t   97 ]
a walking; and by his order, I walked with him at his left hand; while always, before this, I was contented to flink behind him. All the Governor's flaves, to the number of one hundred and fifty, now came to congratulate me. I had appartments alloted mc in the Governor's houfe, and a flave to wait on me. He likewife made me a prefent of a fine horfe. His Lady too prefented me with a fait of fine linen. Thus, all at once, came fortune, favour, and every thing that can give a man diftinction, and procure refpedt. The Count, however, made me a very fneering compliment, by way of congratulating me on the acquiii-tion of my new dignities. The Governor, who had been liftcning at the door, came in and put himfelf between us. He gave the Secretary the ievcreft reproofs for his having perfecuted me in fo flrange a, manner, and for having, on all occalions, fpoken ill of me, and en-
H deavoured
deavoured to bring me into difgrace. In fine, he told him, that he muft for the future, confide* me, as being in every re-fpect, excepting that of birth, his equal. In fhort, the Governor was in fuch a paffion with him, that he was going to difmifs him from the office that very day. '? For, faid he, thefe two chaps do not fuit each other at all. The one is too haughty, and the other underflands his bufinefs." I hearing him talk in this manner, begged him to have fome confideration for the Secretary, as I did not yet find myfelf in a condition to go through all the bufinefs of the office, being ftill in want of practice. Accordingly my worthy patron fuffered himfelf to be perfuaded by mc. And by this means I kept the Secretary on half a year longer, and mould, doubtlefs, have kept him longer ftill, could he but have bridled in his pailions. But he behaved fo very ill to our common matter, that
this
I"  99 'J
tins latter, all at once, turned him out of the Secretary of State's. Office, and fent him into the Chancery, among the common clerks there4   In which capacity, in the fpace of a year, he came under me, as I was fir ft Secretary in that office, and in quality of this, had absolute command over him.   But in fact, I never found the leaft define arife in my breaft  to return him evil for evil : a conduct, by which I made him perfectly afhamed of himfelf.   A  little while before his death, he afked me forgive-nefs: on which, I affured him, that I had forgiven him long before; and at the fame time, promifed to give his widow a monthly allowance out of my own pocket; a promife, which, after his de-mifc, I faithfully kept.
My fituation became every day more and more enviable.   The money-cheft, in which were feveral tons of gold, was entrufted to my care.   In fhort, nothing fl 2 was
was kept from me. My patron began to difclofe to me all the fecrets of his heart, well knowing that I was able to keep a fee ret. At four in the morning he rofe : at which time I ufed to go to him, to drink coffee, and fmoke a pipe with him. Then came the time for the consideration of flate affairs, when he fpoke with me concerning them. When this was over, the Governor's Lady ufed to make her appearance; in the prefence of whom, not a word was mentioned of government-matters, the converfation then turning only on private correfpon-dence. In this manner I lived with my lord and mafter; a man that rcprefentcd the Sovereign of a kingdom, twice as great as Saxony, the inhabitants of which are abfolutely his fubjects; a man that had feven Princes under him, who arc obliged to appear before him yearly, in .the molt fubmiflive manner, and give an account of their administration of government :
vernment: a man, in fine, that had power over life and death ; who, in one hand carried a fvvord, and in the other a fcep-
tre.-1 have only thus much more to
fiy of the Eaft-India cabinet, and then I have done; and that is, that I openly before God, and with a fafe confcicnce can fay, to the honour of the Dutch nation, that in this cabinet I learned, faw, and pradtifed no other maxims of flate than thofe, by which the Chriflian Religion, together with an impartial diitribution of juftice, may be kept up, without the moleftation of any one, and at the fame time the public peace be preferved. And with this proteflation I clofe this cabinet, remembering my oath, from which I do not even now confider myfelf as free.
It was above fix years before my circumstances were thus altered for the better.   During this fpace of time, I might be faid to have been at fcliool; a H 3 fpace
C   ioi ]
fpace of time, in which I learned many a hard leffon, enforced by very fevcre treatment.My great patron now fet himfelf to work, to raife me ftill higher, endeavouring, by his benefits, to efface the remembrance of my former various fuf-ferings, and perfectly to convince me, that he loved and efteemed me. He accordingly procured me a poft, that I could hold without prejudice to my other employments, and which brought me in three hundred dollars a year. My bufinefs in this otfice, was to examine pre-vioufly all the writings, which ferved to commence a law-fuit in any of the courts of juftice; fuch as memorials, petitions, and the like; and when they were gcod in law, to fign them. This office procured me great refpect from the people of the ifland. I abfolutely forbad any prefents to be made to me; as I could plainly obferve, that certain perfons endeavoured to feduce me, if poffible, i»
order
[ i°3 1 order to effect my ruin. A man that is honefl may act with confidence, even in pofts of the utmoif importance; and at lafl arrive at fuch a pitch of courage, as not to fear what man can do unto him. —During my flay in the Secretary of State's Office, I had feen the bufinefs of each of the courts, viz. Of police, of juflice, agriculture, the ecclefiaflical court, &c. and learned how far the re-fpective power of each extended ; what they could, and what they could not do. Through all thefe courts I had pad; but the moil important part of my employ in the lafl years, I (hall pafs over in (t« lence; and only add, that I had an amazing deal of trouble, and heavy burden thrown upon mc, in a burning hot climate, lying in the feventh degree of latitude; in which time, bcfides my ufual bufinefs, I was obliged to undertake, and go through with many a difagreeable - commiffion, efpecially during the war,
fi 4 which
which lafled five whole years. For this trouble, however, I was pretty well rewarded; and had I chofe to have ftaid longer, I mould, doubtlefs, have found it ftill better worth my while. I was not only known to his excellence, the * Governor-General, but likewife to his Majefty the Emperor of Candia-j~, whom I had ferved, by the pains I had taken in the reftoration of a peace, of which fie was very deiirous.   I was now at the
* The head of the Dutch fettlemcnts in theEaft-InJies, Yvhofj refidence is in Batavia.
t The Dutch, it is well known, are mafters of all the coafts of Ceylon. Farther up the country live, partly a free, independent nation, partly dependent princes, and nearly in the middle is Candia; the king of which, ftyles himfclf Emperor of Ceylon. By reafon of the mountains and woods, which abound greatly in this part of the ifland, he has ever been invincible by the Poi tuguefc and the Dutch. The peace between him and the Dutch Eaft-lndia Company, has been confirmed, indeed, by frequent trea-> ties, but has never yet proved lading.
zenith
[   io5 ]
zenith of my fortune; my patron was well inclined towards me; I was in good health; and my purfe was not empty. There was ftill one thing more that the Governor required of me ; this was, that I fliould maro: to this end he offered me his brother's daughter,  who lived with him in the houfe, and whofe parents  were  dead.    I   politely ercufed myfelf; on which account I was out of favour with the Governor, for more than half a year.   This period of my difgrace might, perhaps, have lafted longer, if the Lady had not, in the mean while, got married to a Governor's fon.   It is true, I mould, in all likelihood, have made my fortune early in life, by this match; but I could not help having fome apprehenfions on account of two things, which I chufe to pafs by in filence.
In this manner I lived with my patron fixteen years. He kept his promife with me,  and heaped honours  upon me.
During
[   io6 ]
During the latter part of this time, I was a perfect darling, and was in fuch high eileem, as to be preferred throughout the whole houfe, even to his own children. Finding himfelf increafe in years, he wifhed to reft from his labours, and threw as much as he could upon my moulders, ife often wrote his name at the bottom of a fheet of paper, and left me to fill up the blank as I pleafed. I often ufed to fay to him, *f You run too great a rifle to which he would directly anfwer, *' Let me alone I know you thoroughly ; you are fent to me by Heaven j exactly fuch a man as you I have often wifhed for." With all my greatnefs, however, in fact, I was nothing more than a beaft of burden, that all the nightlong, whilft other people flept, was racking myfelf with thought. For the fpace of three whole years, I had but one fingle Sunday to myfelf, without writing or dictating.
Now
Now I was afraid I fliould not be able to bold out in this manner long; and therefore came to a refolution, to get away from my patron foon. Soon after this, he refblved on making a voyage with his family to Batavia, chiefly for the fake of his children, with a view to their education. They accordingly fet out for that place, and arrived fafe, after a prolperous voyage -f but he himfelf and his worthy lady, lived fcarce a year afterwards. They both endeavoured to perfuade me to make the voyage, and offered me fome thoufand dollars, if I would comply with their requeft; but I knew Batavia too well for that, and therefore kept at home : for what good would the money do me, after I was dead ? On quitting the ifland, he made it appear to every one about him, how much he efteemed and loved me.
I can not here help relating an adventure, that happened once on a time, when I
was
E   "8 }
was with him at a country-feat of his, called Heart's Eafe. One afternoon, there came a party of blacks, to the amount of a hundred, each of them armed with large fibres and pikes. They preffed on in a tumultuous manner, afking for the governor, (who was juft awaked from his afternoon's nap), and demanded feveral thousand dojlajs., or elfe his head, without delay. I being luckily prefent at the time, fent with all poffible fpeed for the body-guard, which juft then confided of twelve Europeans, commanded by two officers ; this being only a fmall party from the grand guard, which was relieved from time to time by others drawn from the fame body. At the fame inftant, in order to gain time, I entered into con-verfation with the fellow who was their fpokefman. In the mean while, the governor's lady had retired by a backdoor, and called together the yeomen of
the
[   i°9 ]
the guard;  they in an inftant came running in to defend their mafter, who was now quite furrounded.   I faw very plainly that this would not do, for our Europeans were not as yet come up with their fire-arms : I therefore called to the yeomen, ** Hold ! what are you about ? thefe people have a lawful demand upon us; they come from the Emperor, and majl have money."   The governor then addreffed himfelf to thefe banditti, faying, " Good people, be quiet, and make room for me; I will go to my chamber, and fetch the money directly." The thieves taking the governor at his word, let him go ; and before they could look
about them, our foldiers fired among them; by which means, feven fell at once, ten were taken into cuftody, and the remainder faved themfelves by flight. "We immediately ordered the prifoners to be carried to the fort, and at the fame time a file of foldiers to be fent
from
from thence for our defence. The re1^ mainder of the yeomen of the guard likewife came to us, but there was no longer any occafion for them, for we flept the next night in perfect fafcty.
The governor, juft before his departure, made mention, that I was ufed to do good to my enemies ; a remark, that had particularly a retrofpect to the fecretary and the purveyor, of the latter .of whom I have already related, that he had refufed to give me provifions for love or money. This fellow, whofe behaviour to me was lefs like a man's, than that of a devil incarnate, eight years after our firft interview, came to Jaffanapatnam, to requeft an increafe of his falary. I, who at that very time ftood in the governor's prefence, with my hand full of papers, recollected this barbarian again, and afked him, " whe* ther he had ftill as hard a heart, as he had when I had the misfortune to travel
with
nio:t
with him?" On this, the Governor directly looking -at me, afked, " is that the fellow that behaved fo infamoufly to you ?" I replied, yes, that is he ! The Governor in a great pafiion, called to his Marflial, flying, take this fcoun-drel to the guard, and tell the officer to put him under confinement till farther orders. " To the fellow himfelf," he faid, *' get out of my fight, murderer! I will take care you mail have occahon. to remember this as long as you HycJ** I now in my turn began to intercede for him, and was fortunate enough to obtain his pardon. The man himfelf afterwards told feveral people, that I had been his guardian angel, or otherwife he would have been in a very bad plight. For my part, I cannot help thinking, that in acting thus, I did better than if I had fought to revenge myfelf upon him. For of what fervice would it have been to me at that time ? I thank hea-i ven!
[ ih ]
ven! I was no longer in danger of being ftarved.
The ifland of Ceylon, which, in my opinion excels all others in the world, lies not far from the coaft of Coroman-del, and in all probability, formerly was joined to it. The beffc proofs cf this are to be feen at a place called Adam's Bridge, where the fea is far from being-deep, there being only a narrow channel to be found, through which fmall veffel s can pafs. This ifland is fuppofed to be above three hundred geographical miles in circumference. It has a number of capes and bays. Here are to be found fome of the beft and fafeft harbours in the world, and particularly on the eaft fide of ft, the port of Trincomalc, in which, above a hundred fhips may lie in fafety, partly by reafon of the high mountain on one fide of it, and partly on account of the ftrength of the fortification erected on the other.   This harbour is in the
form
I   «3 1
form of a dim, and has a narrow entrance.
The foil varies much in different parts. Some tracts are found very fertile, and fit for producing vegetables of every kind ; in others, on the contrary, nothing is to be feen but ffones, fand, and rock. In almoft every part of the ifland, it is obfervable that, ten feet deep, or more, there lies throughout a bed of rock ; which, when it is bored through, affords tolerable good water. In fine, hills, dales, and delightful ftreams of frefli water, full of fifh and precious ffones, are fcattered all over the ifland. In particular, it is affirmed, that in a river, not far from Candia, all kinds of ffones, except the diamond, are to be found.
The coffly fpice, known by the name of Cinnamon, particularly thrives here; it not being found in any other part of the globe, of fo fine and good a quality. This noble plant appears to thrive bet-I ter
tcr when felf-fown, than when propagated by culture,    In this cafe, the crows, who are very fond of eating the red and quick tailed fruit of the cinnamon-tree, are the bell: gardeners. For along with the fruit they fwallow the kernels, and fcatter them thus undigehV ed every where with their excrements, by which the foil is, at the fame time, manured;  and the feed fhortly after ftriking root, fprings up out of the earth. On this account, no one dares to moot, or otherwife kill a crow, under a fevere penalty.    Of this cinnamon, the Dutch fend out yearly near a thoufand bales, each bale weighing eighty pounds neat.   This article of commerce, they get moftly for nothing, it being given in to them by the people of the country, who perform this fervice by way of vaffalage for their lands.   More of it would be got, if the trees could produce freih bark;  but  they always wither
directly
directly after they are ftript of their hark. It may eafily be imagined, however, that the additional growth mult be considerable, when fo great a quantity perifhes every year. The growth of the tree is not every where alike, but ltronger and weaker according to the difference of the foil. When the plant has time given it, it grows to a tolerable fized tree ; but the larger this is, fo much the worfe is the bark j this kind of bark being only ufed for the diftillation of oil of cinnamon. The report, that the cinnamon-tree may be fmelt from afar, is without foundation. I have often rode through plantations of thisfpice, without finding any reafon to countenance fuch an opinion. At the feafon of the year, when this drug is delivered in, all the vaffals, who are here called cbeleajfes, meet together, when each of them has a piece of coarfe linen given him, as a pre-fent from the company.   On this occa-
I 2 fion
lion they perform a comedy in the country-fafhion, which is really worth feeing.
Pepper is likewife produced here in fome parts of the country, and has a great refemblance to the jolanum dulcamara, or bitter-Jweet. The peppercorns grow in chillers, like grapes ; and, when they are ripe, are ftript off. Th« Indians (teep the green pepper in vinegar, in great quantities, and ufe it whenever they have caught cold, or their ffomachs are out of order. The fpice, however, • produced here, is not fo good as that which grows on the coafl of Malabar-as likewife in the neighbouring countries of Cochin, Canara, and Venezuela ; though the former fort, in its growth, does not differ much from the other. The cardamon will not thrive well in Ceylon. It fliould feem, that this foil is not fit for the plant, for it is very troublefome to rear, and hardly
pays
[ 8*7 ]
pays the planter for his pains. Thofe which grow on the eaft fide of Java are better.
On the other hand, coffee thrives here much better. Thefe beans grow in pairs, upon a kind of mrub, and are contained in a pod, which opens when the berries have attained a flate of perfect maturity. The inhabitants of Ceylon do not make the leafl ufe of this fruit.
Tea,andfome other forts of elegant aro-matics, are not to be found here. Some trials have been made to rear them, but without fuccefs. It is the fame with fugarj as a rarity, indeed, it may be had here, but not in fuch quantities as in the fields of Batavia.
Rice, on the contrary, thrives very well: it is ploughed into the ground with a round plough (hare, by which means the furrows are not made deep, as the ground is never raked afterwards.
i3 it
It may be fown and reaped three times a year, as it ripens every four months. The flail is not known among the Indians; but in its ftead they have their grain trodden out by oxen, upon the fpotwhere it grew. Thefe they fallen together by fours, driving them round, all over the corn,till the grain is all got out of the ft raw. It is very remarkable, that none of thefe cattle ufed in threfhing, will either dung or ftale as long as they are at this work; which I have often obferved with great attention, more than a hundred times. The corn having been thremed out in this manner, is afterwards cleanfed from the chaff; and being put into facks, is laid on the oxen's backs, and fo carried home.
The earth here produces feveral rare plants, of different kinds, without any kind of culture; particularly a fort of root of different colours, blue, yellow, and white, of a mealy nature, and not a i bad
[ "9 ] bad tafle. Ginger grows in Ceylon as common as grafs in Europe. They have likewife there a fruit, pretty much re-fembling cur potatoes, called batatas ; as likewife another fort, called cotto-co-lingo, of both of which, the Europeans are very fond, Before all the vegetable productions of this ifland, a fort of grain, not unlike milliard, has the preference. This feed, which the people of the country call man, is dug up out of the earth, where it lay buried, and is eaten as a delicacy. The tafle of it is not to be equalled by that of any other vegetable; and I cannot think of any thing I can compare it to. The word man, in the language of this country, means J and.
Medicinal roots and herbs are to be found here in great quantities : and, indeed, the inhabitants are well {killed in phyfic,andarein particular good furgeons.
I 4 The
The vegetables, which are the ufual produce of our gardens in Europe, grow here tolerable well : fuch as carrots, white-cabbage, c. le-rabi, cauliflowers, onions, fall ad, cucitvibers, (thefe lait are rather better than they are in Europe) melons, gourds, par/ley, celery, ccc. The Europeans there, wifh to carry this fpecies of gardening to a (fill greater length; and, I am of opinion, that if good and frefh feeds, of many other vegetables, could but be carried thither, ftill many more might be reared. But the voyage thither is too long, and the heat of the climate too great for feeds to keep. Of fruit-trees, there are many different forts, but none of the fame kind as thofe we have in Europe. The principal of thefe is the mango: the tree, which bears it, grows to the fize of a middling oak. The eating of this fruit never hurts any body; and what is Mil more extraordinary, the fruit of every tree has
a flavour
a flavour peculiar to itfelf, no two mango-trees being found to produce fruit of the fame tafle. Almofl all the fruit in thefe parts, do not lafl long after they are ripe, but the mango may be preferved feveral weeks. It is ripe twice a year.
The ananas, ox pine-apple, is likewife to be found here ; but as it is fo well known in Europe, I fhall content myfelf with relating a flory, which may ferve to fliew its medicinal virtues. An European, that lay ill in this ifland, cried out day and night for fomebody to bring him a pine-apple. It was, however, not allowed him by the phyfician. In a few days he died, and being opened, a worm of an extraordinary fize was found in his flomach, which it had already began to eat into. The people, who had attended the lick man, remembering what he had longed for, by way of experiment, dropt fome pine-apple juice on the worm,
which
[     J22 ]
which died in an inflant. The punt-pel-nut, likewife the produce of Ceylon, is as big as a man's head, of a middling iize, and has a rind almoil like that of a lemon; which being peeled off, nothing is to be feen but a parcel of Co ft red kernels adhering to each other: thefe may be eaten, either with or without wine. This fruit is extremely refrefh-ing : the iree that bears it, does not grow higher than the hazel-tree.
The pomegranate adorns mofl of the gardens in Ceylon. The befl time for gathering it, is indicated by its burfling fpontaneoufly. Its red kernels make a beautiful appearance; but I have never been able to obferve, that the Indians hold them in fuch high eilimation, as many would make us believe they do.
The delicious Jigs, which the country people are fo fond of feeing grow round about their cottages, are in much higher eilimation with them than the above-mentioned
[     **3 ]
mentioned fruit.   Thefe figs are not of the fame fort as thofe that are natives of Portugal, and are cultivated with us in Germany, but differ from them totally. Of thefe, there above twenty different fpecies, all of which have an agreeable fweet tafte.   They differ much, however, as well in degree of fweetnefs, as in  magnitude.    There are fome nine inches   long,   fome  fix,   others again but half that length ; at the fame time, that they are as thick as the arm of a child that is twelve months old. The fkin is yellow  throughout its whole fubffance; the inner part, which partakes more of a mealy, than of a watery nature, is perfectly white.   About fifty of thefe figs, more or lefs, in proportion as they are of a larger or (mailer fort, hang on one ftalk.   The tree that bears them, is not of a woody nature, but confiffs rather of a fpongy fubffance, and muft be watered constantly: and indeed,
[ ]
deed, the heft fort is always found near fprings. It bears figs on one Italic only, after this it dies: but in the mean while the Item produces fo many young moots, that you may very well afford to give it refpite -y and in a fhort time, you will have more figs from its new offspring. The leaves of this tree have a very beautiful appearance, and are of a very foft texture and fubftance. They are often above two ells * long, and more than half an ell in breadth, and ferve the country people for plates and diflies at their metals. The inhabitants confider thefe figs as a capital prefent, as they are well apprifed that the Europeans are very fond of them. The Rollawei, (an animal, of which we mail fpeak more hereafter) is very apt to fall foul on thefe figs, whilft the country people are afleep in their beds; on which account, they
* The German ell is about two Englifh fect.
[     125 ]
are obliged to gather them, almoft throughout the whole country, before they are quite ripe *,
The gambufe is likewife a well tailed fruit. The Europeans are as fond of it, as we are here of the beurre-pear, which it very much refembles. It is flefh-co-loured,andof thefizeof ahen'segg. It has one fingle large kernel, by which it is propagated.
A fruit, not unlike our yellow plums, grows on large and high trees, in uncultivated woods. It is calledpalpclum, and is much fuperior to the grape in richnefs of tafle. The children of the Indians are extremely fond of them; and the wild fwine get as fat with them, as ours do with acorns and beech-mafl.
Iljchcpalam is a fruit, which has the fhapc, colour and hze of our ordinary
* The whole of this defcription plainly points ouc the pifang-tree.
black
black cherry, but differs widely from it in tafle.
Jake, or four-fuck, [fauer-fack] is chiefly found, all over the ifland, in gardens. This fruit grows on a tolerable large tree, to the thicknefs of a flout, lufly man, hanging on it like a well-fluffed fack. It is green, with a cartilaginous rind ; on the infide yellow, and divided into a number of partitions; in each of which there is a kernel, in colour and tafle perfectly refembling the chefnut. The fruit itfelf is agreeably fweet, and grows to the fize of a large water-bucket, weighing, perhaps, twenty pounds. The Dutch have given it the name of four-fack; to fignify, that on account of its great fize, it mufl be four-fauce for the tree to bear the weight of it.
Befides thefe, there are a great many more fruits to be found in the gardens of Ceylon : I fhall, however, only give a
de-
defcription of the Adam s-apple; as, on account of its fine clear red and yellow tints, it may well deferve to be called the king of them all.   Its external appearance invites the beholder to tafle it : but it is fo far from being eatable, that it is rank poifon.   This apple takes its name from its fliape; which is round on one fide, but on the other flat, as if a piece had been bitten out of it. The Portuguefe are firmly perfuaded, that this is the apple which our progenitors tailed in Paradife: and even take upon them to affirm, that this fame Paradife was fituated in Ceylon.   This proportion they attempt to prove by the following confiderations: On a prodigioufly high mountain, called Pico d'Adam, are found two tomb-flones, to the full as large again as the ordinary ones, with an infcription engraved on each, which hitherto no one has been able to read or explain.   Now there can be no doubt,
but
but that under thefe ftones lie the bedic^ of Adam and Eve; who, as being the jRfit of our race, are certainly intitlcd to this honourable diftincTion..—-On this mountain, the Pagan priefts perform their idolatrous rites, and keep a lamp conftantlv burning here. It is even reported, that Adam ufed frequently to walk with his beloved confort, from this ifland, over to the Malabar coaft; and for this purpofe, had a bridge thrown over a fmall dream, which feparated the ifland from the continent; the remains of which bridge (till exift, and hear the name of Adam's bridge to this day. It is, however, not improbable, that the bones of the firft inhabitants of the ifland arc depofited under thefe ftones : but whence thefe people firft came, it is not very eafy to determine. Whether they were fifhermen driven thither by ftrefs of weather, or whether they went thither in fearch of food, at the time when the
ifland
[    I29 ] ifland was joined to the coaft of Malabar, are likewife points which I mall not pretend to fettle.
The timon, the cocoa, and the palm-tree, are too well known by defcription, or otherwife, for me to attempt deferring them here, I fhall therefore only remark, in general, that the firft of thefe does not grow to any height in Ceylon, but for that very reafon throws out a greater number of branches, bearing continually till it dies. The leaves of the cocoa-tree, among other ufes, ferve for fodder to the elephant, and are accordingly brought in by the natives (in the way of foccage-fervice) in great quantities ; as this animal, in confequence of his great bulk, coniumes no inconfidera-ble quantities of provifions. With rc-fpecT: to the palm, or (as it is called from its fruit) panegais-tree, there is one thing obfervable, that it makes a new (hoot every year : as foon as this comes K out,
out, throwing off the leaves from the old one.   Hence may be eafily feen the age of the tree itfelf; and not even fo, but it even ferves to mark the age of its owner; it being here the cuftom to plant one of thefe trees at the birth of every child : this, as the child grows up, is pointed out to him,that by it he may always know his own age.   Before I was acquainted with this particular, it appeared to me extremely odd, that, whenever I enquired after the age of any refpectable Malabar, I always received for ahfwer, that he was as old as fuch a particular panegais-tree.   The nrfr, time I was thus anfwercd, I flew into apaffion, and afked my informer if he wanted to make a fool of me ? The old gentleman was terribly frightened; and falling at my feet, begged me not to think any thing of the kind : but he really did not know how to anfwer me in any other way.
Of
[t -Ut 1 Of trees bearing fruit that produces oil, there arc divers forts. The illiper-trce, for example, the fruit of which, has nearly the appearance of the olive, from which the oil is preffed out in i Portugal, and is thicker on the trees than the leaves themfelves ; fo thick, indeed, as often to break the branches by their weight. Another is the margojy-tvte, the fruit of which is fomewhat fmaller; but in confequence of this, the oil is fo
much the flronger; on which account, it is much ufed by the Indian phyficians, who afcribc wonderful effects to it. I have often taken it myfelf, and found, that it has fearched every minuteft part of my body, and thrown off the foul humours. If this oil could be brought to Europe genuine and unadulterated, the lame wonderful cures might probably be performed with it by our phyf-cians as by thofe of Malabar. It is the common belief, that if you take a few K 2 drops
[ J32 J drops of this medicine early in the morning, you will be fafe from the effects of poifon all the day. The wood of this tree is amazingly hard, and the leaves of it are ufed in Ceylon to drive away the mufkitos, by the fmoke arifing from them when burned. Thefe leaves harbour a kind of winged animals, not unlike our grafhoppers. The fize of this tree is much the fame with that of our lime-tree.
The ebony-tree, with which our turners are well acquainted, grows pretty plentifully on the eaftern fide of the ifland. Some centuries ago, the artizans of Ceylon made more ufe of it than they do at prefent. Divers domeflic utenfils and pieces of furniture of the make of thofe times, are frill to be feen, which are of no mean workmanfhip. Now that far better forts of wood have been difcovered in the thickefh parts of the forefls, the ebony is no more in ufe any where; but
in
[ *33 ] in its ftead, the workmen make ufe of what they call calmander, and of gouvernies; and befides thefe, of a third fort, the name of which, in the language of Ceylon, has now flipt out of my memory. Thefe forts of wood are of a line grain, ©f a brown colour, and burn with a yellow flame; being withal, far preferable to any European wood whatever. They have naturally a fine glofs, fo that one may almoft fee one's face in them; and what is ftill of greater confequence to the workman is, that they are entirely without knots.
There are a great many trees, of divers kinds, to be found in the extenfive and almoft impenetrable forefts, with which this ifland is adorned; fo that a man may travel for many days together, without feeing any thing but high and thick trees, furrounded at the bottom with fhrubs and bufhes of different kinds; which, altogether, make a very fine, but K3 at
[   *34 1
at the fame time, an awful appearance. The greater part of thefe trees and fhfubs, hich bear no refemblance to thofe of our own climate, I mall pafs over, and make my obfervations on a few of them only; and in the firif place, on p
The devil's-tree } which, although it bears no fruit fit for the nourifhment of man, being only eaten by the bats they have here, is, notwithffanding, in higher eilimation with the Malabars than any other tree. Under this, not on account of the extenfive made it affords, but for reafons fuggeited by the wildefl fuper-itition, they make offerings to their idol peu, that he may not do them any harm. This tree has properties different from thofe of any other, for its twigs and fmaller branches fend out roots, that bending down to the earth, take a faff hold there • and then mooting up again contiguous to the trunk, grow up with
it
it in clofe contact; and by this means, in procefs of time, form a tree of an afto-nilhing thicknefs. The thickeft that I have feen, meafured above twenty-five ells in the girt; and I am apt to believe, that many are to be found of a ftill greater fize. The properefl name for this tree, would be that of the milk-txse, as it is full of a juice, refembling a thick kind of milk. The prefent title, by which the Europeans diftinguifh it, they have probably beftowed on it on account of the offerings, which are made under it to his infernal majefty.
The tamarind - tree is remarkable among thofe that grow wild here, efpe-cially for its great fize, and the vaft extent of its branches; which, as it were, invite the traveller to come and partake of its delicious cooling fruit. A drink more refrefhing in this climate cannot be had, than a kind of punch made of frefh-gathered and ripe tamarinds, K 4 merely
[   '36 ]
merely by the addition of pure water and a little fugar. In the lafl years of my refidence on the ifland, I indulged myfelf in this, by way of refrefhnaent, almoft every day, and found myfelf much the better for it.
The arreek-txzz is one of the moft beautiful trees produced here. It is capable of forming the moft delightful alleys; for the ftem grows quite itrait, while it fhoots up to a good height, and not thicker than aflout man'sarin, throwing out branches only at the very top. Thefruit, which is yellow, and about the fize of a hen's egg, hangs from the flalk like grapes. The rind is fome what thick j and when this is taken off, the fruit has the appearance of a nutmeg. One of its ufes is for dying fcarlet: but the principal confumption of it is occa-fioned by the practice of chewing it, which is univerfal among the Indians, and not unfrequent with the Europeans.
For
[   137 ] For this purpofe they take a fort of leaf, called betel, in (hape refembling our kidney-bean ; to this they add the arrcck with a little lime $ and then chew it all together, for the purpofe of clearing their teeth and gums, and of giving a fine red colour to  their lips.   This delicacy (which, however, is not to be fwallowed, being a luxury referved for the mouth only) is held in the highefl eilimation. There is not a female, high or low, rich or poor, of whatever rank or condition in life, that has not her little chefl apart to herfelf, which is flored with this bewitching fruit, and which fhe carries about with her as conflantly as the Catholic ladies do their beads.   Many there are that lavifh away upon it every thing they can fcrape together, to the great forrow of their hufbands    and are as much attached to it, as our good women in Germany are to their coffee; fo that
they
[   '38 ] they had at any time rather give up a meal, than part with this indulgence.
The kapok-tvzz is not unlike our walnut-tree,  but the fruits differ greatly. That of the kapok-tree is flender, of the length of a man's hand, and full of a fpecies of wool, which is ufed for fluffing mattreffes and cufhions, it being much flronger and coarfer than the ordinary cotton; which grows on a fmall fhrub, and has nothing in common with the kapok, excepting a fmall pod in which the wool is contained. Perhaps, there is hardly any where a finer fight than this fhrub with the cotton ripe on it.   Not fnow itfelf is fo white.
The talpat-tree grows here likewife, and makes a ftately fhow with its leaves, which are of an uncommon fize, and are manufacturedintoparafolsand parapluies. If it were not for thefe leaves, people in this country would fuffer the greatcft inconveniences.   This kind of fcreen
from
[   139 ] from the weather, from the Indian name for which the tree itfelf has got its denomination, is ufed for ftate by the people here in the middling ftation of life; as fuch a man would think it the greater! fhame imaginable, were he to be feen in the ftreets without a Have carrying a talpat after him.   And, indeed, it is the fafhion for the talpat to be carried after a'man, when neither fun nor moon is to , be feen, and there is not the leafl appearance of rain.
From vegetables, I fhall now proceed to animals, as my defign is to mention a few particulars likewife concerning fome of thefe. I begin with the largefl of them, viz. The elephant, of which, I have feen feveral fix ells high *. That they are not all of this fize, it is needlefs to inform the reader. A young cub does not meafure more than one ell in height;  but goes on thus increafing
* Or twelve feet.
pro-
[    i4o ]
proportionably, till it arrives at its full growth. This animal is not only the largeft, but likewife the moft acute of any. Had it the gift of fpeech, it would be found equal to many of our dull race of blockheads, in point of underftand-ing. At leafr, fuch is the opinion and open declaration of all thofe who are thoroughly acquainted with the nature and properties of the elephant, and have had to do with him for a number of years. Even in the bufinefs of generation he imitates man; and, indeed, con-fidering the particular frame of the females, it could not be otherwife. For this purpofe, the male makes a pit, or hollow in the ground, and afiifls his con-fort to lay herfelf on her back; and, in cafe he finds her perfectly compliant and agreeable, very complaifintly helps her up again after the bufinefs is finifhed, (for fhe cannot poflibly rife of herfelf) by throwing his trunk round her neck.
But
But if me at firft flood fhilly-ihally, and gave herfelf prudifh airs, he then even lets her lie, and goes away about his bufinefs.
How long the female goes with young, is not as yet afcertained. I have been at fome pains to come at the truth on this point, but without fuccefs. That this animal is capable of arriving at a great age, I am very well afRired, from what I have myfelf obferved in the cafe of a tame one, which was caught on the ifland, in the year 1717, and was ftill living in 1768, and was even then ufed with advantage for the breaking in of the wild elephants that were juft caught.—They keep together in great droves; and every male has his peculiar female belonging to him, which none of the others dare approach. On the other hand, the males always quarrel and fight together, till each has his appropriate female.   If it fo happens that one of
thefe
[   142 I
thefe is beat out of the field, and is obliged to go without a confort, he in-ftantly becomes furious and mad, killing every living creature that comes in his way, be it man or heart. One in this flate is called a ronkedor, and is a greater object of terror to a traveller than a hundred wild ones. It is generally affirmed, that the elephants of Ceylon, are the belt and the firft in point of rank, as they hold their heads, as well as necks, higher than thofe that come from other parts; and it is reported, that when they chance to meet together, thefe latter give them the pas, and fhew evident tokens of fubmiftion and refpect. But ,of this laft report, I can fay nothing from my own experience. Thefe animals are diftributed into three claffes, males, ma-janis, and females. The two former are of the mafculine gender, and differ only in this circumftance, that the firft have
thefe
[   H3 ] two large and long tufks, while thofe of the majanis are but fmall.   The fern ales have none at all: on the other hand, they have two breafts between their fore-feet;  by means of which/ they fuckle their young.   They do not walk or run in a diagonal manner like other quadrupeds, but rather fideling, lifting up the two feet, which are on the fame fide, from the ground at once ; in confe-quence of which, they do not run very faff.   It is almofl fuperfluous to mention here, that the elephant's fkin is of an aih-grey colour, imooth, and without fcales ; and that there is only one part of him in which he is vulnerable by a mufket (hot, and that is, between the eye and the ear.   But the manner in which he is caught and tamed is, I believe, not fo well known; for which reafon, I fhall give a defcription of the different methods in this place.
I. A
I, A certain korahl * has been ufed for thefe many years pair, in which mofl of the elephants in Ceylon are caught. In order to have fome idea of this korahl, you muft imagine to yourfelf a large fiming-net, with two flaps {landing out wide from each other, and terminating in a bag. Now this fnare confifls of a collection of flout and vigorous trees, partly growing wild on the fpot, and partly planted there for the purpofe. Thefe trees fland very clofe and near to each other; and where there is any gap, very flrong paliiades -are brought to fill it up, fo that the elephants cannot by any means get out. As foon as the hunters have given information that they have difcovered a tolerably numerous troop of elephants, the principal people of Ceylon are oblig-
* This word, according to Salmon and Goch, [Prefcnt State of Indoftan and Ceylon] means, in the language of Ceylon, " Toils for elephants."
5 cd
[   '45 1
ed to bring together feveral thoufand men. By means of thefe, the whole drove, thus inclofcd, is driven flowly towards the firft opening of the korahl, that takes up an enormous fpace. When they have got them thus far, the game is, as it were, in their hands. The whole train of huntfmen and country people now unite, and draw up clofe into this opening, and making a great noifc and uproar, as well by their cries as in-ftruments, which they carry with them for the purpofe, they contrive to get the elephants, who keep together in one drove, like a happy and peaceful family, into the fmaller fpace, which is called the /porting korahl. Here there is likewife formed a palifadoe (as it were) of fix or feven thoufand men, who make a large fire, and at the fame time an intolerable din with fhouting, drumming and playing on the hautboy of that country, fo that the elephants are fright-
L ened -9
{   H6 ]
ened; and, inftead of going backward?, move forwards towards the fmallell fpace, called the forlorn hope. This ftrait is clofed likewife with a large fire, and a great clamour is made as before 3 by which means, the elephant being feem-ingly flunned (as it were), looks round about him, on all fides, to fee if he can obtain his freedom, which he hopes to arrive at by means of his great bodily ffrength. He tries each fide of the korahl's fence, but finds, that with his ffrong trunk, he is not able to fell the flout trees that are planted there 5 in confequence of which, he begins to be in a paffion, inflating his probofcis with all his force. He now obferves, that the fire comes nearer and nearer to him : accordingly he ventures into the fmall out-let of the korahl; and feeing the tame elephants fland at the end of it^ imagines that he has at length obtained his freedom. This narrow paffage, I through
through which one of thefe animals only can pafs at a time, is covered at top : on this top are placed fome expert huntfmcn, who drive the elephant to the end of the paffage with a flick, to the top of which, is fattened a (harp-pointed hook. As foon as they have got him here, they take away the beams which clofe the end of the paffige, and leave the opening free. Now the elephant, rejoices like a prifoner juft broke out of his confinement. Accordingly he takes a pretty large leap: but juft at that moment he finds, Handing by his fide, the two tame elephants, (called hunters, and more commonly crimps) who oblige him to ftand ftill, and keep him faft between them. If he refufes to ftand and be obedient, they begin to difcipline him with their trunks; and by their mailer's orders, thrcfh him with thefe flagellatory inftruments in fuch a manner, that from the mere pain he is L 2   ' forced
[   i48 ]
f6rced to evacuate the contents of his body. Now, when at length he finds that he cannot efcape from the power of thefe unrelenting beadles, he gives the affair up, and with a good grace allows himfelf to be led to a tree, at a fmall diflance ; to which, he is bound by the hind-leg with a ftout thong of untanned elk or buck-fkin, and where they leave him, and take the tame animals back again. When one of thefe beafts has thus been led out of the korahl, the others follow more willingly, being all in hopes of obtaining their liberty, as they have feen nothing to make them fufpecT the fate of the firfl that went out. When the hunt is quite finiihed, all the elephants are feen faff bound to trees. In that manner they are to ftand feveral days, being all the while kept low in point of food, in order that they may know that they are not now theji- own mailers, but fubject to the will of others.
At-
[ 149 ] Attendants are placed by the fide of each animal, who give him his food by little and little, to the end that he may learn to diftinguifh, and grow acquainted with mankind. At firft he looks very four on an attendant of this kind ; in the courfe of a few days, however, he becomes more refigned to his fate, and allows the former to come near him and handle him. He likewife foon comes to underfland what his governor fays to him; and even fufters a fining rope to he thrown round his neck; with which rope he is coupled to a tame elephant, and fo led into the liable. This is performed in the following manner. A tame elephant has, on either fide of him, a wild one ; and, if he is of a great fize, he has even two fmaller ones on each fide. The kornack fits on the tame animal with his fharp-pointed hook, with which he turns the creature by the head the way he would have him go, L 3 and
[   '5° ]
and thus leads his captured elephants to their ftablcs, in which are driven down flout poles or trunks of trees. To thefe they are fattened by the hind leg, at fome diflance from each other, fo that they cannot come together -} and thus they are fuffered to Hand, being fed daily with cocoa-nut leaves, and once a day led to water by the tame ones, till the proper time arrives for taking them to market and felling them. It is eafy to imagine, that this kind of hunting is attended with more trouble, noife, and tumult, than thofe which are fet on foot by our princes and great people in Germany, as neither dogs nor fire-arms can be ufed here. But what is mofl to be admired in all this affair is, the great boldncfs of the huntfmcn, who know how to manage this animal, in itfelf fo terrible, as readily as a fkilful huntfman in our country manages his hounds. Thefe kornacks or huntfmen, have a
trifling
[ IM 1
trifling pennon : but the country fellows that help to drive the elephants together, have only that one day taken off from the number of days on which they are obliged to labour (as vafials) on ordinary fer vices.
II. Another method of taking thefe animals, is that which is practifed (in the countries refpectively fubject to them) by the orders of the feven tributary princes, whom I mentioned in a curfory manner, when I was treating of the extenfive power of the governor. They have pits, fome fathoms deep, in thofe places whither the elephant is wont to go in fearch of food. Acrofs thefe pits are laid poles, covered with leaves, and in the middle baited with the food, of which the elephant isfondcfh As foon as he fets eyes on this, he makes directly towards it, and on a fuddcn finds himfelf taken unawares. His new fituation at firft fets him almoff mad;
h 4 at
[ l5*~ } at length however he becomes cooler, and bethinks himfelf what he fhall do in thefe difigreeable circumflances. Accordingly, having firll thrown from him the materials of his fnare, which had fallen in with him, he makes fome endeavours at getting out; but finding himfelf too he ivy to accomplifh this, he cries out for fome of his own fpecies to come to his affiftance. At length he fees fome cf them coming towards him, and flatters himfelf, that they are come to help him out. This, in fact, they do ; but, beingof the tame domeiticatcd kind, as foon as they have pulled him out by means of ropes, they make him prifoner, and deliver him up into the hands of their leader. If he appears' difcontented at this treatment, rnri endeavours to regain his liberty, he gets well thrafhed; and is difciplitted in this manner, till he fubmits with a good grace to be fettered and led any where, juft as his driver
1 '53 1 plcafes. That he may be got out the eafier, the pit is made rather (hallow, and (helving on one fide, fo that he can in fome meafurc help himfelf out; other-wife it would not be poflible to draw out fuch a large and heavy animal, without doing him fome damage.
III. The third and lafl fpecies of capture, is that pracTifed by the Moors (as they are called in thofe parts, from their following the doctrines of the Koran*) who by thefe means are enabled to pay their rents to the lords of the manor, the Dutch Eafl-India Company. It conhfts of the following manoeuvres : in times of drought, when the elephants,
f Thefe people are not Moors, but natives of India, profefling the Mahometan religion. This name Teems to have been a legacy left them by the Portuguefc : for after the expuliion of the Moors from Spain, thefe looked for their old antagonifts even in Afia, and called all the Mahometans they found there Arabians, or Mcors.
being
t £54 J being In want of water, are ufed to haunt certain particular fpots, where they know they lliall find water to quench their thirff; thefe people (a ilrong and hardy race of men) go a hunting in parties, coniifting of four men each, accompanied by fome flout young lads, their children, whom they have brought up to this bufinefs ; and in this manner fearch the wood through, till they have found a herd of elephants. Having attained this point, they pitch on the largefl of thefe animals, and keeping continually hovering about him, endeavour to get him away from the refl. The elephant, on his part, withes for nothing fo much as to get rid of thefe troublelbme vihtors, and accordingly flrives to drive them out of the wood. On the other hand, the boldefl and mofl expert of thefe fellows, with an ebony flick which he carries with him, about two feet long,   begins a fham fight
with*
I   «S5 1
with the elephant, who bangs the ttrck heartily with his probofcis. But the Moor parrying the itrokes, and taking care to avoid coming to clofe quarters, by leaping nimbly from one fide to the other, the elephant grows extremely angry, and does every thing in his power to difarm this flrangc fencing-matter, and take his life. But belides this more adventurous enemy, he finds he has two more to cope with, one on each fide of him; and while he is engaged with thefe; comes a fourth behind him, and watching his opportunity, throws a rope, made into a noofe, round one of his hind legs. At this infant, the lads, knowing that the animal has work enough cut out for him before him, and that his whole attention is taken up by the flick, approach him with the greatefl boldnefs, and fattening the noofe as quickly as poflible round his leg, drag him on till they find a tree fit for their purpofe, to
which
which they fatten him,and let him ttand. In the mean time, two of the,-men run home, and bring a tame elephant, to which having coupled the wild one, they lead them together to the liable.
By one of thefe three methods, are all the elephants taken in Ceylon ; and he who thinks otherwife of this matter, is certainly very much out in his judgment. It is not my cuttom to difpute with any man, for I would have every man enjoy his own opinion ; and a in not in the leatt hurt, if others conlider as fufpicious, what from experience I know to be fact *y or think otherwife of me, than I am confeious that I deferve. However that be, as I have had occaiion for the fpace of twenty years, not only to fee a great number of elephants in their wild (late, but have likewife been in the way to obferve clofely and accurately the methods of capturing them, the management of them, the methods
of
[ If? ]
■of felling them, and the various ufes they are put to, I make no fcruple of pretending to as much knowledge in thefe animals, as the be ft jockeys in Germany can poffibly have in horfe flefh; and (hall therefore take the liberty of mentioning fome more particulars relative to them, which have come within the compafs of my own experience^
There is a file for thefe animals in the kingdom of JafFanapatnam every year, in the month of July. The merchants of the coa{t of Malabar and Bengal are invited to it by advcrtifernents, in which the iize and fex of the animals that are put up to fale, are fpecified. On the appointed day, all the beafrs are brought into the market, diflributed into certain lots, each lot containing the different fizes, great, middling,and fmall. Each lot likewife is numbered, and the numbers are drawn by the merchants out of a golden or filver bafon. This I being
t   '53 ]
beine fmifhed, the whole amount of each lot is reckoned up according to a table of the current prices laying before them, and a proper deduction at the lame time is made for defects; in one head, perhaps, a nail, of which when the number is complete there are eighteen, being wanting on the foot; another hav-ingpa. cleft or ragged ear; another again a fliort and ftumpy tail, 8cc.,
In the courfc of all thefe tranfactions, the Secretary and his clerks never meet with the leaft contradiction or oppofition of any kind from the merchants, as thefe former are known to be thoroughly acquainted with the current prices and the cuftomary abatements. This bufinefs being nniihcd, and the refpective fums of money, which have been pre--viouflv paid into the Company's coffers, being counted over, the Governor, by way of conferring a particular honour on the merchants, after having fprinkled
them
[ 159 1 them with role-water from a golden font, prefents each of them with a nofe-gay with his own hand; and orders his porter, who is a native of the country, to rub them with powder of finders-wood. In return, and by way of mewing their deep fenfe of the honour done them, the merchants make each of them a low bow : and in this manner the fair is finifhed. In fome years above a hundred elephants have been fold at once ; by which, the company has been a great gainer: for one of thefe animals, that is twelve feet high and has no ble-mifh,andat the fame time has two tufksof an equal fize, will fetch above two thoufand dollars.
The decoy-elephants are never fold ; and throughout the whole ifland, none are ufed for this purpofe but fuch as are blemifhed* The natives of the country never buy any elephants, as they cannot rn^ke ufe ojf them.   And the purchafers
of
[ 160 ] of them come from other countries^ where thefe animals can be of more fer-vice. One of the ufes to which they are put, is to keep up the irate and pomp of the nobility, who have always one or two of them {landing before their palaces, Thefe yeomen of the guards are generally clad in a coflly covering of tape/try; and their tufks ate tipped with gold or filver, fet round with jewels.
They are likewife ufed for the pur-pofes of war, by the inland princes, in which cafe they are generally brought into the field coupled together, and having heavy chains fattened to their trunks. The Indians are wont with this view to make them furious and almoft mad with a drink prepared from amfmm*, fo that they are afraid of nothing that can pof-iibly be oppofed to them : and they have this advantage, that neither darts, nor even bullets from fmall arms, have * Amfium is the Indian name for opium.
the
the power to wound them.—This animal is likewife made ufe of as the public executioner; and it muft be owned, that he performs this office to perfection, when he is properly educated for it. He ufually executes his commifllon by taking the criminal (fuppofing this latter to be condemned to death) up with his probofejis, ,and throwing him up in the air, in Which cafe he catches him on the point of his tuiks, and thus makes an end of him. But if the malefactor is not decreed- to fuffer torture, he then lays him down on the ground, and with one of his £bfjc-feet treads him to pieces at one fmaih. When the fentence does not amount to death, he then takes the criminal, and toiling him up in the air, gives him a fair fall without interpofing any farther: in this cafe the poor delinquent fomefimes gets off fife and found; but it is an equal chance if he is not a cripple, for life.—This animal is ufed M like-
likewife for labour. He is made to drag the heavieft pieces of timber fattened to one of his hind legs ; and in general, to carry on his back all kinds of heavy burthens.
He is alfo frequently made ufe of for riding. I have myfelf made fome trials of him in this way : but cannot fay, that I experienced any pleafure in it, as by his fideling way of going he jolts one exceflively.
The elephant may even be taught tricks; and in this point he far excels all other animals. With the greatett aftoniihment, I have often been a wit-nefs to the confummate grace and dexterity with which he manages his pro-bofcis, and ufing with as much eafe and readinefs as a man does his right hand. He will untie a handkerchief, or undo any other kind of parcel, that contains any delicacy that fuits his palate, and take out the contents of it, as well and
as
[   i63 ]
as neatly as any human being; and will even pick your pocket with amazing dexterity. He will throw up a ball into the air, and catch it again ; with many other feats, too tedious to mention at prefent.
I will now take my leave of this uncommon creature, with relating two extraordinary (lories, which, to my certain knowledge, are true 3 but which, I muft . confefs, I ihould fcarcely credit, were .they told me by another perfon.
I was prefent, when the vidan (or overfeer of the elephants) was, according to annual cuftom, ordered by the Governor, to go with his men and decoy-elephants, and fetch away thofe that were newly captured, and turn them into their {tables. The Governor gave ftricl charge to this officer, to take every precaution that the whole drove might be brought home fafe, and in good condition. Accordingly, the vidan having M 2 fet
[ '64 ]
fet out on his journey homewards, it lb happened, that in his convoy of elephants, one of them was driven away by the reft; proving, in fhort, an errant runkedor, as I  have  explained  the matter above. Without delay he turns loofe his belt decoy-elephant, which he called-/chilli, (or darling) faying to her,  •* Go thy way, and make this honeft man happy: but be fure to bring him back again." With thefe words, he let the tame female depart.    The runkedor directly marched off with her, away from the reft of the drove; which, after baiting
a few hours, were taken farther on. In the evening they came to a fortrefs, where they paffed the night, and found fodder prepared for them. The next day, the commander of the fort (a German) expected that the vidan would go forward on his march : inftead of which, he ftaid and requcfted to have fome more fodder, as he muft wait a little longer
for
[   165 J
for his fchilli. Upon this the commanding officer was curious to know the particulars of this affair : being let into the fecret, he only laughed at the poor vidan for his pains, telling him that he fuppofed he was out of his fenfes; but at all events, that he muft fhift his quarters. The vidan, however, begged hard to ftay till the following morning, and at length obtained his requeft. In the night his fchilli came back fafe and found with her. gallant: the next day they were coupled together without the leaft oppofition on the part of the male, and were thus brought without any farther accident, on the third day, to the end of your journey. Here the ftory was heard by every one with the grcateft aftonifhment, and the vidan was obliged, with his cornacks, to confirm the truth of it. It may well be fuppofed that there was not a man, woman or child, that did not go in crowds to fee this M 3 runke"
runkedor. He was found to be twelve feet and one inch in height, and to have very fine tufks. Fie was fold for two thoufand five hundred dollars.
The other anecdote, as follows. A peafant, that lived near the fpot where fome elephants were daily taken to water from the If able, and who about that time was generally fitting at the door of his hut, had taken a particular fancy to one among them, and ufed* now and then to give him a few fig leaves (a food, of which this animal is particularly fond) and which the elephant ufed to eat out of his hand, to the fellow's great fatif-faction. One day, having taken it into his head to make a fool of his old friend, he wrapped up a {tone in the fig-leaf; at the fame time, faying to the kornack, ** for this once, I'll treat this beaft of your's with a good folid ftone, that will if ay long enough in his flomach, I'll an-fwer for it."   The  kornack replied,
" he
[ i67 ] c< he will not be fool enough to fwallow it; do not imagine that he is quite fo ftupid." The boor was tickled with the fancy, and offered the ffone to the poor beaft, which he accordingly took; and having brought it with his probofcis to his mouth, let it fall direftly. " Ha ! called out the kornack, did not I tell you he would not fwallow it ?" at the fame time driving his hearts on : and having watered them, returned immediately. The countryman was flill on the fame fpot; in the mean time the elephant, as quick as thought, fteps out of the road, throws his probofcis about the man, drags him after him, and throwing him down, at one dafh treads his bowels out of his body.
They have horfes here of an excellent Arabian race; and a fpot for breeding them in, not inferior to any in the world. For there are three iflartds lituated hereabouts, which again are reflectively di-M 4 vided
vided into other final Icr iflands oriflets. On thefe iilands, called lib as de Cavalos, this kind of cattle runs wild. The largefl of them is appropriated to the mares, with the ffone-horfes : from twenty to twenty-five of the former, being reckoned fufficient for one of the latter fort: and the horfes live with their females on much the fame terms as the elephants do with theirs • as they con-ftantly keep to their own flud, and will not allow any other horfe to come near their mares. On the fecond ifland the foals are put, and the fillies on the third. Either of thefe muft be five years old, before they are taken on to the firft ifland. The Dutch take thefe horfes for their own ufe, juft as they want them: be-* fides which, they fell a great number yearly at a horfe-fair, which is held the day after that of the elephants. Not a Jiorfe is fold under a hundred dollars3 and this price muff be kept up at all
events,
events, even if fome of the horfes are to be fhot for it, in order to lefTen the number. And if any body chufes to pick out a horfe for himfelf, he muff then pay one hundred and fifty dollars for each. Thefe animals, as has been mentioned before, run wild on the iilands, and muff be caught every time that they are wanted j a tafle which is performed with the greateif eafe : as they have here likewife a korahl, which is circular and fenced round with ffones. Into this the horfes are driven : and as foon as thepurchafer has pitched on any one in particular, fome of the natives, who make it their bufinefs, directly fet off, after him, full fpeed, with ropes made into a noofe, which are eight fathoms in length, and of the thicknefs of a man's finger: this they contrive to throw about one of his hind legs whilil he is on the full gallop, and thus make fure of him; or if they cannot get at
him
[ '7° J him in this manner, they run him till he is quite weary. One cannot fee this manoeuvre pra&ifed without the greateft aftonifhment; for thefe horfe-catchers are fo well trained up to the practice, that they never fail. They teach their children this art upon a man : and I have had it tried upon myfelf. I had only to fay, on which arm or foot I chofe to have the rope thrown, while I was running as fail as I was able, and it was done. The rope itfelf, is prepared from a vegetable, in fome meafure refembling hemp, but at leafl ten times as ftrong and durable. Of this plant, which grows wild, the hfhermen make their nets, and are able to catch with them fifh of the largefr. fize, if we except whales and the like kind of fifli.
The peafants of Ceylon make no ufe of the horfe; but inflead of that, for the cultivation of their lands, the wild buffalo, which they catch themfelves, and
tame
tame it, and employ it in their bufinefs.'-In which particular, they are much better off than our boors, who muft keep their oxen for a certain number of years before they can work them.   The buffalo is a heavy clumfy animal, with rather more bone about him than our ox; of a grey colour, like the elephant, with his horns falling back on his neck; thefe are rather flat than round, and are deeply annulated.    He is of an uncommonly hot nature, and is very apt to lie down in the water.   Even when he is made perfectly tame, or at leaft as tame as his difpofition will admit of, he will frequently try to regain his liberty, and endeavours to bite his  mafter.    In the journies I have taken, I have been more s.       in fear of this animal than of the elephant, till I had learnt the method of fearing him away.   This is, to hold one's hat in one's mouth, and running directly towards him, to fet up a loud
hollow
[ ]
hollow or fhriek ; on which, the beaft makes off as faff as poffible. It is affirmed, that the buffalo lafls as long again as the tame ox; of which, there are feveral forts in Ceylon, fomewhat differing from ours in horns and feature. In the year 1763, I faw two white oxen, each of which meafured eight feet twelve inches in height (Rhine meafure). They were both fent as a prefent to the king of Atchin. The natives of the country would fooner die themfelves, than take away the life of a cow.
The Elk, on the contrary, is a much foberer and quieter animal; and as foon as he fees a man, always makes way for him by getting out of the road. He has a very fine range, and finds plenty of food, in the thick and almoft impenetrable foreff s of this country; and is fel-dom mot, for his flefh is too tough to be efteemed as an article of food, no part of him being eatable but the marrow 6 out
I   *73 J out of his marrow-bones.   His fkin is not put to any ufe, and is always thrown away :  in fhort, this animal does not engage the attention of any body.
As for deer, the people of the country •are at the pains to get them only once a year; at the time when there is a fcarcity of water in the woods, and the .deer afeiiobliged to viiit the dykes that ftill contain a little water. Clofe by thefe dykes, the archers dig deep pits, and placing themfelves in them, two by two, fhoot whatever comes that way, Whether it be boar, flag, roe-buck, or elk. It is a great pity that, by reafon of the great heats, the, flefli of the wild boar, which might be had in fuch plenty, cannot be much in ufe. From the deer, the befl part of the flefh is cut out, particularly that from the loins, which after being dried in the fun, is laid on a gentle charcoal-fire; and then being beaten between two flones till it is
tender,
r '74 ]
tender, is eaten with a little fait by Way of relifh at tea-time. The Europeans call the venifon prepared in this manner, ApoJilex an; appellation, for which; I can find neither rhime nor beafooL ■
The chamois goat is a delicate animal that browzes on the rocks, is more foup-ht after than any other game, for its Hem is tender, and excellent when broiled, much better than that of      .. .
The hare, which is found every where in great plenty, and the flefh of which is reckoned unwholefome. They are often taken, however, with nets, merely for the pleafure of feeing them leap, and are then let go again, or elfe given to the . hounds. The hare would quite overrun the fields and woods,, were it not for his great enemy and persecutor,
The jackall, by fome called the fox. This animal robs him of his young, and even feizes on many an old one while they are afleep.   This fpecies of fox is
p cr-
perfectly like the European, excepting that the hair of his coat is fomewhat longer, and inclined to a grey colour. Of all the wild animals, this is ihe mofl common. If the country, where in times of yore, Sampfon,in order to vex the Philiflines, fet fire to their corn by means of foxes, was as well flored with them as Ceylon, it muft certainly have cofl him very little trouble to collect, with the afliftance of his friends, a number equal to that mentioned in hiflory *.
There is not a lion to be found throughout the whole ifland. On the . other hand, bears and tigers are very numerous. The bears are black, and equal in fize to thofe of Poland. Their food is the wild honey, which has a higher
* There can be no doubt but that Sampfon's foxes were, in fad, jackalls, alius Sckakals. The Hebrew name for thefe creatures is fchugal, and the Perfian fchagal, or fchakal. Vide MicbaeUs's Remarks. \
flavour
flavour than ours in Germany. As for the bees, I have never feen any tame ones, but a great number wild. The bear is very feldom known to fall upon travellers. There is much more danger of the tiger: and it requires the utmoft caution, to avoid being furprifed by this wily creeping foe ; for, when once he has fet his fharp claws into one, it is not eafy to get away from him. This crafty animal lies in wait for a man, in the fame manner as the cat does for a moufe ; and never makes his affault in the face of his prey, but either behind or on one fide of him. And if he finds that he is obferved, and that his adverfary is on his guard, he then fncaks off as foftly as poffible. The forefts pay him the tribute of many a young deer, as he does little more than fuck their blood.— Thofe that have never feen a tiger, may have an idea of it, by forming to themfelves the image of a white cat, flriped
with
L   *77 ] with yellow, which in this cafe they muft fuppofe as big as a large dog.
The porcupine is likewife an inhabitant of the woods, and is of fo malignant a difpohtion, that when any one approaches it, it diredly 'lets fly its quills at him, tluv iti Half a foot long, and ftriped black and white. In this animal there is found (though fcarcely in one out of a hundred) an cxcrefcence, which is ufually termed a ftone, and was formerly very fcarce and dear. Ir has, however, more the appearance of a fungous excrefcence or fponge, than of a ftone.
The crocodile is feen fbmetimes in the woods and fometimes in the water : and they are generally found two or three together. It never meets with the leaft moleftation, let, or hindrance from any one; for no animal will undertake to attack it on account of its fcaly armour, which is equal to a rock in hardnefs, and N relifts
[  i78 ]
reiiffs even iron itfelf. Of this I am perfectly convinced, having often tried with my own hands to break it with an iron pick-axe. This creature is of a monflrous fize; the largefc I have feen was twelve feet long. It has four feet, lfke a man's hands, and four eyes, two above and two below the head, which is long, and bearing a great refemblance to that of a pike. It has no tongue, but a very wide throat, and teeth that clofe within each other like rock-work, and which are extremely flrong withal, and as fharp as if they had been filed for the purpofe. Its thicknefs about the middle, is in proportion to its length; and the tail is full as long as the whole body. It cannot run faff by land on account of the fhortnefs of its feet, but makes its way the fafter for it in the water; be-fides, that in this element it can lie in ,ambufh better for mankind, whofc flelh affords him a repaft, to which he has a
great
[ 179 3 great inclination. His food confifts chiefly of flc/h and fifh : as for herbage, he does not care for it. When he has made a good meal, and has well plugged up his teeth with it, he betakes him to the more, and makes a clattering noife with his teeth for a fignal, upon which a bird, called the crocodile-bird makes up to him, and while the crocodile holds his mouth wide open, picks the meat out of his teeth with his bill, that by its floutnefs and length is perfectly adapted to this purpofe. The fhape of this bird is the fame with that of the blaue-rake* of the Germans. The Governor's game-keepers ufed often, for fport, to catch the crocodile with a fifh-hook fattened to a flrong chain, and baited with a dead dog; and when the bait had taken, and they had got him fan", it was the work of ten men to draw
* Defcribcd by Mr. Pennant, under the name of the ROLLER.
N 2 him
[   i8o ]
him out of the water. And when once they had got him on the bank, it was neceffary to take great care not to come too near him : for he would grow outrageous, opening and (hutting his jaws continually, and fvvinging his tail to and fro with great violence. He has a weak place, where a (hot from a fowling-piece proves mortal to him, viz. juft where the jaw-bone terminates in the neck. At this part the game-keepers ufed to take their aim, and continued to hit the fpot, till the poor prifoner emitted his laft breath.
Thofe who pretend to experience in this matter among the natives, affirm, that, befides his own, the crocodile produces another fpecies of animal, that is found upon land, but not in the water ; and which bears a great refemblance to the crocodile, excepting in its fcales, which are neither fo large nor fohard as thofe of the former.   This fpecies is
fuppofed
[   i8i ]
fuppofed to be produced from the fpawu of the crocodile, which has been call on more out of the water, where it has remained, till it lias been quickened by the fun. This animal is called le-guan*, and lives underground, making holes in the earth, in the manner of our badger : his food is roots, herbs and fowls. This animal is more fought after than the crocodile, the flem of it beinp; efleemed to poffefs great medicinal virtues. He makes ufe of the fame device as the fox, to fcreen himfelf from his purfuers; forming different paffages under ground, at which he may go in and out, and feldom ftraying far froni them.
Among many others, I have feen in the woods a flrange animal, called the
* This is a very innocent kind of lizard, above five feet in length, and of a green colour, which is found on the Well-Indian iflands. Its proper name is the iguana.
N 3 floth.
Jloih. It is of no great fize, has a broad vifage, red eyes, and four feet not unlike thofe of a frog. This creature can climb up trees, as eafily as it can walk on the ground; but in either cafe it takes a quarter of an hour to each ftep.
The huge wood-fnakc*> that inhabits the eaftern part of this ifland, I cannot compare to any thing fo well, as to the main maft of a fhip. This animal, fo dreadful to behold, does not eafily hurt mankind, as it is very heavy and flow in its pace, and confequently it is not difficult to avoid it. Its food is the wild cattle, which it has the power of drawing towards it very forcibly, as it lies ftill on its belly, by breathing upon them j fo that the poor bead is obliged {o follow the infpiration, and yield itfelf an eafy prey to its antagonift. By fwal-lowing by degrees,  and (as it were)
* This feems to be no other than the boa of the naturalifte.
fucking
[   i83 1
fucking it in, it will contrive to get a beaft, as big as a two years old heifer, whole into its ftomach, fkin, bones and all; on which account it is likewife called the fucking, or boulting fnake. A foldier, a Frenchman by birth, took it into his head to go over from the Dutch Eaft-Indla Company, to the Cin-galefe. But as he did not underftand their language, and confequently could not explain to them what he wanted, they let him go again; till at length he fell into the hands of the Malabars, that delivered him over to an out-poft, whence he was paft as a prifoner to the chief fort. This Frenchman, who fpoke Portuguefe perfectly well, it was my bufinefs to examine; and as the poor fellow's death would certainly be of no fervice to me, I let him go unpunillied, under the pretext that he had got drunk and loft his way. This happy iffue of the affair brought tears into his eyes;
N 4 an4
and he gave me the hiffory of all the fufferings he had undergone during his peregrinations, by which he had fuffi-ciently paid for his difloyalty. Among other circumfbnees, he mentioned, that, being once extremely weary, he fat down on a tree that lay on the ground, but foon found the tree begin to move. Ho flood up in hafte, and looking behind him, faw the whole tree in motion, and, at the end of it, the head of a hideous large fnakej from which he made off as faff as he could, his feat, luckily for him, not thinking proper to follow him.
They have here a very fmall kind of fnake, about the thicknefs of a tobacco-pipe, and almoff a foot and a half long, of a green colour, and which is very much dreaded, as being the moft venomous of any on the ifland. The cobra di cabello, likewife, is very common here, and is of the thicknefs of a man's arm.   This fpecies of ferpent is
taught
taught to dance by the viper-catchers, who carry them about, and thus get a livelihood by them.  When one of thefe fellows wants to make his ferpents dance, he ftrikes up a tunc on his rambam (a kind of tabor or hand-drum), at the fame time finging to it; while the animals, to the number of ten, or fome-times not fo many, creep each of them out of their feparate cells.   They then raife themfelves upright on their tails, which lying, rolled up, on the ground, ferve them for a bafis and fupport; at the fame time expanding their cabc/s, which have the air of fpeclacles, and making various motions with their long bodies, as well as with their heads. The fellow then begins to dance between them, as a dancing-mailer would with his fcholars; making curvets and capers, fometimes laying hold on one, fome-times on another of them    now and then putting their heads into his mouth, 4 and
[   i86 ]
and then letting them go again $ and in this manner puts an end to the entertainment, at which I have often been a Spectator, and indeed the nrfr, time not without fome fenfation of fear.
There is another fpecies of fnake, which is called the rat-catcher, ..nd which performs the fame offices as our cat does, by clearing the rooms of ra<-s; on which account it is fufferc! to run about the houfe without moleftation, efpecially too as it never attacks nor hurts any human creature. It is not unpleafant to fee a fnake catching a rat, The rat immediately begins to fqueak, and cannot eafily get away, the fnake all the while attracting it very powerfully with its breath, by which means the rat is deprived of all power to fly.
Of rats there are two kinds, one black, the other quite white. The Malabar populace eat them with great avidity, throwing away no part of them but the
head
[ i87 1 head and the tail. Snakes are made more of by the natives here, than any other animals, excepting apes. They rear them up, and keep them in their huts, and even let them eat with them at their tables. I once faw an example of this with the greateft amazement, in the cafe of a pagan inhabitant, to whom I had made a vifit, and was con-verfing with him on the attributes of the Deity. It being his meal-time, he called to his pamba (or fnake), which immediately came forth from the roof, under which he and I were fitting. He then gave it victuals from his own dim, which the fnake took of itfelf from off a fig-leaf, that was laid for it, and ate along with its hoff. The latter afked me, " Whether I could venture to do the fame ?" I replied, " No, for I am not acquainted with your fnakes, nor they with me : I am, however, of opinion, that it is a brute creature, like
other
[   i88 ]
other brutes, and differing from them only in fpecies ; but by no means a man, and ifill lefs a God." With this anfwer the idolater did not feem highly pleafed, as he, for his part, could not help attributing divine properties to his fnake. When the fnake had eaten his fill, he gave it a kifs, and bid it go to its hole again. The fnake was to the full as big as my arm.
There are certain fpots on this ifland, where it feems as if the makes had formed themfelves into a monarchy or commonwealth. In one of thefe diftricts I once chanced to ft ray, to my no fmall terror, and amazement. It was on an afternoon, not long after I had dined, that I went out to take a walk, and foon found myfelf environed by an aftonifbing number of fnakes of a middling fize. They took their courfe from fouth to north, crawling behind me as well as before me. I began to bawl out luftily,  and foon
upon
1   i89 ] upon this appeared a black man, who told me, " that I had only to Hand quite ftill and quiet, and the fnakes would do me no harm; they had only taken it into their heads to look out for another neighbourhood to fix their dwelling in, and were now leaving their old quarters." Accordingly I flood ftill, and faw above a hundred pafs clofe by me.    It would be abfolutely impofhble, on account of thefe fnakes, for'people to live, and walk out with fuch tranquillity and indifference as they do in this country, had not an all-wife Providence afforded likewife a remedy for this mifchief, and, at the fame time, appointed a violent pcrfecutor to the whole race; fo that, in confe-quence of the former, their bite is the lefs to be dreaded • and by means of the latter, the too great increafe of the fpecies in this hot climate,  is in fome meafure checked.
For
t 19° 3
For they have here not only a wood, leaves and herbs, together with a fpecies of lime or chalk, which are all fuch certain cures for the bite of ferpents, that there is nothing to be apprehended from them; but likewife an animal, which is a fworn enemy to the fpecies of ferpents. It is called the mw2gust and is about the fize of an European cat (though the he^d is rather (harper), with fhort legs, and its coat of a grey colour, A better idea cannot be given of this animal's method of procedure with the fnake kind, than by comparing it to that of our beagle with the hare. As foon asuhe mungus finds a fnake, he makes directly up to it, and endeavours all he can, to feize it behind in the neck. The fnake turns round, and bites him ; which he finding, runs away from the fnake, and crops, as quick as pomble, a herb, which is of fovcreign virtue in the cure of this kind of venom;
then
[,i9i ] then coming back in a violent rage, fets on the fnake with redoubled fury, and keeps clofe up to it, till he has gained the victory, and bit it to death. It is worthy of obfervation, that the mungus and the crow are not found in deferts or forefts, but in inhabited places/ This, doubtlefs, is not without defign; and the fenfible part of the heathen in Ceylon is well aware of it. —. How the ferpent race, in the act of generation, entwine round each other's bodies, and fet head to head; how they catch frogs for their food, &c. &c. is well known in Europe, and therefore needs not be defcribed in this place. I will only juft mention here, that the Cingalefe deprive the fnakes of their venom, by removing the veficle which is placed at the infertion of their teeth into the jaw; after which they handle them with as little fear as they would an eel. The Englifh tar, when he happens to touch
at
at tins ifland, catches thefe ferpents, and after having cut off their heads, and fkinncd and parboiled them, broils them and eats them with a good relifh. That they are very fine eating, with vinegar and pepper, I myfelf know from my own experience.
I now come to the defcription of a kind of animal, which mofl of the pa-* gans look on as facred. I mean the ape, which comprehends a great many fpecies, all very different from each other. They live more amongfl mankind, than in the great forefls ; as the garden-fruit, efpecially the fweet fig, Suits their tafle much better than the wild produce of the woods. In the whole ifland, there are three forts of them; but in the kingdom of Jaffana-patnam, no more than one, viz. the rolleway. This is an animal with a long grey coat, and full as big as the blood-hound 5   in other refpeds not
differing
[   m ]
differing from the fmall ape, fo well known in Europe. From this hallowed race, which roam up and down the country in large parties, the peafant often receives great damage, as they are fome-times apt to take rather too great liberties j robbing him of his fruit, his rice and his punat*; notwithstanding which, he lets them alone, never purfuing the thief that has robbed him, but, on the contrary, feeling very much hurt, whenever he fees an ape wounded or killed by an European ; nay, the very hearing of fuch an event would grieve him greatly. Neither is the rolleway ignorant, that he has free leave and liberty with the peafant : in confequence of which, he vifits him even in his bed-chamber, but there he is not quite fo welcome, on account of the wife and daughter; for he
* A fort of cake, made of the pulp of the ripo fruit of the palm-tree.
0 is
is very well known not to be overscrupulous with refpect to certain matters : every other liberty is readily allowed him. It frequently happens, that the rolleway mall fnatch up a child of one of the black inhabitants, and run up a tree with it; and after having admired it for fome time, will bring it down again unhurt, laying it gently down on the fame place whence he took it: a circumflance that forebodes good fortune to the child, and is accordingly a mofl welcome event to the parents. When a female is delivered,, the young cub is examined and admired by all the apes prefent, who fit in a ring, and hand it round to each other. When this ceremony is nnifhed, the mother gets her child again, and lays it to her breafl, on which, while it fuckles, it takes fail hold with its hands, more like a human creature than a brute. When one of thefe animals has climbed up a tree, in
order-
[ 195 J enter to avoid its purfuers, and dill finds itfelf expofed to their fire, it dodges up and down, and backwards and forwards, between the leaves and the branches; and, if the tree luckily happens to be lofty, they may take their aim, and (hoot till they are weary, before they hit their mark. But, in cafe that one or two of them are (hot, and fall to the ground, then there does not remain another ape on any one of the trees all round the fpot, but they all come down, and endeavour to fave themfelves by flight. With the hounds of this country it is not poflible to get at them; for thefe are afraid of them, and run from them. When this creature finds, that it cannot conceal itfclf in the tree, it is wont to rid itfelf in great haftc of all its natural incumbrances, which occasions a fcent not very agreeable. During the time of my being on the ifland, and not before, they found that the hide might be
O 2 tanned,
tanned, and ufed for fhoes; a difcovety made by a Ruffian tanner.   When the rolleways are found in the open fields, it is conftantly obferved, that fome of the large ft of them are placed as fenti-nels, who, as foon as they perceive the Icaft danger, fet up a loud cry by way of fignal, in confequence of which, the whole herd takes the alarm, and fcampers away.   And, now they have got into the way of making ufe of this animal's hide, I will juft mention the beft method of catching him.   They take a good heavy cocoa-nut, with its rind on, and at one end of it make a hole, large enough for the monkey to get his paw into it; they then loofen a part of the kernel with a knife, and fo let it lie.   The inqulfi-tive,  and at the fame time liquorifh creature, finding this nut, examines the hole, and through it fpies the loofened kernel; eager to come at this, he flicks his paw into the hole, and laying hold of
the
[ *97 1 the loofe piece of kernel, his rift thereby becomes fo much enlarged, that he cannot get it out again j but, having hooked his claws pretty tight into the part he has hold of, the nut remains hanging to his fore-foot. In this manner it is impoffible for him to run very faft, and confequently he falls into the hands of his enemies.
The two other forts of monkey are of the fize of a middling cat; the coat of the one being black, and that of the other of a reddifh-brown colour.
There is a fmall faltatory animal frequently found in the houfes here, up and down the walls of which it runs as faft as others do on the ground, by means of its rough feet, armed with fharp claws. This creature, which has fome refem-blance to a thin emaciated frog, ftrikes every body with fear : for it is affirmed, that, if it jumps on any one's body, that perfon is ft ruck with the palfy or 0 3 apoplexy.
[   i98 ]
apoplexy. I Was once very much ftartlcd, v/hen being in a pretty large company, they all on a fudder began to call out, Thek I Thele! with marks of great anxiety and terror; and flying out of the room, as if they were bewitched, left me, who neither faw any thing,, nor underflood the meaning of the worda quite by myfelf. At length, however, they called me out likewife; accordingly I went after them, and was for the iirfl time informed of the mifchievous properties of this creature.
The inhabitants are not lefs afraid of the fcorfion, an animal which is very frequent in fome places, particularly in the neighbourhood of Graves and Cemeteries. The Europeans, who moilly wear ihoes, have nothing to fear, efpe-cially in the day-time, from this creature; but to the natives, that go barefoot, it is an object of great terror. It is true, people do not uie in confequcncc of its 2 fling;
I   *99 1 itlngi it neverthelefs occafions an intolerable heat in the blood, fo that remedies muft be ufed againft the inflammation.
The tarantula, or horned fpider, is likewife a dangerous animal, as well as extremely odious to look at. The body alone is in fome as big as a man's hand; its horns are brown, and the body has a rough appearance.
An emmet, of a white colour all over, and of a middling fize, frequently does incxpreffible damage to fuch wearing apparel, as is left hanging againft the walls of the houfe. In the fpace of a night, they come in fuch fwarms out of the ground, that they are able to eat up a whole fuit of clothes in that time. Almoft every body, as well natives as Europeans, complain loudly of this animal. I myfelf have differed from their ravages, fufficient to make me remember them.
O 4 They
X    zoo ]
They do not want here for tame and ufeful cattle • but to treat of them in this place, would be fuperfluous. The fheep, however, I cannot pafs entirely unnoticed.   Thefe, in moft refpedts re-fembling our wool-bearing kind, are, however, not covered with wool, but with a hairy coat, more like that of a dog : and it is a remark, that holds good of fheep in general, that the warmer the climate is in which they are found, fo much the more apt the wool is to degenerate into a hairy coating. Neither is there the leafl doubt, but that an all-wife Providence has prepared for the inhabitant of every country,a peculiar diet, as well as a covering for his body, adapted to the climate.
There is no down, nor any other kind of feathers ufed in Ceylon ; neither are they eafily.to be had here ; for there are no fwans on the ifland, and the feathers
of
of geefe are not good for much, fo that they are fuffered to run wild.
Now my fubject has brought me to the clafs of fowls, I mall pafs quickly from the goofe, of which there are three' forts, the brand-goofe, the birgander * and the common goofe, to the peacock.
Peacocks, far from being fcarce here, are, on the contrary, very common. They are fo bold and tame, near fome of the pagan temples, that they cannot be got away from the fpot.
The Jlork is to be found here likewife, but in fome fhape differing from the European. Whither this latter goes, I have not been able to learn in my travels : that it often lights on board of ihip, no fea-faring man will allow to be true. The (fork of Ceylon never emigrates ; any more than the fwallow, which is to be feen here the whole year through.
The
The turkey-cock is much larger and fatter here, than in Europe : it is certainly a native of a warm climate.
Of the larger birds of prey, as the uhu, the eagle, the falcon, and a kind of white hawk, commonly called the kitchen-thief, there is plenty. This latter kind of hawk is the prophet or augur of the Malabars ; as, when they fee him fly over their heads early in the morning, they never will fet out upon a journey, or undertake any bufinefs of importance on that day.
Here is likewife a beautiful kind of teathcock: the cock has golden feathers. A very rare fpecies too of cock is found here, called double-billed: this has a white double bill, which is almoil as large as the bird itfelf.
Of ducks there are many fpecies : a large Manilla duck weighing twelve pounds, the Turkifh, and all the European forts, and one very fmall one, which
[ 203 ] they call fclinge, and which is the belt tailed of any. Univerfally the nefh of all animals, that are eatable, has a very different tafle from that in Europe, excepting the flefh of ducks, which has much the fame tafle with ours. They have likewife ravens here -t I mean the black fort, for as to the white, I have not feen any. The woodcock and common fnipe, together with fome other forts of fnipes, abound here. The fame may be laid of an amazingly great variety of the fmaller kinds of birds, many of which far exceed ours in the beauty of their plumage; particularly an extremely beautiful green pigeon, with a red bill, and feet of the fame colour, which, when the fun mines upon it, perfectly clazzles the eye. This is the cafe like-wife with a pcrroquet of the fame colour, which has a bright red circle round his neck, fetting off the green in a mofl advantageous manner.   This fpecies of
parrot
parrot learns to fpeak tolerably well. To thefe I will add another fmall bird, which, according to the particular fpecies it is of, is either black, red or white all over, and is not bigger than a fwallow. It carries one lingle feather in its tail, that is bent into an arch, and is eighteen inches long. Ceylon has its cackow, but cannot boaft of a nightingale.
It produces, however, a cock, fuperior to the common, which can fight as well as crow. This cock-fighting is very much practifed here, much money being loft and won by means of it ; and the privilege for it is yearly farmed out by the Eaft-India Company for the benefit of the poor. The battle is conducted in the following manner: on each of the cock's feet, juft where his fours grow, they tie a {harp inftrument, of the length of a man's finger, with a fine thread, then taking the cock up with
both
[ 205 ] both hands, they tofs him down again three times, in the face of his antagonift, who is introduced to him with the fame ceremony. After this, both the combatants are fet down, which directly,and without looking about them, run furi-ouily at each other, and cut and (lam about them, till one of them fairly gives it up; on which the conqueror itrides over his vanquiihed foe, and proclaims his triumph by crowing. The lovers of the fport bet largely on this occafion, and pay to the man that farms this privilege, about two (hillings Eng-lifh for each main. When it has black feathers, this animal is likewife, by the inhabitants, offere4 up to the devil, by way of atonement.
Not far from the (hore, in a low flat fituation, there are falt-pans (if I may fo call them), where the fea, at high water, overflows the more, by this means filling.up thefe different hollows in the
land,
t 206 i
land, and, when it retires, leaving a great quantity of faline matter behind it, which the fun diftils out of thefe cavities, juft as it is performed in pans in the falt-works, thus producing the moft beautiful fait, without the affiftance of man : it is as white as the falling fnow.
On the fea-fhore are found a great number of the moft rare and beautiful teftaceous animals, thrown up by the fea. One would fuppofe one's felf placed in themidft of an extenfive cabinet of fhells. Here are to be found lliells of all fizes, figures and colours, great, middling and fmall, and fome that are even diminutive toexcefs. Others again ar^ white, or coloured, marbled or ftriped with various colours; whilft others are fo beautifully turned, as not to be imitated by the heft artifts. Of mufcles there are more than a hundred different forts, in pairs; now ff a fingle fhell be taken from one of thefe pairs, and applied to a thoufand
others,
others, not one will be found to fit it * ' exactly. They all differ from each other iu fize, form and colour. The fame may be faid of the cowries, commonly called blackamoor's teeth: in thefe latter confifts the whole fpecie of the inhabitants of the Maldivia iilands.
On the ff rand are likewife to be found many different pet refactions, and thofe even of animals, fuch as petrefied crabs, fifh, and the like.  Alfo genuine cryflah of the fineff water, and as hard as flint > and corals, that grow in the fliape of trees.   The coral ftone is particularly nfed for the building of fortifications, to which purpofe it is extremely well adapted; as being of a meally nature.,-it cannot be fhivered into pieces by the ftroke of a cannon-ball.   It is likewife burned into lime :  the lime made of it, however, though good, is not near fo ftrong and durable as that made from
the
I 208 3
the pearl-mufcles, and other curious marine productions.
The pearl-fijhcry is conducted in the following manner : the place where the fifhermen meet, forms a bay, like a half moon, and is called Kondatie. Out of this harbour they run, and, when they have a good wind from the ihore, fo as that they can make ufe of two fails at once, they make five miles in a Ihort time, when they find themfelves arrived at the banks. Here they take in their fails, and throw out their wooden anchor. Seven out of their number (which is fourteen) now get, themfelves ready, tying a ftone about their middle, and at the fame time a rope, which is rather longer than the water is deep. Each of them then takes a net, and ties it round his neck on the left iidc of him, making ufe of his left arm to hold and guide it; and after praying, and calling to God for his aid,
leaps
I 209 3
leaps into the water.   The rtone^ carries; the diver to the bottom in an inftaptj who with his right hand muffles the mufcles into his net as quick as poflible, repeating this, once or twice at moil; then pulling the rope, that is held all the while by his partner, is immediately drawn up by him.   The poor diver now finds himfelf conveyed in an inilant into his boat,  into which he empties the contents of his net j then wiping his nofe and mouth, " that all the while ran blood," and cleaning them with a turmeric root, takes breath .a little, and then continues his work in the fame manner till noon ;  at which time the remaining feven, who before were employed only in hauling up the others, now take their turns. Towards evening they weigh anchor, unfurl their fails, and with a fair fea-brecze run back again to the bay of Kondatie.   Not far from this more there is a pit, into which P they
they throw the mufcles they have drawn up, and after having taken a little rc-frefhment at night, go to reft till the dawn, when they are wakened by the firing of a cannon or two, and with the riling fea-breeze fail again to the pearl-banks : and fo much for the fifhery. Thefe mufcles for the future I fhall call oyfters, as they referable thefe latter, at leaft more than they do mufcles, the lhape of which is rather long than round. People, who have experience in thefe matters, pretend, that the pcarl-oyfter is produced by the influx of a frefh mi--neral water into the fait water. Of this I am no judge : I can only fay, that on the fpot where the pearl-banks of Ceylon are fituated, a river of frefli water does undoubtedly empty itfelf into the open fea. The matter which is the founda* tion, as it were, of the pearl-oyffers, I fhall call the feed, and compare it with frog-fpawn, as it looks exactly like it,
and
and is connected together by a (limy fubftance; this feed is depofited in great quantities, and would produce a much greater number of pearl-oyfLers, if it were not fwallowcd up by the fiih with great avidity, and efpecially by the rapacious mark.
The oyfter-feed does not lie equally thick on all parts of the banks, but is diftributed in batches, much in the manner of a box-border in a garden. Indeed, it would almoft feem, as if th« oyfters had a kind of root, flem and branches, by which they are connected and held together, and thus grow to their full perfection. For it has been found, that whenever they are difturbed in this their natural order of connection, not one of them makes any farther pro-grefs in its growth, but remains juit as it was, when it was firfc feparated from its vital tree.
Thefe
Thefe pearl-oyflers require fourteen years in order to ripen and to produce perfect pearls.   A connoiffeur in thefe ' matters, can tell the age of an cyder as exactly by looking at it, as the dealers in cattle can that of an ox by looking at his horns.   But during thefe fourteen years, there is always fome freili oyfter-feed depofited under the old, and confequently in every fifhery they get pearls of all forts, fome large and perfect, fome middling, and fome fmall.  Thefe pearls are found in the flefhy part of the oyfter, one, two, or more in number, without being fixed to the fhell, or by any means adhering to its matrix, called the mother of pearl.    Neither has any one been able to obferve, that the pearl forms any part of the live oyltcr, as, for example, eyes, 6cc. neither indeed has it any thing in common with the flelliy part.   In my opinion, the pearl arifes out of the fub~ fiance of the oyfler, and at the fame ... time
I 2i3 1 time with it, and does not receive the depoiit of the mother, till this latter having arrived at its full perfection, cannot aiTimilatc any more matter, and in confequence of this fuperabundance, generates the pearl $ and in this point of view, the mother-of-pearl has its name very properly bellowed upon it. What confirms my opinion on this fubjecl, is the obfervation, that in many oyfters there arc found one or more pearls adhering to their matrix, which, however, have by no means fo fine a water as thofe which grow free and unconnected with the fhell; for in that iituation, they muft have affi mi bated fome of the coarfer fub-flance of the outer fhell, from which the round and unattached pearls are not fubject to receive the fmallefl particle, being nourifhed only with the moft pure and attenuated vapours. But there are ftill left unanfwered many points, that muft always remain an impenetrable P 3 fccret;
I     *H ]
ferret, as, for example, " Why are not all oyflers, that are allowed to lie their full number of years, furnifhed with pearls ? Why in fome few are very large pearls found, whilft in others of the fame age, the pearls are extremely fmall ? And lailly, why is the clearnefs of the colour, or of the water, fo different in different pearls ?"
The oyfters are differed to lie in the pit, into which, after being dragged up, they have been thrown, till they begin to be putrid; in confequence of which, they yield fuch a horrid flench, that I really do not know what to compare it to; but can only fay, that in com* parifon of this, the fmell of afafcetida is highly delicious. The oyfters being in this iituation, they do not fet about opening them till the fifhery, which lafls thirty days, is quite finiflicd. In this fifhery, a hundred and thirty veffels are ufed, each veffel being manned with
fourteen
fourteen divers, very expert at the bufinefs, who, by way of payment for this toilfome work, are allowed to keep to themfelves all the oyftcrs they fifh up on Sundays. By thefe pearls, which are fold Out of hand by the divers, many a man makes his fortune. For this purpofe affemble, from different countries, fome hundred thoufands of people, who at the fame time bring with them all kinds of wares and commodities, and thus turn the meeting into a perfect fair. In this manner, it is not uncommon for % man, if he has but luck on his fide, to make his fortune with a fingle dollar : the cafe here is Juft the fame as in the lottery. The poor European foldicr, who with many others, to the amount of fcveral companies, is fent hither by toilfome marches, to fee that no malpractices are carried on, is an unintcrefted fpectator of this private traffic; not but that.he withes (and that not a little) P 4 likewife
t   2.6 J
likewife to become a chapman, as he has heard from every body, that he might fell thefe commodities again to great advantage ; but alas ! his purfe is quite empty, and fo far is he from being able to buy pearls, that his finances will not even afford him a pipe of tobacco.
It is generally three years before the fifhery is at an end. The Baft-India Company do not keep it in their own hands, but farm it out. The firft year is worth more than the fecond, and this again fomewhat more than the third. The produce of the whole nfhery has frequently been reckoned at five, or even fix hundred thoufand dollars. After the perfon, who farms the fifhery,'has caufed all the oyfters to be opened, (which is done by blacks, who perform this operation quite naked, and are fearehed every evening, as otherwife they would be apt to conceal pearls of value in their ears, mouth and polteriors) and after he has
given
[ 2i7 ] given up the pit, this fame pit, as foot* as it is dried up, is fold by the honourable Company for fome thoufands or guilders, to people who are ufed to fift from out of the fand, the fmall pearls that have been fpilled, or otherwife let fall into the pit, and who very often find their account in it.
It may perhaps be afked, why the fifhery takes up the fpace of three years, when at the fame time they actually fifh no more than thirty days ? To explain this, it is fufficient to fay, that it cannot be ordered otherwife, on account of the weather; for at a certain time of the year, which (in order to prevent thieves and pirates, who are even now not wanting among them, from taking advantage of it) I do not chufe to mention, there are two forts of wind in thefe parts, one that blows from the land about midnight, and the other proceeding from the fea towards evening; by favour of which
the
[     2,3 ]
the craft quickly runs between the fhore and the banks. As to the iituation of t....:e latter, or in what latitude they lie, I fhall (till lefs take upon me to point it out.
As for the weather, it is of a very different conilitution in Ceylon and the adjacent countries, from what it is in Europe. The divirion into fummer and winter takes place likewife in Ceylon, although it be fo very hot in this climate. In the middle of October the north wind begins to appear, and burfls forth with a dreadful florm of thunder and lightning, infomuch that the earth and the air feem all on fire with gleams f£ lightning, which appearances laft fome days. With all this comes a rain, the like of which, with refpedt to violence, I have never yet obferved elfe-where, which lafls till the middle of December. This is properly called the rainy, or winter feafon, for it will fome-
times
[ 219 ] times be fo chilly at this period, that one fhall perfectly quake with cold. About the middle of April, the north wind, which hitherto had blown continually, fometimes with great violence, at other times more gently, and again at other times fo as hardly to be perceived, takes its leave with j uft fuch another dreadful ftorm as it came with. Directly upon this, the fouth wind blows with fuch force, that one finds it very difficult to keep on one's legs. In fandy diftricts it raifes clouds of light fand, fo that one is obliged to keep one's eyes, nofe, and mouth fhut. This fouth wind remains till the middle of October : other winds there are not, I recollect, that at the rainy feafon, by reafon of the heavy rains, I have not been able to fee fun, moon, or ffars, for fourteen days con-fecutively: from this it may be imagined, what a quantity of water muff be brought by this rain. The inhabitant of this 3 country
country gets his quota almofl all at once j with this portion he muft be content, for himfelf, family, and cattle : for which reafon, he is obliged to be a very great ceconomift of it, and for this purpofe he makes ufe of the dykes, which he has both natural and artificial in his fields, befides large vats, which are hollowed out of a tree with a red-hot iron, and contain more than a hundred rundlets of water. In places where there is a free and uninterrupted paffage for the air, the climate is tolerable for an European. But in fuch fpots as the wind cannot arrive at, or thoroughly ventilate, by reafon of their being fituated in the neighbourhood of high mountains or thick forefts, the air is very unfriendly to any new-comer from Europe. There are, however, many pofts, which it is neceffary to occupy with Europeans: fome of thefe wretches I have often feen (not without companion) in the mofl
miferable
miferable condition, who, were it but pofiible, would willingly have been in their own country, begging at other men's doors ; but a poor (inner is often made to repent in this country, the Crimea he has committed in his own.
The black prince,   who rules this ifland, ftyles himfelf, " The greater!, moft invincible, and tailed emperor/' To explain this, we muft inform th© reader, that, according to report, the family of this prince originates from Siaoij and the firft of thefe emperors had a flefhy excrefence, full a foot long and two inches  thick, growing out of his pofteriors, at the extremity of the os coccygis. Hence the word tailed is ftill preferved in the title.   This was related to me by one of the emperor's minif-ters of flate; who, had he lived, and I ftaid longer on the ifland, would have procured me the honour of making my obedience to his imperial majefty in
per-
[    222 J
perfon; for he had fent me word, that I was in high favour with his royal matter. This firft and really caudate emperor, is farther reported to have arrived at Ceylon, at the time when it was already pretty well peopled$ in a fhip with fome SJa-mefe, and to have been received by the inhabitants as a remarkably excellent, and at the fame time holy man. His great character and qualities procured him the higheft refpect from the Cinga-lefe, which defcended to his poflerityj who, from time to time increafing their power, gave laws to the inhabitants, and
at length got the abfolute fovereignty over the whole ifland. It is highly probable, that the firft rulers in Ceylon more refembled priefts than kings or emperors : as what remains of the primitive cuftoms, cannot give us an idea of any thing elfe than an idolatrous barbarous kind of worfhip.   Of this, each
reign-
[ 223 ] reigning prince, during his administration, erected monuments in virtue of his office of high prieff. Where we find temples inffead of palaces, idols for crowns, and oblations inffead of fvvords, we are more apt to look for a prieff than a king; and this is juft the cafe with the relicks of antiquity in Ceylon. At what time thefe emperors firft, in the ftrict fenfe of the word, enjoyed abfolute power without controul,and began to have an imperial court, and to build citadels for the fecurity of their perfons, I have not been able to learn. Suffice it, that in procefs of time the iflanders began to build a very refpectable palace for their emperor, which is con Articled, in a fimple plain manner, of ftone and mortar, and is yet Handing, being known by the name of Candia. In the fame manner the prefent Emperor is, by every body, called the Emperor of Candia,
This
t 224 3
This Candia * lies almoff. in the middle of the diftricr., fuhject to the Emperor, lie is lord paramount of the whole ifland, excepting the kingdom of Jaffa-napatnam ~|-. His predeceifors had ceded to the Honourable Dutch Eafl India Company, to them and their heirs for ever, all the colonies formerly held by the Portugucfe. On this fubject freih contracts have been drawn up, by which twelve miles of the coaft, every where round the ifland, reckoning from the fea-fhore, are yielded up to the company.
The Portuguefc were extremely fortunate in difcovering fo fine an ifland. And to do them juflice, they were not negligent in profiting by the difcovcry. They paid the greatcft attention to agri-*
* Candi-uda, wc are informed hy Knox, means the top of the hill; and thence is derived the name of Candia.
f Which belongs to the Dutch.
culture
[    225 1
culture and commerce, and erected fortifications, that to the inhabitants muft have appeared not only formidable, but impregnable. No fooner had they fi-nifhed thefe, than they grew infolent and overbearing; and conducting themfelves in a manner not warranted by the laws of nature and of nations, inverted themfelves with the fuprcme judicature, affected to treat the emperor and his family with indifference and contempt, nay, even fought to take his life; and laftly, endeavoured to make themfelves mailers of the whole "ifland : with the farther defign of converting the people of Ceylon to the catholic faith, by means of fire and the fword.
This they firft attempted by craft and addrefs ; to which purpofe they made ufe of the fuperior abilities and under-Handing of the Jefuits, who at that time were in the higheft eflimation. But this fcheme did not fucceed; for the
emperor
emperor and his fubjects obferved, that the {cape of the Portuguefe was not fo much to convert them to their religion, as to enflave their perfons, and feize on their property, and accordingly took to their arms.   They, however, foon found themfelves too weak to conteft the point in this manner, as they had no fire-arms, and were entirely ignorant of the military art, as pra&ifed by the Europeans. They therefore entered into the refolu-tion of applying to the Dutch, who at that time had began to trade to the Eaft-Indies, and even had fettlements in Batavia ; but this prudent nation did not think fit tocomply immediately with their requefl, without firft well weighing the confequences of fuch compliance. And perhaps their fcruples would have got the better of their inclinations to ferve thefe iflanders, had not time and cir-cumftances opportunely paved the way for fuch an undertaking? for it very
feafon-
feafonably happened, that the States-General were involved in a bloody war with the king of Portugal, and therefore had a right to attack the pouefhons of the Portuguefe in the Eaft-Indies. Of this event, the Dutch Eaft-India Company, as making part of the Republic, availed themfelves j and taking an active part in the quarrel between the king of Candia's fubjecls  and  the Portuguefe, took up arms againft the latter, in defence of, and conjointly with the former. The Portuguefe at firft did not pay much regard  to this circumftance,  as they relied on their ftrong fortifications, and their fuperiority in difcipline? looking on the Ceyloners as being in general defencelefs, and without arms; and upon the Dutch, as being of no fignincation. On the contrary, they made a mere joke of the affair, and laid their account in making all theDutchmen prifoners. The Portuguefe   ladies   efpecially, pleafed Q^2 them-
themfelves with the idea of the {lately figure they would be able to make with thefe white flaves, whofe brawny limbs were excellently well adapted to carry them when they went abroad. When the Dutch foldiers and failors heard of their boaflings, they were feized with the utmoll fury, and vowed to fpend the lafl drop of their blood, and (were it poflible) rather die a thoufand deaths than be (laves to the Portuguefe. With thefe inclinations, the time feemed tedious to them, till they were led on to battle j for it was firfl neceffary to fettle matters with the emperor. As foon as this latter had entered into, and, together with his miniflers of flate, had figned a contract, by which they jointly agreed, not only abfolutely and for ever to cede to the Dutch, in confideration of receiving their affiflance againfl the Portuguefe, all the colonies at that time in poffeifion of the latter, but likewife, as
long
long as fun, moon and ftars fliould mine in heaven, to make alliance or contract on any account or fubject whatever, with none but the Dutch, who alone fliould be and continue their friends, allies and defenders. As foon, I lay, as this was finifhed in due form, and Mynheer was perfectly well affured, of what nature the reward was to be, that he was to have for his pains, he inflantly took up arms, and both foldiers and failors were furniflied with guns, piffols, fabres and long knives. The principal generals on the fide of the Dutch were Corter,
RoChafe, and Riklof *uan Goens.
It is not my intention to take up the reader's time with the relation of all the events which happened during this war, as they are to be found recorded by different writers: I mail therefore only quote a paffage from the Memoirs of Mynheer Van Goens, written by himfelf. " I took it into my head, that the Q^3 Portu-
f     23" ]
Portuguefe had no great ftomach for fighting, and on that account would be eaiily conquered; but foon found the contrary by experience: for I mull acknowledge, that if the omnipotent hand of God had not been with us, I fliould have done very little to the purpofe, or rather nothing at all, with the fmall army under my command, as I frequently had no more than one Dutchman to oppofe againft a hundred Portuguefe. Both my foldiers and failors had agreed together, to conquer or die ; and accordingly never feared either fword or fire. The greateft difficulty I had with them, was to keep them in order of battle, as their im-petuofity often made them break their ranks. On the ifle of Manaar, I once found a great body of troops polled on the fea-fhore, againft which I thought it neceflary to lead my little battalion. But it feemed to me impofiible to do any thing here: accordingly I represented
to
[   23r ]
to my people the great ftrength of the enemy, which I could diftinguilli very plainly by means of my fpying-gl'^^* at the fame time faying to them, ' My lads, this will never do, let us even remain where we are; the enemy amounts to fome thoufands, and we are altogether no more than a hundred.' But they were not to be put off in this manner ; they with one voice begged of me to land, as they were in hopes of being able to drive the Portuguefe from their poll in a fhort time. With a view to keep up their courage, I gave way to their Genres. The whole attack throughout was nothing but rage and fury; in hall" an hour's time, the whole force of the Portuguefe was put into diforder, and obliged to retire to their fortrefs, whither we could not purfue them, on account of the canonade kept up from the walls. This aflault, which was one of the mofl bloody, was named by the Portuguefe Q^4 i the
* the bath of blood,' and had fuch an, effect on them, by exciting in them a perfect dread of our people, that they could never after be brought to Hand againft us."
When the chief fortrefs in the kingdom of Jaffanapatnam was given up, a Dutch foldier, that underftood the Portuguefe language, afked a Jefuit, " Father, when will you come back again?" To which the Jefuit replied, " When thy fins are as great, or greater, than mine." To what a pitch the fins of the Portuguefe then living at Ceylon had arrived, may be gueffed from the following circumfbnce : when a Portuguefe had, to pleafe his fancy, killed an inhabitant of the ifland or two, he had only to lay a certain fum of money on the corpfe, and nobody could afterwards take upon him to call the murderer to account, as he was entirely exempt from ail judiciary proceedings, or any claims
of
[ 233 1 of juftice. When now the brave Hollanders* had got the better of the whole collected force of the Portuguefe, thefe latter ftill endeavoured, more than once, to re-eftablifh themfelves by treachery and deceit. By the crafty inductions of their holy fathers, they made feveral trials to tliis purpofe j but none of them fucceed-ed, and all their fchemes were difcovcred, ere they could be put into execution. However, in confequencc of this conduct, not a fingle Portuguefe was fuffered to remain on the illand; but they were all fent off at once to the coaft of Malabar, where they had a colony, which they are ftill in poffeflion of, viz. Goa. There they exercife their religion, prepare candidates for holy orders, and afterwards fend them out as miilionaries, all over the Eail-Indies.
* The Dutch were abfolutc mailers of the ifland in the year 1658,
The
The fortrefTes and other places, which the Dutch took from the Portuguefe, were as follows—Colombo, Gale, Mature, Uangcwdle, Nigutnbo, Calbere, Kattun, ^rhiconomale, Batticalox. In the kingdom of jaffanapatnam—yaffanapatruim, MtJfzaar, Hamenhiel, Porto das Pedras, Ponnoryn, Elcxant, Befchuetter, Pell, Loewe, Arripo, Mantotte, Catfchiai, Clali, and Pufoeraincatto.
The emperor of Candia now finding himfelf delivered from his enemies and perfecutors, thought himfelf happy in having made choice of fuch able protectors, and fent an embaffy to the Dutch with coflly prefents, which were received by them with the greateft refpect, and the ambaffador was fent back with a fuitable return : and this cuftom is kept up yearly, even to this time. The Company gets prefents to the amount of twenty thoufand guilders. The firft jubilee, in commemoration of this grand
event,
[   235 ] event, was kept by the Dutch in the year 1758, while I was on the iiland.
The emperor of Ceylon, in his prefent Iituation, may be confidered as fovereign of one of the fined iilands of the in-habited world. He refides almofl in the middle of it, and fees the Dutch keeping watch round about him every where on the coaft, that he is not attacked by an enemy unawares. It is true, he is by this means fome what limited, and has not the liberty of trading with any other nation ; but this is of no import, he is emperor notwithftanding, and his fecu-rity muff, always be of greater value to him, than any advantages, by which his Sovereignty might be endangered.
The emperor governs his fu ejects, the true genuine Cingakfe, by the ftatute laws of the land, which are the joint production of divers wife princes, his prede-ceffors, and are confidered as facred by £he Cingalefe. The burthens he lays on
his
his fubjects, are eafy to be borne, and are fo contrived as to command the obedience and refpecr. of the natives. The loweft of bis fuejects has a right to lay his complaints againft the greateft man in the kingdom before the emperor, the firft opportunity he can find of feeing him; which he gracioufly receives, and orders the complaint to be inveftigated by impartial commiffaries. If at any time he finds a grandee of the kingdom guilty of any crime, he allows jufticc to take place without refpect of perfons.
The emperor is feldom or never feen riding out alone in the adjacent country, either on horfeback, or on an elephant, or in an andol, but always accompanied by fome of his favourites. (The andol is a kind of portable chair, large enough for a man to lie in at full length, and hung upon a crooked bamboo, which is hollow on the infide, and confequently very light, but at the fame time extremely
tremcly flrong.) He is clad after the manner of his countrymen and fubjects the Cingalefe, wearing a kind of hat; and bcfides that, a cap, a fhirt, a flomacher, and over that, a coat, with buttons in the front, a piece of linen cloth about his waift in (leadof breeches; no {lockings nor {hoes, but inflead of the latter, a tort of flippers, that are turned up at the toe to a confiderable height, like a pair of ikates : in this lafl article con lifts the chief luxury of his drefs, they being flitched and embroidered in. a variety of manners. In
rainy weather, he wears wooden Jabots, called chirips, about the width of the fole of his foot, and rifing three fingers breadth before and behind; thefe are thin towards the middle; at the top is a fmall button, which he fattens by loops fixed between his great toe and the reft, and thus fleadies his chirips, fo that he can ufe them in walking,
6 The
The emperor profeffes to belong t6 the Buddian feci:*, of which opinion likewife are all his grandees, and moh; of the natives of the country. He holds a plurality of gods, and rewards and punifhments after this life; he makes atonement for his iins, by offerings and good works ; he mews his reverence for his idols, by frequenting their temples -and addreffing his prayers to them. This various and motley tribe of gods, amongfl which the deity, that bears the refem-blance of an ape, has the precedence, his imperial majefty has abundance of time and opportunity to vifit; as he has no foreign embafTies to attend to, excepting once a year to the guardians of his coafls, the Dutch, who are obliged to addrefs him, kneeling upon one knee,
* JBuddu, or Budfo, a famous founder of a new religion. He came originally from Siam, and travelled as far as Japan,
in
in the moft fubmiflive maimer. The holy priefts, who have the honour of a fecret intcrcourfe with his gods, are his chief companions, and entertain him with the mythology of thefe divine per-fonages, their various natures, and the different departments they occupy in the government of the univerfe.
And fo much for the. emperor of Candia.    His fubjeefs,   the Cingalcfe, are by no means the worfl fort of men that I have had occafion to be acquainted with , their fkin indeed is black, like that of their emperor, but this black covering includes a foul and fpirit not inferior to any.    In the articles of pro-vifions and drefs, they naturally differ from us, on account of the difference of their climate.   The houfes fet apart for the fervice of the deity, are built in a flyle very different from that of our churches; and the Cingalefe, when he goes thither, takes no books with him,
as
as the Chriflians are wont to do, bufe fpeaks from the abundance of his heart, what he wifh.es to lay before his god. Previous to his approach to this holy place, he dreffes himfelf neatly, wafhes and purifies himfelf, and above all, takes care not to go into any tavern, or houfe of entertainment, at the time when he is going to enter the temple of his deity: on the contrary, he makes his appearance there faffing, and proftrates himfelf the whole length of his body; for he does not think himfelf worthy to behold, face to face, the image of his god. Pie is very charitable to the poor of his own nation, particularly to the religious, who entirely abftain from all manner of work, and only excrcife their facred functions, going about every where, and calling to the people continually, to put them in mind, that God is at hand.   The Cin-galefe are a very regular fober people, being (unlike mofl of the eaflern nations)
tioris) content with one wife, and taking-great care of their children; living in peace and friendship with their neighbours, paying the emperor punctually his tribute, and labouring early and late in their refpective callings. I will now dwell no longer on this fubject, as I do not underftand the Cingalefe language; but inflead of that, mention fome particulars relative to the Malabars, who live in the kingdom of Jaffanapatnam, and with whom, from the connections I have had with them, I am better acquainted.
Thefe Malabars came originally from the Malabar coaft, bearing not the lcail refemblance to the Cinealefe, and are Under the dominion of the Dutch, who exercife fovereign authority over them. Their whole clothing conn/Is in a piece of linen^ with Which they encircle their bodies from the navel almoft to the knee.   In this manner go both fexes,
• 5 R male
X ] male as well as female. The people of quality throw likewife a piece of linen over their moulders, and wear another bound round their head, not unlike a Turkilh turban; the common people arc not allowed to alter the fafhion of their drefs, nor to imitate people of rank in their clothing. With refpee7fc to their belief on the fubject of the Deity, and the human foul, fo much has been repeatedly faid by the Daniih miffionaries*, that it is needlefs for mc to mention any thing concerning it. Every honeft man, however, muft bear teftimony to thefe mifhonaries, that they fpare no pains to promote the end of their mif-fion, which, it muff be confeffcd, is a very unpleafing and difficult talk. It is a great pity, that the natives cannot be trained up, fo as to become good mifhonaries; by which means, a much
* At Tranquebarj
greater
£   243 ] greater progrefs would be made in this pious undertaking.
The Malabars of JafThnapatnam differ fo widely from thofe that inhabit the coaft, in language, manners, and religious rites, that not only do they not understand each other in converfation, but they even feem quite a different nation. The infular .Malabars, befides frequently facrificing, and performing good works, once a year, by way of a general purification from their fins, bathe in the holy river, as it is termed by them, and in their language, Ramafuram. Previous to this, it is requifite that one of their holy men, who is fet apart for this purpofe, fhould drown himfelf in this fame river: this being done, and the water having, from this operation, acquired a purifying power, all thofe that are prefent at it, throw themfelves into the river, at the fiime time calling aloud to their god Rama to put away their R 2 un-
uncleanlinefs from them.   While they thus purify their bodies, they imagine that they (hall at the fame time obtain-the purification of their fouls. There are people among the Malabars,. who keep their bodies under in a- lingular manner, by fevere faffing, ufing the discipline of flagellation, like the mofl pious catholics, and never fitting down day or night; fome, that they may feel pain continually, break a limb afunder, &c. There are no miffionaries fent to the Malabars, but the ordinary clergy make the circuit once a year, and keep an examination in every church. This examination confifla chiefly in the following particulars : 1. It is ordered that all the children born fince the lafl. vifitation, fhall be brought to be; baptized :. 2. That all fuch as wifh to be married* appear with an atteflation from the fchool-mafter of the place, that the banns have been proclaimed three Sundays together :
3. That-
[ HS 1 3. That all the youths that are eighteen years of age, be taken from fchool, and have their names infcribed among fuch as are to perform foccage-fervice, and pay the poll-tax. (All children are at liberty to go to fchool at free-coil till they are eighteen years old.) This regulation gives the fmefl opportunity in the world, to a covetous pried, to make a penny; as a lad will generally give a dollar or two, to go on with his fchool-ing, and thus get excufed from all labour and fervice. ,4. That on this oc-cafion, the minifler exhort the fchool-mailer belonging to each church, to do his duty with the greatell care and attention. Here it is to be obferved, by .the bye, that the fchoolmafler among the Malabars, at the fame time performs the office of a notary, drawing up all contracts, bonds, and fuch like in-flruments, and keeping copies of them. £y the method of proceeding above-
R 3 mentioned,
mentioned, the people become merely baptized heathens, in every other rcfpect holding the fuperftitious tenets, and following the idolatrous practices of their anceftors. In former times they took more pains, and a handfomc Malabar fchool, or academy, was erected for the education of the youth, which, however, is now gone to decay. The Malabar children learn to read and write at the fame time, the fchoolmafter making the figures upon the ground in fimd, which they make after him till they can do it readily of themfelves. They likewife learn to reckon by memory, without any cyphers, and that to fo great a degree of perfection, that it is really aftonilh-ing. Parents here commonly take more care of their children, than many Europeans ; they are particularly careful that their children, by the time they can read and write, mould have good long ears, to hang as low as their ihoulders j and 2* likewife
[ 247 ] iikewiit: learn to exercife their craft, in order tfcaJt they may be enabled to get their living. They never chufe to go out of their father's houfe to learn a trade or profeflion; for they have certain ftatutes and regulations, by which their children are forbid to learn any other profefhon than that of their parents. If a man be a goldfmith, he muft make all his children goldfmiths; the hufband-man muft bring up all his children to hufbandry, and fo on in every other kind of bufinefs. As the Malabar lads have no occafion to think on any thing elfe but what they fee their fathers do before their eyes, and as they are continually with him, and confequently foon learn to do the fame, it is not uncommon to find boys of twelve years of age, or even lefs, as perfect in their bufinefs, as many maffers in Europe of forty. The paternal authority is very great, fo that the child perfectly looks upon his father R 4 at
[ ]
as a god, and performs with the grcateil pleafure whatever he requires of him. The father looks out a wife for his fon, and does it betimes, always chufing one of his own kindred, as for this purpofe he never goes out of his own family: thus having pitched upon one to his liking, he talks the affair over with her parents or guardians, with whom he fettles her portion.   The fchoolmafter is then called, together with the head of the village where the bride lives; it is their bufinefs to draw up the marriage-writings,  in which they are to make mention of the girl's portion (which generally confifls in a piece of land, fome cattle, and money), and witnefs the writings.   The father,  as foon as he gets home, tells his wife what he has done ; flic, in her turn, breaks the matter to her fon, who, on his part, • always appears perfectly fatisfied. The mother then pays a vifit to her intended
daughter*
[ 249 1 daughter-in-law; and on this occafion, the mothers on both fides lay their heads together, to fix on the proper time for the wedding. But if at any time it Should happen, that an untoward child fhould not chufe to follow his parents inclinations in this matter, he muft even be content to be djnnherited without any farther ceremony, as a difobedient fon, and to be ejected immediately out of the family ; and farther, if he mould take upon him to exercife any hostilities againft his parents, he would be immediately laid hold of, and feverely pu'nifhed. Such fort of degenerate flub-born children, are often found among thofe who have loft their parents when they were very young; and not being content with their guardians, chufe to follow their own devices; in puriuance of which, going away from their friends, they herd with people of their own complexion there form a mofl pernicious
[   ft* ]
nicious band, whofe whole bufinefs it is to ileal, rob, whore, and murder, and introduce all kinds of irregularities a^ mong the Malabars, who are naturally lovers of difcipline and order. This free and jolly fet likewife produces the topers, gameilcrs, and dancers; for a reputable   Malabar  houie-keeper will never drink, or play at cards, and flill lefs dance; but on the contrary, would look upon it as the greateil ihame, were he fo to do.   While I lived among thefe people, I was often, as a mark of Singular refpecl:,  preifed to be their gueil; and particularly once, on the tenth of April (which is their New-Year's-Day), to an entertainment, where there were irreat doings.   Before the houfe of the mailer of the feafl, who was a man of confequence in the ifland, there was a number of poor people, who came there "in hopes of partaking of his bounty • " towards the end there came likewife a
troop
[ J
troop of dancers, male and female, with a kind of mufical inftrument, called by the Europeans the, devil's neckcloth. Seeing thefe people coming, I afked our kind hofl:, whither he would not dance too after dinner? At this the man feemed very much {truck and hurt, telling me, ** he never could have believed, that I would have affronted him fo much; that at any time he had rather die than dance ; that this latter propofal touched his honour too near; that he would never be the inftrument of cafting an odium on the memory of his honoured parents after their death, nor did he chufe to go out of the world himfelf with a reproachful name." I replied, '* Come, come, my good friend, for this once we will both dance together." He begged of me earneflly to leave off, and fay no more about the matter, but talk of fome-thing elfe. ** But, if you do not chufe to dance," faid I, " what have you the
dancers
dancers here for ?" " They are Come of their own accord," replied he, ^thinking to get a bit of victuals; and as of two evils we muft always chufe the leaft, and as dancing is rather better than fteal-ing and robbing, our people are content to bear with thefe dancers, and other kind of flrollers."
Moft of the crafts and trades, that are carried on in Europe, are exercifed like-wife by the Malabars, a very few only •excepted, e. g. periwig-makers and hair-dreffers 4 for the Malabars wear no wigs, nor their wives any tetes. On the, other hand, this nation is divided into more claftes than the Europeans are; fur whilft we have only thofe of the chief magiftrate, the nobility, .the bur-gerfy, and the peafantry, among them there are twelve different cafts. That of the prieft is the higheft of all, thofe of the watchmen and porters the loweft • this latter is again fubdivided into two
chiles,
[ tin I
elaffes, for the highefl clafs carries no-body but the chief magistrate of the country, and him in an andol, fuch a» we have already obferved is ufed by the emperor of Candia.   Thefe porters are called cheviaffes;  they wear a white garment, that reaches to the calves of their legs, and a turban.   In war time, I have been carried by thefe people by the governor's fide, but never elfe.. Each of thefe calls keeps feparate by itfelf, never mixing with the others; no individual of a higher caff would, for the whole world, fit or drink with one of a lower.    The pride of the nobility is intolerable, and often draws them into quarrels, particularly with the bramins, who do not belong to the Malabar race, but think, as highly of themfelves as thefe do,, and therefore never give way to them when they meet them; which often brings employment to the judge advocate.   This Malabar nobility hrfl
origU
originated under the dominion of the Portuguefe, having been idly invented by thefe latter, in order to fqueeze a little money out of them : the Portuguefe having fuggefled to them, that it was not fitting for one Malabar to be fet over others, as head or overfeer, without fome peculiar distinction ; that therefore every head, or bailiff of a village, ought to be ennobled. This took with the Simple Malabar, who afked, how much the letters-patent of nobility would cofl ? He was informed, " a few .hundred dollars only."   Such as had
the money by them, preSfed- forward immediately to receive the honour firft, which was accordingly conferred in the following manner : the governor took a thin filver plate, on which the name of the Malabar, who wifhed to be ennobled, was written, with the title of Don prefixed to it; this he bound with his hand on the forehead of the Malabar
(who
X   255 ]
(who was all the while in a kneeling po.'lure), and laying his hand on his moulder, faid, "Don thou art, Don malt thou live, iand Don (halt thou die.'1 Thoroughly Satisfied with this, the new created nobleman would walk off; coming again another time, when he wifhed to be appointed head of the village, for 'Which purpofe he mil ft take care to bring another purfe. By this contrivance, the Portuguefe got an enormous heap of money from the Malabars; for every one that could fcrape together the fum fixed upon, got himfelf ennobled. The Dutch, afterwards, made flill forrier work of it, and fold the title of Don for fifty, five and twenty, and at lafh even fo low as -ten dollars. The bramins, who very well know-how the Malabars come by their nobility, and are proud of their birth, make no diftinclion between one of thefe noblemen, and a common Malabar , at which the Malabar is apt to
take
take fire, and in his turn twits the bramin with coming into his country, and living upon them; fo that they are feldom friends. The bramins are the greateft idolaters among the pagans', crafty, lazy, and deceitful; and are among the plain and fimple Malabars, what formerly a certain fociety was in Europe, and would be ftill, perhaps, if they had not been reftrained by fome, who had as much penetration as themfelves.
To what I have faid before of the Malabar hufbandmen, I muft beg leave to add, that they are very diligent; rifmg early in the morning, to go to work with their flaves, and returning home at fun-fet, to reft. The flaves they have no ufe for, they difmifs, to maintain themfelves by their own labour; who, in confequence thereof, form a peculiar race, and live by themfelves*. They
* The author doubtlefs means fuch flaves, as arc born under the matter's roof,
are,
t 2 57 J are, however, bound to appear when called upon. The mailer can fell thefe flaves whenever he pleafes, or elfe make them free; but in that cafe he muff, give them a formal releafe in writing. Among thefe freed-men there are likewife fome rafcals, who, having no property of their own, live by theft arid rapine. But if the flave be well-difpofed, and induf-trious, he endeavours to get an honefl livelihood by working for fome mailer, and perhaps lays by money into the bargain ; though it often happens, that he is in danger of being cheated out of it, by a grudging and covetous mailer, which often occafions much mifchief and diflurbance. The Malabars have a fyflem of laws peculiar to themfelves, and originating from the pagan princes, who formerly governed this country. By thefe laws every Malabar is empowered, if he has no children, to adopt whom-foever he will for his heir, without his S relations
relations daring in the leaft to oppofe it. In confeqnence of this law, it fometimes happens, that poor children are adopted and looked upon as the true heirs. The daughters fare better than the fons, in confequence of the legacies generally bequeathed them by their parents; as they almoft univerfally receive half their father's poneflions, by way of dower: if the parents afterwards come to decay, nay, even mould they get into debt, the fon alone muft be anfwerable for all, as the daughters never give back any part of the portion they have received. Pains have been taken to make fome change in this affair, but hitherto they have not been able to bring it about. I have frequently fpoke with fenfible Malabars upon the fubjecl, and received for anfwer, that in cafe an equality was to take place in this matter, their daughters then would not fo eafily get hulbands, and confequently run a greater rifque of being ^ feduced.
feduced. The youngefl fon always has the privilege of remaining in his father's houfe ; in other refpects he is fubjecf to the Dutch imports, that is, he is burdened with foccage-fervice, and the poll-tax. If he neglects performing foccage-fervice, he is fined in a fchelling ; and if particular circumflances fliould require his extraordinary fervice, he mufl be ready to act when called upon. For the provilions he delivers in, he is paid a regulated price.
There are likewife another fort of Malabars, called Wediu*, who keep retired
* The Wedas, or Bedas (hy the Abbe Raynal improperly written Wadas) are, according to the account of Knox and other authors, a nation of hunters, living in a ftate of freedom, without houfes, and roving about in the interior parts of the woods: they are not, however, a different people; for thoy fpeak the fame language as the other Ceyloners. (Pauiu. Recherches fur lei Amer. I. p. 151.) and the great clearncfs of their complexions proceeds S 2 from
tired in caves and forefts, and do not chufe to be fubject either to the Dutch, or the emperor of Candia. Thefe people fubfift like other favage nations; living without any regulation or order, like the wild beafts, and flying as well before the Europeans, as the Cingalefe and the Malabars that are fettled there.    In the territories of the Malabar princes, they often do much mifchief; fuddenly falling on the inhabitants, whom they frequently plunder, and, in cafe of opposition, even fome times kill.   This race of men live on the roots of the earth, on fruit, and the animals they procure by hunting, the flefh of which they eat raw, preferring part of it in wild honey, againft a time when they may ftand in need of it. It is unfafe to travel through
from their living in the woods, where they are not expofed fo much to the fun. ('llnmt:rman\ Gto-grafhkal Ztokgy, I. p,.8i.)
thofe
[ gfti ]
thofe parts of the country where they fojourn. This dangerous and noxious race of mortals is not known to have any religion, nor yet any moral regulation among themfelves; they are a fet of abfolute libertines, who follow the bent of their wild and depraved natures. The Portuguefe, as well as the Hollanders, have been at fome pains to reduce thefe people to obedience and order; but this they have found impoffible, partly by reafon of the denfity of the woods, and partly on the account of the unhealthinefs of the country where they live, and where they are harder to catch than wild beaits.
Among the civilized Malabars, there lives a race of black Turks, who are commonly called Moors. Thefe people follow the doctrine of the Koran, and go lightly clad in the Arabian fafhion, being there, in fome meafure, what the Jews are here. They follow no other S 3 occu-
occupation than merchandize, buying and felling, and in this they are extremely ingenious and expert. It is through them that the Malabars get their trinkets and jewels, fuch as golden earrings, coral necklaces, bracelets and rings for the arms and legs ; and difpofe of them again, when they have occafion to
turn them in to money. Thefe Moors have the art of keeping up their credit with the Company at large, as well as with particulars among the Europeans, and in fhort with every body there; and a Moor is hardly ever known to be brought into a court of juftice. The Company often makes ufe of their talents, particularly when it wants to lay a tax upon any article of commerce. Nobody underftands the value of pearls and precious ftones fo well as they, as in fact they are continually employed in the boring of pearls j and the perfons who are ufed to farm the pearl-fiihery, always
rely
[ 263 ] rely on their Skill in this article, as well as in arithmetic, to inform them what they are to give for the whole fifhery. They perform all their calculations' entirely by memory, in which manner they are capable of reckoning up the mofl difficult fractions. Their houfes, though they have almofl all of them more wives than one, are not fo clean in the infide as thofe of the Malabars, in whofe company they never eat, although, like them, they eat without knives or fpoons, always ufing their fingers for this purpofe.
Of thefe three different races, viz. the Bramins, Moors, and Malabars, the inhabitants of Jaffanapatnam con lift. Of thefe three, the Malabar is properly the original and genuine inhabitant of the country. One may likewife eafily diftinguifh each of thefe from the other (even without their clothes), from their outward appearance. The Bramin is of S 4 a yellow
[   *«4 3
A yellow complexion, plump and flemy$ the Malabar is black, has long hair, and has no calves to his legs; the Moor is likewife black, but ftrong built, has fhick calves, and keeps his headihaved : With all thefe three races I have been very converfant.   The Moors ufed to pay me great refpecT:, on account of my having by me a copy of the Koran, in the Arabian  and  German languages, which when I fhewed them, they always kilfed with the highefl degree of admiration.   In the war againft the emperor of Candia, we had taken into our fervice ten companies of the Moors, who were commanded by their own princes: with thefe we did more execution than with five companies of Europeans, by which this nation obtained the highefl: credit. Of all thefe, it is the rural Malabar that J prefer (though it muft be confeffed, that they are mere heathens), and I cannot but hope, that the Almighty, in due
time,
E 96s ]
time, will yet be merciful unto themv In the hymns, which they fing in times of trouble and diflrefs, there is fome-thing fo natural, as perforce to move ono to compafllon, nay, to tears, even though, for want of knowledge in their language, one fliould not perfectly comprehend the force of their expreflions. I was once indeed affected fo much on their account, as to flied a torrent of tears, at the time when God punifhed this country with a drought that laffed alrnofl the fpace of a year, and directly upon this, with the plague, of which there died eighteen hundred thoufand people. On this melancholy occafion, the poor Malabars ail* mbled together in the open fields, where they threw the duff into the air, and cried lamentably to the God of all gods, ?f befeeching him at leaff to take pity upon the earth, although he fliould not think themfelves worthy of his fa-ypur $ at the fame time they hoped their
mediating
mediating god would fpeak for them to the other gods, and not be filent, for otherwife they muft all perifli."
I will here juft mention a few particulars relative to their manner of burying the dead. The Bramins burn the dead- body, and collecting the allies of it in pots, bury them in the earth, at the fame time befmearing their own foreheads with the aftics of burnt cow's-dung. The Malabars, on the other hand, wrap their corpfes up in a cloth, and lay them, without any coffin, in their church-yards, about a foot and a half deep in the earth. The Moors inclofe their dead in a kind of houfe, made of wood, and then let it down into the earth, at the fame time placing one or more ftones, with a white flag, over the grave.
1 cannot conclude this account of the Malabar nation, without recommending to the favour of all the European ladies,
who
who adorn their perfons with the Indian chintzes, the Malabar maidens, that with their own hands paint this beautiful manufacture.
I now come to fpeak of that worthy nation, the Dutch. In Ceylon, it may be faid to confifr. of almofl every nation to be found in Europe, who, having entered into the fervice of the Eaff-India Company, are pretty univerfally known by the general name of Dutchmen to the natives of this ifland, who have very little, if any, idea of the different flates of Europe. This mixed nation is, with refpect to itfelf, comprized in one fingle clafs, viz. that of the Europeans; but the children defcendcd from them, arc diftributed into different claffes; as for example, a child, whofe father and mother are both Europeans, belongs to the clafs called Pitjiiz; a child born of'an European father, and a Puffizin, is termed a Cajliz;  and one fprung from an
Euro-
European father, and an Indian mother, is called a Meftiz. Thefe three claries rank next to the Dutch, and go clad in the fame manner, efpecially the male fex; hut the women of the lafl clafs have a peculiar drefs, not being permitted to imitate the two former in that particular. Inferior to thefe three claffes there arc two more, the 'Tupajfes and the Libertines j the former are defcended from the flaves formerly made free by the Portuguefe, the latter from fuch as have obtained their freedom from the Dutch. The men are clad like the Dutch, the women like the Meflizes. This latter clafs increafes every day; as it is by no means uncommon for a rich European to give a (lave his liberty, as a reward for his fidelity, not indeed fo often during the life of the former, as by will, after his death, as people are not fo eafily per~ fuaded, while they live, to part with a faithful Have. On this occafion, he muft
make
t   *69 ] make him a prefent of ten dollars, as the Have muft have fome means of getting his bread.   Every European in office is obliged to have one or more Haves, in order to keep up the dignity of his character, a cuftom by no means to be admired; fince it would be much better for them to make ufe of free men, as we do in Europe; as the flaves are not only apt to live diifohue lives, but are likewife almoft univerfally deceitful and faithlefs; and what is ftill worfe, is, that the inhabitants cannot bring up their flaves in the chriftian religion, he-caufe in that cafe they muft neceffarily be declared free; for as flaves they are not allowed to be baptized, nor to partake of the Lord's fupper.   I, for my part, had eight flaves about my per fon, all of whom I was abfolutely refolved to have baptized; but as the Dutch mi-nifter, agreeably to his inftru&ions, did not dare undertake to do it, on pain of
being
being difcharged from his office, I had them baptized by a catholic mifuonary ; and before my departure from the ifland, I took care to put them into the hands of good religious people.
Every mafler is at liberty to clothe his flaves as he pleafes, excepting only that he dare not let them wear cither hat, fhoes, or ftockings, not even the governor himfelf, or a man of the firft rank* When a flave is fold, he muff appear before a notary, and with his own mouth declare he is a Have, otherwife the deed of fale will not be made out.
The adminiff ration of the Company's affairs in Ceylon is veiled in three different perfons; the firfl in rank prehdes in the principal fort in Colombo, the fecond in Jaffanapatnam, and the third in Gale. When the firfl of thefe retires from government, the next comes into his place, and is himfelf fucceeded by the third.   Each of 'hefe reprefents the
Company
Company in the fulnefs of its prerogative and dominion, being fully empowered-by them for this purpofe, in confequence of the inflrudtions he has received from them. In affairs relative to the police, each of them has the power of acting contrary to the advice of his council (which confifl of eight perfons befides himfelf), and may take upon himfelf the whole of the affair that has been under confideration.
In the adminiflration of juftfce, he is at liberty to alter the fentence of the judge in criminal cafes, that is, either to enlarge or mitigate the punifhment of the culprit. No offender is doomed to death, till he himfelf has confeffed his crime ;. if this, however, be made out by inconteftable proofs, and yet he will not confcfs it, he is then put to the torture.
The fword is not at all ufed here in executions, neither are criminals broke
upon.
upon the wheel, as is the cuftom ill Germany; but inftead of that, it is the practice to break their thighs with an iron club. The generality of criminals are hanged at the gallows ; they are like-wife fometimes put into a fack, and thrown into the fea; they are feldom of never fentenced to be branded with hot irons; and in cafe they are, the mark is not made on the forehead, but on the back.
The Roman law conflitutes the laws in criminal cafes. The Dutch adminif-ter juflice in its utmofl purity, and it would not be advifeable for any body to fheW the leaff partiality here. The ifland of Ceylon has feen a melancholy inffance of this, in the perfon of a governor, called Peter Vuyfi\ who having very unjuflly ordered a common foldier to be put to the torture, was commanded to repair to Batavia on the occafion, where he Was publicly hanged, drawn and quartered,  and afterwards
burnt
burnt to afhes, and thrown into the fea. The poor man, who had fuffered fo much from his tyranny, had a penfion given him, and his fon was fent to the uni-verfity, to ftudy at the Company's ex-pence. The council of juftice is obliged to meet in the court of judicature twice a week. Every criminal procefs muft be terminated in the fpace of fix weeks, excepting in cafe that the proofs cannot be brought time enough, on account of the abfence of the witneffes. Such of thefe proceffes as have been adjudged and carried into execution, muft be fent every year into Batavia -y and if any fault be found with them there, thofe who paffed the fentence are liable to be called to account for it.
The oaths taken on occafion of thefe proceffes, next come under our confederation. Thofe chriftians who are of the Lutheran and reformed churches, take the oaths according to a certain formu-T lary,,
lary, in which they call to witnefs the Holy Trinity. The Roman Catholic takes the oath on the gofpel of St. John, and more particularly on the text " the Word was neih," &c. on which he lays his right hand.
The Mahometan fwears upon the Koran, on which he lays both hands* and (if I may fo fpeak) at the fame time his whole foul : before this book he bows as low as before Almighty God himfelf.
The Bramin makes his appearance with the badge of his order covering the half of his body, and laying hold of this badge^ with his right hand, fays*, *• As certainly as I bear and now touch this mark of my order, fo true and certain is my depoiition.'1 Upon this oath of his we may as perfectly rely, as upon that of the Malabar,
He appears in court with his youngefl child j if he has no children himfelf,
he
[ *75 ] he takes one belonging to another branch of his family, and laying the child along upon the earth, places himfelf over it; then railing both his arms and hands on high, he calls upon God, f to do away from the face of the earth, not only him, in cafe he mould utter a falfhood, but likewife his little child, nay, his whole race he likewife begs of the Almighty, th.it " while he is yet fpeaking, all thofe curfes, if merited, may fall upon him; and that in that cafe, he may not return to his family as he came, but, together with his child, on their way home, meet with fome terrible diiafter." He concludes the whole with this expreflion, " Thus have I faid."
In the civil proceffes there is a peculiar method of procedure to be obferved* The plaintiff lays his caufe before the court, by a petition, dictum, or memorial ; upon this he obtains leave to cite his opponent in form, againft the T 2 next
next court day. This writ is immediately filed, and the citation is the very fame day made out, by the fecretary ; he then delivers it to the apparitor, who inftantly forwards it to the perfon to whom it is addreffed, either by himfelf, or by one of the meffengers in ordinary, who arc obliged to bring back from the perfon cited, a token, to mew that they have performed the duties of their office. When the defendant appears, he begs to have a copy of the complaint lodged againft him, and to be indulged in a fortnight's time to conlider of it, and to prepare his anfwer.   If, at the end of this term, he brings in his anfwer, the plaintiff in like manner afks for fourteen days, in order to make his reply. When this is done, the judge then orders him to produce his proofs in forma probantis. Then they are allowed to make interrogatories and reproaches, according as circumftances may require.   All thefe
pieces
[ 277 ] pieces are collected together, and fent to the bench of judges for their perufal : upon this they undergo a difcuflion, as they lie upon the table, and the whole bench panes judgment upon them. In this inftance they muft perfectly agree in the judgment they pafs ; and though they may debate, yet in the end they muft not differ in the leaft. Againft the next court day, the parties are cited to hear fentence of judgment paffed, the court doors being open ; and if either of them finds himfelf aggrieved thereby, he may appeal j which, however, feldom or never happens, for the court of appeal is at Batavia, above five hundred miles diftant. If the defendant does not appear, after having been cited four times by his adverfary, the plaintiff's fuit is then declared good. A declaration of this kind, however, may be recalled within the year (during which time the fentence remains in jlatu quo), if it can T 3 be
be fhewn, that the party was abfent when he was cited.   All the above-mentioned papers and pleadings muft be fhort, and drawn up without any unneceffary circumlocutions, or the infertion of any thing foreign to the fubject; the attorney muft make ufe of clear and proper ex-preffions, and not afk more   for his writings than a certain fpeciiied fum; for which reafon he muft fign every writing with his own name, with an account of how much he has had for eacli writing.   In like manner, the prefident and each of the judges muft be very cautious in their conduct, as in cafe of any indirect proceedings, they arc liable to be complained of to the governor. No wonder then, that fuch a ftate as this is maintained and eftablifhcd in fecurity and credit.
The fentimerits held respecting the Chriftian religion, are here divided into three claffes, juft as they are in Europe.
This
This difference, however, is not carried fo far here, as it is in many other places; for a too rigid doctrine often produces mere trifling diff inclions, by which true and genuine religion fuffers more than it otherwife needs to do. The gofpel allows the tares to grow among the wheat, and does not permit it to be plucked up and burnt : our great Mailer himfelf fays, "Let them both grow together/' but man thinks himfelf wifer, and will have every thing in outward appearance the fame. The Dutch government allows liberty of confeience to every one; only it will not permit, that any man be diflurbed in the exercife of that public worfhip, which has its fource in this doctrine. Here the catholic and proteflant chrif-tian may each of them perform their devotions in their own way, without lett or moleflation : if he be true and upright in the flation he holds in the flate, he is never afked what religion he pro-T 4 feffes;
feffes ; and indeed, all religious difputes aije  difcountenanced   by government. Among the common people which come here from Europe, there are frequently found many that lead a fad diflblute life, as they know their conduct is not fo clofely infpected by the clergy here, as it is with us in Germany,    On two fellows of this kind, we once faw a remarkable inftance of Divine vengeance inflicted : they were both failors, that made fwearing (as it were) their pro-feffion, and at that time were inventing new oaths to abufe each other with, and in which they endeavoured mutually to
out-do one another. Now juft as they were pleafing themfelves with the idea of having invented a new and horrid oath, the mailer of the equipage ordered them to go off with a boat to a fhip lying off the fhore of Colombo, and bring away from thence a fubaltern officer, whofe prefence was required at
the
the fort. They did as they were ordered, and lo ! they had fcarce got to the dif-tance of two gun-{hots from the fhore, when they both fank, in the fight of feveral people, in very calm and pleafant weather, and were never feen more.
I look upon juffice and religion to be the foundations, on which the Dutch have erected the government of their colonies ; a charge, in which the viceroy has need to employ all the wifdom and talents he is maflcr of, in order to maintain the flate itfelf, as well as its valuable commerce, in their prefent nourifhing condition. With regard to the inflruc-tions given to the regency here, how to conduct themfelves as well in war as in peace, I chufe to be totally filent; fince I have already faid, that on my departure from the ifland, I had fhut the door of the cabinet after me, in which my much-refpected mafler, the late governor, brought me up. Should Providence
dence think fit to flation me there again, I ihould willingly fpend my lafl hour in doing the bufinefs of it and mail think, that my vocation is not fo great to ferve my own country, as to fcrve the Dutch nation.
I mall now fay fortiething with rc-fpect to the commerce here, and then conclude. The Company fends to Ceylon from Europe, divers articles of commerce, chiefly for the ufe of the Europeans there, who prefer the things that come from their own country, to thofe they find in Ceylon, and willingly give eight or nine dollars for a Weflphalia ham j from three to four, nay, even five dollars for a cheefe; from eighteen to twenty guilders for a bottle of red wine; and two dollars for a cann of good French brandy. But with things of this nature the Company does not trouble itfelf, but allow this privilege to the ihips, the people belonging to which
know
t 283 ]
know how to make their advantage of it-but all the produce of Ceylon, without referve, comes into the Company's hands, the emperor being under an obligation not to difpofe of the commodities of his country to any other than to them. Of this produce the Company fells or barters a part in the Eafl-Indics, and fome in Ceylon itfelf; the remainder they bring over to Holland.
Being refolved to leave this country, and having put my affairs in order, and the evening before taken a farewel fupper with the regency of Jaffanapatnam, at nine in the morning I fet off from that place, by the way of Colombo and Gale. The gentlemen of the regency accompanied mc, with a number of other friends;  likewife many of the natives
flood
irood on the ihore, as I got into the yacht: they almoft all of them lamented my departure, and wifhed me my health and a fuccefsful voyage. An old heathen faid to mc, " Your God, my good Sir, will doubtlefs convey you fafe to your own country, and likewife bring you back again ; I do not defpair myfelf of having the plcafure to fee you return." The following day I arrived at Manaar, to which place the commandant came himfelf to meet me, and received me in a very friendly way, taking me home with him to his own houfe, where I had made a refolution to itay no more than one night; but could not help yielding to his earneff entreaties, that I would fpend my Chriflmas with him. After this, J failed to Colombo in one of the country veffels, and had like to be caff, away in my paifage thither. The tandel, or overfeer, was feized with a fever; the Jailors began to quarrel among themfelves,
felves, none of them chafing to take the helm. Upon this the waves got the upper hand of us, and our vefTel was near being overfet: I immediately fprang forward, and putting the point of my naked fword to the tandel's breail, faid to him in his own language, " You feoundrel, you mall die with us however!1' The man was frightened, flew to the rudder, and ordered his people to let fly the fails; this was done in the twinkling of an eye, and in an in flail t all was right again. After we had fmifhed our tedious voyage, the tandei thanked me for curing his fever fo fuc-cefsfully, as he had had no more of it fince, at the fame time afking me, whether I really meant to kill him in carnefl? I told him, " No, I only wifhed to fave him and myfelf, and I had fucceeded." When I arrived at Colombo, I waited on the governor there, who permitted me, out of three home-~m ward
ward bound mips, to chufe which I would; and when I had made my choice, gave orders to the captain to prepare the great cabin for me, and make eveiy thing as convenient as pofiible. After this, I vifited the whole body of the regency, as likewife the principal rector of the gymnaiium, who was a particular friend of mine; and when the treaty of peace with the emperor of Candia was in agitation, tranflated what I wrote into the Cingalese language. This man mewed me a plan that he had drawn up, for the better inftruction of the youth of that place; upon the fubjeel: of which, according to the beft of my poor judgment, 1 gave him my thoughts for the laif. time. This he took very kindly of me, and promifed himfelf the pleafure of feeing me again at Ceylon in two years time; as he was fully perfuaded, that my journey thither was undertaken merely with the view of carrying fome
inform*-
information to the Eafl-India Company in Holland, with refpcct to the flate of affairs in Ceylon. Many more had the fame idea of the caufe of my journey, as my poll feemed to them too lucrative to be given up, without very important reafons. I likewife vilited the fine Printing-houfe there, and found the mailer of it to be a man who had come out from Holland to Ceylon in the fame fhip with me, in the capacity of a common foldier: by this printer I was informed, that the whole number was dead, except three. I now ftill had a tour to make to Gale, before I could go aboard the fhip that was to take mc home. I could not make any long flay at Colombo, as the time approached when the fhip mud fet out on its voyage. When I palTed the guard there, they paid me the honours due to me, by prefenting their arms; an honour, that was not fhewed me at my firfl coming to the % ifland.
■
ifland. Accordingly I made a trip from Colombo to Gale, arriving there the day after I fet out : here I had the fame honours fhewed me as at Colombo, and had time to remain at the place three days, a period of time that palled very rapidly. I then went with the captain on board the Zuid-Beveland (fo the fhip was called that I had f)xed upon), which I found to be almoft as large as that which many years ago had taken me to this part of the world.
During the firft part of our voyage we had good winds and weather, confequently we made way confiderably; fo that in the fpace of a fortnight, we found ourfelves under the line : here we were obliged to lie at anchor five weeks; during this time we not only found it very tedious, but the weather was like-wife very hot ; at length we got a brifk gale.
Hitherto
[    zS9 ]
Hitherto we had had pleafant, but at the-fame time very warm weather; but now the air was lomething cooler. At length we were overtaken by a high wind ; this was the fore-runner of a violent florm, which indeed foon overtook us, and lafted twenty-four hours. It went off, however, without doing us any damage; our fails and mails were found, and in a good condition, as we had time to prepare ourfelves. When this ftorm was over, we had an extraordinary fine wind for twenty days together, when we were again overtaken by a temple temped : this occafioned an univerfal terror, as the fhip was too heavy laden, and drew too much water. For my part, I got out of my cabin, and went upon deck, that I, might not hear any longer the dreadful darning of the waves. The captain, and with him the reft of the ofiicers, now loll all hope, excepting the third mate, who took upon him to U fave
t
fave the fhip, on condition that he might do as he pleafed. I hearing this, faid, My good friend, in the name of oar matters and fuperiors, I give you leave, in thefe circumflances, to make*ufe of your fkill and knowledge ; I will take care to lay the account of the whole procedure before them, and will (land anfwerahle for every thing. Upon this-the young man, turning to the captain, afked him, whether he had free leave ? The captain gave him for anfwer, that he fhould do as I had told him. Immediately he ran out of the room, fet himfelf down- upon his bottom, on the* middle of the deck (for it was iinpofTiblfc for him to ftand), and calling about him the moft expert of the failors, deficed them, with the kindeft expreffions he was mafter of, to clap another fail on to the foremaft; they directly fet about it, and it took them up above half an hour to do it; as foon as ever it was
done.
done, it was obferved that the (hip began to float; they then thought they might venture to clap on another fail, which was accordingly done, and was the means of faving the fhip. The firft mate, a very conceited and bluffering coxcomb, was not to be feen any where till the florm was abated. Upcn this I afked him, ff What was the firft thing, in time of extreme danger on board of fhip, that we ought to think of, the keeping up one's dignity and rank, or the faving of the fhip ? Purfuant to the orders of our fuperiors, the loweft of the failors has permifiion to take place of the captain himfelf, if, in cafe of the fhip's being in danger, he can think of any method to fave it; as frequently the fpace of a fingle moment is fufficient, for the fhip to be faved, or go to the bottom. Pie might reft affured, that I thought myfelf bound in duty to fet this affair in its true light, before myhonour-U 2 able
able mailers in Holland." The captain confefTed that, agreeable to his inflruc-tions, in cafe that the fhip was totally overpowered by the winds and waves, he was obliged to allow even a cabin-boy to make ufe of his underflanding in this point, without afking his farther leave. At this the firfl mate was intimidated, and chofe to be filent; as he was perfectly feniible I was neither foldier nor failor, but out of the reach of his impertinence. His uneafinefs was flill greater, when he heard, that I was very prefiing for this circumftance to be noted down in the journal, and that I intended to fubferibe it with my own hand. He now bee;an to lower his note, and ac--knowledge that the cowardlincfs of his nature had kept him in his cabin. The captain endeavoured to diffuade me from putting my defign in execution, as he did not think much good wrould accrue to the mate from it when he got home, . v it
[ 293 ] it being his watch, at the time when the third mate had interfered. For the fake of our common deliverer, I kept to my refolution, and effectuated my defign ; but in fuch a manner, however, as would admit of a good turn being given to the affair. And thus, in this inffance, pride was punifhed, and met with a fall.
In lefs than a fortnight after this, we landed at the Cape, having narrowly efcaped being fhipwrecked on the coaft by the fury of the winds and waves. As foon as we had landed, I waited on the governor (who at that time lay ill), and upon the reft of the gentlemen of the regency. My abode was at the judge advocate's, who took'me to his country* feat, where we kept the Eafter holidays together. I feized this occafion of vifitr ing, along with him, the tract of country where the Conftantia wine grows j and was informed that this wine has its name from a figure of a woman cut in ftone, U 3 which
which ftands on the lintel of the doer of one of the proprietors, whofe name is Conjlantla. This wine is the heft fort of any that grows at the Cape : here I fpent a whole montb, and got perfectly refreshed. At my departure, I laid in a good quantity of wine, bifcuit, baked fruits, almonds, raifins, and the like. With a particular view I likewife left there the flaves, that I had taken with me from Ceylon to be about my perfon.
As foon as the fhip was provided with every neceffary, we fet out again on our voyage. In fourteen days time, we paffed by the ifland of St. Helena, and foon after came to the ifland of Afceniion. From this, after a tedious calm, we paffed into the Bay of Bifcay, where we met with dreadful ftorms of thunder and lightning. Here we likewife met with two large Portuguefe {hips, with a rich lading of gold and fkins, which they, had taken in at America. Not long after
this,
I   *95 1
this, we faw three Dutch men of war coming towards us, to convoy us into the mouth of the Britifh channel: we filluted them with twenty-five guns, which they anfwered with nine, and immediately made a fignal for our captain to go on board of them; he accordingly fet off in the boat, and returned in a few hours, bringing us the news of a truce having been concluded. As foon as we had got into the channel, the men of war left us, and went back to convoy the other fhips that were left behind. An Englifh pacquet-boat now came on board
of us, and afked the name of our fhip, whence it came, and whither it was bound, in order to publifh it in the papers. We difpatched them with the neceffary intelligence, and in two days got through the channel with a fair wind. We did not find the wind fo boiflerous now, as it had been many years ago, when I firft went to the Eafl-Indies.
V 4 Having
Having fortunately  gone over the north fea without meeting with any florins, we failed directly for the Rame-kens, an old fortification not far from Middleburg : here we cad anchor, and thus finiHied our voyage.    In  a few hours, two gentlemen, deputed from the Ej all -India Company, made their appearance on board our fhip, in order to diimifs the crew j they congratulated me on my arrival, and afked me, if I was inclined to remain any longer in their feryice ? they were very willing to agree to fend mc out in the fame character, either to Ceylon, or any other factory I mould chufe, as I was already ufed to the climate, and had acquired experience in the fervice.    I thanked them, and replied, that I wiihed to make my parents in Germany happy with the fight of me, and therefore could not refolve, upon flaying any longer in Holland : as, for the reft, J was very feniible of the
honour
I 297 ] honour 1 had enjoyed, in having been twenty years in their very rcfpectablc fervice, in which I could boaft of having fhewn all the fidelity, obedience and diligence, that lay in my power. They replied, they were perfectly convinced of it, and for that very reafon wifhed mc to if ay. They then afked me fome particulars concerning the flate of Ceylon, on which head I gave them fatif-factory anfwers. At length, at my own requefl, I got my difmiflion, with this provifo, that at any time whenever I mould be inclined to it, I had only to apply to them, and they would with pleafure employ me again. While this bufinefs was tranfa&ing, fome thieves got into my cabin, and ftole part of my baggage, to the amount of three hundred dollars. Having informed the gentlemen of the committee of it, they ordered the fhip to be fearched immediately; but as it grew towards night, they could 2 . not
r **■ ]
not go quite through with the fcarch. Seeing that there was nothing more to be done, I wifhed my thief a good journey, and fet out for Middleburg, where 1 arrived at midnight, between twelve and one o'clock. The next day 1 p.dd my rdpeets to fome of the gentlemen of the Eafl-India Company, to whom I had fome important fecrcts to communicate. They were by no means pleafed with mc for leaving them, juft at the time when I had got an infight into their affairs. I excufed myfelf as well as I could, and promifed foon to return; and indeed my real intention was fo to do : for which reafon I fet off for Germany in haftc, leaving all my things behind, It is remarkable that I landed in Holland on the thirteenth of September, the very fame day, that many years before I fet off for the Eaft-lndics.
When I arrived in my native town, I was much difappointcd in not finding
what
[ *99 ] what I looked for ; my friends having all fome time before departed this life, fo that my hopes were now all fruftrated. Immediately upon this, a violent fit of ficknefs, with which I was fcized, rendered all the plans I had formed abortive, and occafioned me to take to a way of life, which at prefent I chufe to bury in lilence; and having finifhed this account of my travels and adventures, take leave of my readers.
t> e s c r i p-
DESCRIPTION
OF THE
ISLAND   of CEYLON,
By M. Eschelskroon.
THE ifland of Ceylan, or Ceylon, lies between the 6th and ioth dug. North lat. and between the ioi£ and 104th E. longitude. It is a Land-voigtey, or government y belonging to the Dutch Eaft-India Company. It is of a great extent, being in length 220 miles from North to South; and in breadth, meafuring from Eafl to Weft, in fome places 120, in others 72, and at Jaft'a-napatnam but 28 miles; in circiunfc-
rencc
rence 790. To the North of It is part of the coaft of Coromandel; to the Eaft the Bay of Bengal; to the South the ocean ; and to the Weft the Maldivia iilands.
Ceylon is one of the moft important of the Dutch poffeflions, and that not only on account of the cinnamon, which is not allowed to be peeled from the tree any where elfe, and for which the company has the exclufive privilege \ but likewife of other precious articles brought from thence, as well as the confiderable   revenues   arifing   to the
company from other fources. This cxtenfive ifland is divided into fix kingdoms, as follows :
1. Candi or Candia. 2. Cottii. 3. Si-tavaca. 4. Uambadan. 5. Amor ay a* poere.  6. faffanapatnam.
Farther, into fix principalities, eleven counties, four marquifates, and nine (eigne uries orlordfhips. Radia Sing a,
emperor-
[   3°3 1 emperor of Candia where he rcfides, hears the title of that of the whole ifland j though in fact his authority is confined to the internal part of it, and does not in the lead extend to the coafts. The coalf, indeed, all round the ifland belongs to the Dutch ; and is fenced in, as it were, in fuch a manner, with forts and fences, that at prefent it is next to impoflible to carry on a very illicit commerce; a caution, which the various and repeated attempts of the Englim- to participate of the rich booty to be found here, have made neceffary.   In fo late a period, as that between the years 1756 and 1760, thefe latter were at great pains to conclude a fecret negotiation with the emperor, which, indeed, took effect, inibmuch that they had began to carry on a considerable trade in the diffanE bays on the eaflcrn fide of the ifland. The governor at that time was John Schroeder, a Hamburger, who, from the
condition
condition of a common foklier, had railed himfelf not only to this poll, hut likewife to that of one of the council of the Indies, in which latter office he died.
This man faw through the views and intentions of the emperor. Pie had intelligence, that this latter had infringed the treaty, and that he had dealings with the Englifh, particularly in ammunition, cannon, arms and powder, lie fent to him, deflring him to defifl, and to call to mind the oath he had taken to rfeal only with his fubfidiary allies. The emperor, however, fet him at defiance, telling him, that he would not be dictated to any longer. This was the fignal for war. M. Schroedcr immediately gave orders to cruize in all the bay> and mouths of large rivers, round the whole ifland, and to fearch every veffel, and on refufal, to make ufe of force; the confequence of which was, that he
had
[ 3<>5 1 had fufficient proofs to produce of the emperor's treachery. Upon this, he ordered all the troops to be marched towards the mountains, in order, if pofii-ble, to bring the emperor to reafon. This latter, who had plenty of ammunition, turned out likewife, and a war broke out that lafted feven years. As long as the governor-general, Van Mof-fel, who died in May 1761, was in being, Schroeder had every fupport he could with from Batavia ; but Van der Parra, who fucceeded Moflel, wifhing to get his own nephew into Schroeder's place,
did every thing he could to thwart this latter in all his fchemcs and intentions, fo that he retired in difguft, recommending Baron Van Eck in his room. Van Eck followed his predeceflbr's plan; Crndia, the metropolis of the ifland, was taken and plundered, and converted into one of the company's fettlements. The emperor loft all his arms and am-X munition,
munition, and was obliged to fue for peace. The conditions were confer quently dictated by the victorious party. They were, as follows :
1. The emperor (hall keep within the mountains, and have nothing to do with thecoafts, where the company may throw up as many fences as they pleafe, and increafe or diminifh them at plea-fure.
2. The emperor fhall pay all the extraordinary expences incurred by the honourable company during this war, and occafioned by him, the whole amounting to 10,000,000 of piaftres.
3. And, whereas the emperor gives his word that he is not able to do this with fpecie, he fhall therefore difcharge it by three inftallations, partly in cinnamon, and partly in other articles of commerce.
4. The emperor fhall by his fubjects, the £ingalefe, not only throw up again
every
t 307 ]
every fence, redoubt, &c. that has been deftroyed, but fhall likewife affirr. the Dutch, at his own expence, in every new fortification in future to be erected.
5. Candia fhall be reflored again to the emperor; and in other refpecls, all and every contract, made previoufly to this, is hereby confirmed and renewed.
The fix principalities in Ceylon are,
1. Oeva. 2. Mature. 3, Denuaca* or the two Corks j by the word Cork is meant a government. 4. The four Corks. 5. The feven Corks. 6. Mat air.
The eleven counties are,
i. Trinkenemak, or Trincoemnak. 2. Batricalo. 3. Velafe. 4. Bintene. 5. Drembra. 6. Panciapato. 7. Vet a. B. Putelan. 9. Velare. io. Gale. 11. Billigam.
The four marquifates are,
i. Duranura. 2. Ratianura. f, Tripane.   4. Accipate.
X 2 The
[  3*8 ] The nine lordfhips or large manors are,
i.Alican. 2. Colombo. 3, Nigombo. 4. Chilautu. 5. Madampe. 6. Cal-p en tin. 7. Aripo. 8. Manaar. 9. T'be Pearl Fifoery.
Befides this general divifion, they reckon thirty-four greater, and thirty-three leffer diftricts (Landfchaften) in the interior part of the ifland, exclufively of the four peculiar diftri£r.s of Jaffanapat-nam.   Thefe are,
1. WelUgame. 2. <Timmoratie. 3. IVarmoratie,   4. Pachealapalie.
In this ifland there are divers flreams and rivers. The more confiderable ones are as follows :
Mavela-Ganga, a river that takes its rife from Adam's-Peak, and running northwards, empties itfelf into the bay i,of Trinconomale.
And Kojdoeva, near Gale, which fprings out of the Heu-berge, (or Hay 5 Mountain,
[ 3°9 3 Mountain, as it is called) and flows into the fea near Gale, together with many fmall ftreams; fuch are thofe new Alican, Catture, Colombo, which all come originally out of the Adam s-Berge, falling into the fea in the places here mentioned.
The whole land is full of mountains and forefts. Formerly, orders were iflued by the emperor, that no one mould prefume, on pain of death, to cut any roads through the impaffable forefts, wider than was fufficient for one perfon to pafs: but at prefent all the roads are by the Dutch made wide enough for two or three waggons to pafs each other. -— The feafons here differ extremely : for when the rainy feafon prevails on the weftern fide of the ifland, it is the dry feafon and fair weather in the eaftern, and vice verfa; a diverlity, which ceafes jn the middle of the ifland. Earthquakes alio are very common here, and X 3 fomctimes
fomctimcs very hard fhocks, as is nfual in hot climates. However they are not near fo violent as in thofe countries that lie itill farther to the eaftward.
I now come to a more particular de-fcription of the ifland , beginning with the county of Gale, on the fouth-weft fide of it, and the town or city Punto de Gale. This is fituated in long. 102 t deg. N.lat. 6deg. 5min. It is above two miles in circumference, and is ftrongly fortified by nature as well as by art. Indeed the chief and beft fortifications are the blind-rats, as they are called, or in-vifible rocks in the bay. The principal buildings here are the magazine, the hofpital, the commandant's dwelling-houfe, and the Dutch church, where likewife theCingalefe in the morning and at noon perform their religious rites and worfhip.
In this town there is a great trade, as well on account of the inhabitants bartering
[ H( ] tering their commodities with thofe of the neighhouring coaffs, as alfo on account of the fleets which take their lading in here on their return to Europe, and are generally difpatched hy the 25th of December, The factory here is, in point of rank, the fecondon the ifland. The Company keeps here a commandant as prefident, with a merchant for his deputy and aifiitant, and other officers, who compofe the council. The military, which is generally ftationed hero to the amount of three hundred men, is commanded by a captain; and the country round about is governed by a DeJJave, or ienefchal and his deputy. Thefe, however, as well as all the other forts and factories, are all under the command of the governor of the whole iiland, rending at Colombo.
2. Calkature lies fifty miles to the north of Gale, and between thefe places there are a good many villages and un-X 4 fortified
t   3'2 !
fortified towns, which arc all inverted by the Dutch with fmall detachments of the military. But Calicature is one of the principal fortrefTes; it has double walls, and a good garrifon. From hence, further on to the northwards, to the extent of thirty-live miles, are fcattered feveral villages and fmall places, which are all likewife a kind of out-pofls belonging to the garrifon.
3. The beautiful and magnificent town of Colombo. It lies in lat. 6 deg. and long. 102 deg. iomin. When the Portuguefe were in poffeflion of it, it was of a van: extent; but after the taking of it in 1656, it has been very much diminifh-ed in its dimensions, and by 'this means is become very flrong and tenable : it fs defended by five large baftions, Victoria, Conffantia, Concordia, Haerlem, and Enkhuyfen. In the town itfelf (tanas the beautiful edifice in which the governor dwells; a magnificent hofpital;
a com-
[ 3*3 ] a. commodious roomy orphan-houfe; a large church for the Dutch a fchool for the Malabars; and a fpacious market. There is alfo a feminary here, of which a minirfer is always the rector, with two afliflants. On. this occafion it is worth remarking, that it is the only inflitution of the kind in the whole Indies; even Batavia, to the great fhame of the direction in Holland, not being provided with one. It is certainly much to be lamented, that the education of youth is fo much neglected throughout the whole extent of the Company's poffcf-fions; in ail of which the children are fuffered to grow up under the tuition of flaves, under their infpection, and in their company: confequently every good and generous fentiment is nipped in the bud, and a wide door is opened for the recaption of every thing that is mean and bafe. The men of fortune, therefore, among the Europeans here, are all
obliged,
I 3H ] obliged, if they wifli to five their children from deff ruction, to fend them in their tender infancy to Holland, to be there educated, and be made ufeful citizens.
Even people of the firft rank, who have not been able to perfuade themfelves to trull their tender offspring to the mercy of the fea, have, fooner or later, always had occafion to lament their ex-ceffive fondnefs : for, though they generally keep a tutor in the houfe, whom they procure at a great expence from Europe, yet the children have, after all, a miferable education i their fervile notions can never be eradicated, and the converfation they of courfe daily hold with their naves, counteracts all the in-ilructions they receive from their tutor. Add to this, that they are continually told, that they are generals or directors fons, that they will have large fortunes, and will certainly be Orang Baazdr> or
great
t 315 ]
great men. All this fcrves to infpire them with an utter contempt for their inferiors, and a plenary conviction, that they are not under the lean: necefiity to learn any thing, and confequently they remain flupid and ignorant all their lives. Notwithstanding which, they even in their early age attain to the moft lucrative employments, though many cf thefe lipplaps (for fo they here call fuch as are either born in Alia, or whofe fathers are Europeans and mothers Afiatics) have fcarce learned fo much as to be able to write their names : thus much, however, cannot be difpenfed with ; as from the duties of their office they are obliged tofign their names frequently to inftru-ments and official papers, at the fame time that perhaps they are not able to read the contents.
The Majores themfelves, which constitute the general direction (die Ver-gaadering van 17) in Holland, are fo
fenfible
[ Itf ]
fenfible of this, that they have made it a rule, that no native, or lipplap, fhall rife higher than to the office of bookkeeper; though the gentlemen at Batavia, out of regard to their fons, do not adhere quite fo clofely to this rule, a.s they do to the order, that no foreigner, i. e. no one that is not born in the Seven United Provinces, fhall rife higher than to the employment of a fador. In fine, there are no fchools here but thofe of the lower clafs ; and the fchoolmafters are either krankentrqfter, r. e. chaplains, that come with the fhips from Europe, or more ufually ftill, broken mechanics, fuch as bakers, Shoe-makers, glaziers, 6cc. who have no more book-learning than juft to make a Shift to ling the Pialnis of David, and at the fame time perhaps can fay the Heidelberg catechifm by heart, together with a few paffages out of the Bible, and are able to read a fermon from fome author j or elfe they
are
I ll7 1 are ibmc wretched natives, that can-fcarce make a fhift to read Dutch in-telligibly, much lefs can they write a good hand, and in arithmetic are ftill more deficient. And fo much for the flate of learning in the whole of the Eaft- Indies in the poffeffion of the Dutch.
Juft before Colombo there is a large projection of the land into the fea, which bends towards the Weft, and with the baftion in the South-Weft compofes the harbour; but the road here is extremely unfafe, the mips lying all cxpofed to the North-Well wind; confequently they never make any long flay here, but make as fpeedily as they can for the Bay of Gale.
The town of Colombo is divided into the Old town and the New, both which are feparated from  each other   by a , latticed gate.    Here  is the principal factory, where the governor, and next
to
t V* 3
to him a conful (that is to fay here, but not in the regency of the country, for in that cafe the commandant of Gale takes the fecond place), a fifcal, or judge advocate, and the other officers of flate, relide.
There is likewife in this place, a judiciary council, or college of juflice, where all matters of law are determined, and whither all the factories on the ifland may appeal; but they are flill at liberty to appeal again from this court to that of Batavia, which is the highefl in the Indies.
The military is commanded by a major, and is reckoned at this place to confifl of four thoufand men. The Landvoigt has a considerable revenue, and is the mofl refpectable, in point of power and authority, of any governor in the Indies; having, befides a number of other factories, the two governments of Gale and JaiTanapatuam under him; and, though
he
fie is refponfible to the council at Batavia, correfponding directly with Europe, and likewife receiving the cargoes directly from thence, which (fill adds to his confequence. Till the year 1669. he was of frill greater importance, as before that period the coaft of Malabar was likewife fubject to him; but in the year 1669, this coaft became a feparate government, and was placed under the controul of Batavia. The fortreffes and factories, without reckoning thegarrifont* and the fmaller out-pofts, are ; Mature, Calpentyn, Manaar, Jaffanapatnam,Trin-conomale, Coatjaur, Batticalo, Banua, the falt-pans, Magammo, Punto, Gale, Nigombo, with feveral out-pofts under Colombo, Tutocoryn, and Punto Pedro.
4. The fortrefs of Nigombo lies above twelve miles from the principal fort, Colombo, and between them are difperfed many beautiful villages and unfortified
towns.
towns. Nigombo is particularly well fortified, for the purpofe of protecting the cinnamon-country. The Portuguefe had fortified it in a mofl extraordinary manner; but the fortifications are now very much diminished, partly to five the expence of a large garrifon, and partly becaufe the principal fort is fo near it. Formerly here were a merchant as refi-dent, an enfign with about a hundred foldiers, and officers civil and military; but now they are all reduced to the enfign with fixty men. This place is Situate in the kingdom of Cotte, and has very fine wood's belonging to it.
c. The ifland Calpentyn, and the for-trefs upon it, about thirty-fix miles from the fort above-mentioned. The extent of this ifland is about twenty-four miles from North to South, and four in breadth. There are two villages upon it; the fort is on the eaflern fide of it, and is garrU foned by an enfign and forty men.
6. Ma-
[ m \
$>. Manaar, likewife an ifland, twenty-five miles long, and eight broad. Here is alfo a fort, with a factor as refident, and a lieutenant with a hundred men to garrifon it. This fort is in the eaJderU part of the ifland, and is very frrong. Between this ifland and the coaftof Ma-duraj there lies a heap of fand-banks in a ffrait line, to the extent of fifty-two miles, which have fome depth, and are therefore called Adams Bridge by the inhabitants, who affert, that this was the dwelling-place of Adam and Eve, paradife being lituated in Ceylon j and a heap of other fables to this purport. It is likewife fuppofed, not without reafon, that this ifland was formerly United to the continent, and was by degrees, and in courfe of time, feparated from it by the fea. *
Here is likewife the famous Pearl-fijhery, which "Was latterly neglected by the Portuguefe, but is now carried on by the Company to great advantage. On Y the
L 322 ]
the opposite coaft of the continent, to the North-Eaft of this ifland, is the extenfive village of Matottc, and along the fame coaft are many places of fome note, which are all garrifoned.
7. Jaffianapatnam. The whole of this kingdom is twenty-fix miles in breadth towards the Northern part j on the South-Eaft fide, near Cattiani, twelve and towards fort Calirauw,* but two; and in length from Eaft to Weft, eight miles. It lies at the diftance of about ninety miles from Manaar. It is, as has been already obferved, divided into four districts. The caftlc is in Welligame, very ftrongly fortified, and well garrifoned. There is a conful in the capacity of commandant, who has likewife his council to ailift him, the lame as at Punto de Gale; he having here, in a fimilar manner to that praclifed at all the other factories, the fupreme command : a major by brevet commands the military.   Befules the commandant's houfe,
there
[ 323 1 there is a magnificent church here, and a handfome hofpital. Round about in the neighbourhood there are many fortified places and out-pofts, of which Ponto das Pedras is the principal. Higher up the country, in the three other districts, there is a number of inhabited villages, to the amount of a hundred and Sixty. The natives are here, as well as in every other place, within the jurifdjcKon of the Company, and muft pay all the imports with cinnamon and areek. To the Wert ward of the fort lie three large iliands, viz.
1. Amfterdam, formerly called Com-diva, twenty miles in circumference, uninhabited, and full of forerts.
2. Leyden, formerly Oerature, Sixteen miles from Jaffanapatnam, and four from Amfterdam, and has Several villages upon it. Betwixt thefe two iilands there is a fort, called HammcnhicI, which is of great Strength, and is considered as the key to Jaffanapatnam.
Y 2 3. Delft,
[   iH ]
31 Delft, once Pongardfaa, is, as wdl as the others, Middelburg and Horn, defert and uninhabited, excepting in fo far as that a great deal of timber is cut here for the ufe of the Company.
At the utmofl point or promontory of this kingdom, directly to the Eaft, is,
8. The fortrefs of Calirauw, under the controul of Jaffanapatnam, and guarded by an enfign and about forty men, with gunners, ccc.
9. ^trinkinemalt, or Trin co-en male. Betwixt this bay and the fort Calirauw, is the country called Bedas, which takes in a fpace of a hundred and twenty miles, and is, the whole of it, a mere forefl. The bay of Trinconemale is the fmeft in the whole ifland, as the roads are very fafe, and defended from the winds by fmall iflands.    Here is a very ftrong fortrefs, in which dwells a conful in the capacity of refident, who has under him a factor by way of administrator, a captain of the military, which confifts of
about
[ 325 ] about two hundred and fifty men, and feveral other officers. This place was, as well as Batticalo, formerly a com-mandery, but is now coonvcrted into, a refidentfhip.
10. Coticar is merely an unfortified town, in which a few Europeans and Cingalefe keep guard, in order to hinder any fmuggling being carried on. A lieutenant has the command here.
11. Baticalo is, in like manner, a ftrong fortification, fituated eight miles inland from the bay, and directly upon the river, whence it takes its name. A merchant commands here in the capacity of relident, and the military, which amounts to a hundred and fifty men, is commanded by a lieutenant. Here the Dutch made their firft landing in 1682, and took it by ftorm from the Portuguefe on the 18th of March, with the affiftance of Radja Singa, who at that time was as weary of the Portuguefe, as he foon after was of the Dutch,
Y 3 The
[ 3~6 ] The unfortified towns of Patenuad, Aragone, Raddele, Colahawyle de Pagodi van Trinkoli, whither the Cingalefe go upon pilgrimage in great numbers, Co-mene, Pomene, Mandagli, Patten, Pat-tone, Oekandi, Andenove, Memene, Mandegelle, Jalcpat, Catenagon, Lea-waica, Tranfalicr, Magami, Condeli, Killigamna, Kolkgalle, Anakenwelle, all along the more, from the itream of Cerinde, to the river Walluwe, which latter likewife has its fource in Adam's Mountain, offer nothing worthy our ob-fcrvation, but high mountains and the Salt-pans, as they are called. Between Maluwe red Tan gale, there is a large plain, thirty-two miles in circumference, where they hunt the elephants. The places called Ajale, Halpilane, Huwacora, Tanidar, Galuettes en Dondore, lie in a circle from Baticalo to Matura, about ten or twelve miles diflant from each other; and are all fo well guarded, being at the fame time provided with flags for
the
[ 3^7 1 the purpofe of making fignals, that on the hrft appearance of any veffel at fea, they are all immediately brought under armsj and on the leafl commotion in the interior part of this extenfive ifland; they are in a condition to make preparations for defence all over it. In confe-quence of the ifland's being thus encircled with forts and out-pofls, there js nothing that can efcape the obfervation of the governor at Colombo ; it being from hence, that the emperor is watched with the greatefl care, and indeed is fo narrowly obferved by his own fubjects, that all his words and actions are minutely reported in the governor's cabinet.
12. Mature, fituatc on the river Mc-lipa, directly in the South, is a fort built of ftone, in which there is a conful in the capacity of refident, who at the fame time is de/fave, or bailiff of the circumjacent country; he has a factor to aftift him, and a lieutenant with a Y 4 hundred
hundred and forty men, beiides neceflury officers.
13. Billigam has an excellent bay, called the Red Bay. It is merely an out-pofl, like the Pagoda of Tanaware, and the village of Curaca between thij place and Mature. Sixteen miles to the Weflward is feen the beautiful village of Coddogore, and four miles farther on, that of Genevatte. Here the land bends towards the North, forming the bay of Punto de Gale. All thefe polls on the more, and feveral other diftricts belides on this ifland, arc the property of the Putch Company, firfl by virtue of their contract, and afterwards, as the emperor R'adja Singa thought proper to infringe the treaty, by force of arms. The Company exercifes here all the powers of a fovereign, erecting and deftroying fortifications when and where they ch ufe $ laying impofls on the fubject, and levying cufloms, excife and poll-taxes, and prohibiting the importation or exportation
I 329 ]
tion of any article of commerce they think fit; palling fentence of life and death not only on their own natural fubjects, hut on the natives; and laftly, giving to Caefar that which is Collar's, or juft as much as they think proper: and in general, they have at prefent brought matters with the emperor to fuch a point, that whenever he is under the necertity of aflciiig any favour of them, they never grant it to him without his having firft ceded to them fome of the remaining part of his dominions.
Befidcs this great ifland, the Company has ftill on the coajl of Madura, to the weftward of Ceylon, in a large bay to the fouth of Kaypatnam, and to the north of Cape Comoryn, 8 deg. 40 min. N. latitude, and likewife fubject to the controul of Colombo;
14.. Tutocoryn, which is a large open borough, without either gates, walls, or moat; moft of the houfes are of ftone. The Company has a factory there, over
which
which prefidcs a conful in quality of rdident, who has under him a factor, a lieutenant with eighty foldiers, and other officers. It was not before the year 165$, that the Company took this ifland, as well as that of Ramanocoyee, Adam's Bridge, ccc.
The town of Tutocoryn brings in a large fum to government, on account of its valuable pearl-filhery, pearls of a tolerable fize being got there, though not to be compared with thofe of Ormus and Bahrein, either for whitenefs or poli ill. Siiankos or oblation - horns, which are in great requefl among the Moors, who make rings of them, arc likewife taken out of the water here in great abundance ; as likewife the famous mufcles called cowries, which the Indians ufe as fmall money, though mofl of thefe latter are brought from the Mal-divia iflands.
15, The Salt-fans are low lands on the ilrand, which are overflowed twice
a year
[   33* ]
a year by the fea ; this is retained by the means of dams and dykes, and being dried up by the heat of the fun, produces fait enough for the confumption of all India. There are fome of thefe falt-pans
i. Between Chilauw andPutelan : 2. between Cotjarand Baticalo: 3. between Leawawar and Waluwe.
When the Company firft made themfelves mailers of this coaft, they had only the two former in their pofleflion, and the latter was under the direction of the emperor's fubjects; now they all belong to the Dutch, and are, in fact, in their hands become the moft powerful weapons they can ufe againft the emperor j as neither he nor his fuejects can at prefent have the lead particle of fait without the permiffion of the Company : for as foon as the moft trifling fufpicion arifes, either of an infurrection, or of difguft on the part of the emperor or the natives, immediately all fale or delivery of this
neceffary
t 332 1 neceffary article of life is prohibited; and a very accurate account is taken every year, of the quantity which muft ncceffarily be confumed in the interior part of the ifland. In proportion to the refult of this calculation, orders are iifued for the fait to be delivered out, in order to prevent the emperor, or any body elfe, from laying up a {fore of it againft the following year, or longer. As it is impoifjble either to make ufe of, or to fell all the fait that is produced in thefe falt-pans, as they are called, what remains, after a determinate portion is fent to the mountains, and to the Company's fervants and own fubjects, likewife after the magazine is filled, and the mips that come to buy it up, have got their lading, all the remainder is mixed with fand, and thrown back into the fea.
The Company has feveral fait-works of this kind, particularly atTutocoryn and Java, «tf which places there is like-wife
I 333 1 wife an amazing quantity of this article, and that much fuperior in quality to the produce of Ceylon : and in order to raife the price from three rixdollars the loft, weighing 45001b. to fifty rixdollars the lafl, of 3000lb. tb^y have prohibited the boiling, or otherwife making of any fait in any way whatever, in all thecoafts and places whither their dominions extend, e. g. in Sumatra, Malacca, Am-boyna, Banda, 6cc. With a view to enforce this prohibition, certain riders are kept to vifit the coafts in every part of their dominions without intermiilion, with orders to prevent the making of any fait there; and, if they find any works of that kind, to deflroy them, and take Up the offenders, that they may undergo the puniihmcnt ordained by the laws in this cafe, which is tranfportation to fome very diftant coafl.
Not content with having erected forts all round the coafl, the Company has likewife many fences and out-polls in
the
t 334 ] the interior part of the ifland, which* fince the concluiion of the lad peace, are much increafed, as the limits of their poflbffi ons were then greatly extended. Such are, Alauw, the key to the three*" principalities; the two, three, and feven Corles, and ten more flrong places, which clofe up the way into the country, making a circle of about eighty miles. The fences and out-pofls along the coafl form a circuit of more than a hundred and iixty miles.
The cinnamon-woods arc thirty in number; all thefe are the abfolute and
entire property of the Company; and befides thefe, there are many more woods in the middle of the country, which the emperor orders to be barked, and is obliged to deliver the cinnamon of them to the Company.
The cinnamon-tree, called by the Cingalefe curindogas% and which produces the cinnamon, (in the Cingalefe language curindo potto), for which this ifland is fo
famous,
4b
[ 335 1 famous, is frequently of a great fixe i fome trees are, however, middling. The leaves bear a great refcmblanee to a limon or laurel-leaf, in thicknefs and colour; thefe latter, however, have but one rib, but the leaves of the cinnamon-tree three. The leaves, when they firfl burfl forth, are as red as fearlet, and fmell, when rubbed between the fingers, more like cloves than cinnamon. This tree is very thick fet with branches and leaves, and bears a white, fweet-fce.nted, agreeable bloffom, which is followed by a fruit .of the fize of an olive ; this is of a yellow colour, and is ripe in the month of June; but neither in fmell nor tafle at all rcfembles the inner bark. However, the ripe fruit being boiled, yields a very fine oil, which, when cold, has the appe&r-ance of tallow, and is ufed in medicine* 39 well as to burn in lamps ; though none of the natives dare ufe it for thU Utter purpofe but the emperor himfelf.
2 This
t  3J6 J
This tree grows wild in woods, like other trees, and is indeed in no higher eilimation among the Cingalefe. It has a double ball: the outer rind having not the lead flavour, or other properties of cinnamon, is prcvioufly taken off with a knife; but the inner, which is the real genuine cinnamon, is with a crooked pointed knife firfl cut circularly, then longitudinally, and after being peeled off, is laid in the fun, by which means it becomes rolled up, and takes the forn* in which we have it in Europe.
When the tree is once deprived of its bark, it never grows again; but from the fruit that is fallen off, new trees fhoot up in its flead, which in the fpace of fix or eight years may be peeled again. The wood of this tree gives not the leaic fmell when burned, being foft and white like our fire-wood. The inhabitants make ufe of it for their houfes and furniture ; from the root their phyficians draw an excellent camphor-water, nay,
they
[ 337 1 they even underftand the method of extracting the very beft camphor from it; but this muft be done with the greateft privacy, as it is prohibited by the Company under the heaviefl penalties, in order to prevent the camphor-trade in Borneo and Sumatra from being hurt by it. There are three forts of cinnamon.
1. The Jine, which is peeled off from the young and middle-iized trees.
2. The coarje, which is taken from the large old trees.
3. The wild, which likewife grows in Sumatra, Borneo, the coaft of Malabar, and other places, and colts but the fifth part of what the fine fort does. The Company in the mean while is in poffeffion of all thefe places, and the fineft fort grows no where but in Ceylon; though it muft be owned, that much depends on the management of this drug; for 1 have more than once feen cinnamon in the poffeffion of the Englifh at Sumatra, that they have peeled off in
Z great
[ 333 J great quantities, and which, in point of colour, tafle, and nnenefs, did not yield in the leaft to that of Ceylon. In the bay of Tappianoli, on the weflern coafl, they have feveral CbialiaJJes^or cinnamon-peelers, whom they have enticed away from Ceylon, and perfuaded them to enter into their fervice: thefe men bark the young trees there in fuch a manner, that there is no better cinnamon produced in the whole world. And in general, the Erfglifh hurt the Dutch greatly by this method of procedure ; for, though the wild cinnamon mould not be quite fo fine as their's, yet it may very well be ufed as a fpice for the table, and is likewife juft as good as the other for medical purpofes.
The cinnamon is delivered out in Baharas, each of thefe weighing 744.1b. the price of the wild being ten rixdollars, and that of the fine, or genuine, hftv. .
The
t   339 1 The men, that have learned the art of barking the cinnamon, being brought up to it and nothing elfe, are commanded by theirMalabaddes,and are cal led Qbialtaffet, The time for barking the tree commences in the months of June and July, and fometimcs even in Auguft : now as foon as they come out of their villages for this purpofe, every diftricl fends a detachment of Dutch foldiers, and another compofed  of the natives themfelves, called Lafcaryns, along with them, in order to guard the wood where they arc to work; and this partly on account of the roving Cingalefe mountaineers, which fometimes fill on the barked cinnamon, and make it their booty, but ftill more for the purpofe of having an eye upon the Chialiaffes themfelves, that they may not be able to conceal any of the cinnamon, and afterwards carry it off.
The bark that is peeled during the day, muft be carried every evening to the Dutch guard belonging to their re-Z 2 fpective
[ 340 ] fpeflive diftricts; there cleanfed, well dried, and made up into bundles, and afterwards taken in clofe cafes to the factory, where they are weighed, and received by the Company as payment of the aifetTment or tax impofed on thefe people by government. A man muff be a very good hand indeed, that can gather 3olb. of cinnamon in a day; whence it is eauly calculated, how many perfons it will take to gather 10 or 12,000,ooolb. and that too of the bcff ; for what is brought in, is looked over before it is weighed, and the refufe of it burned.
The bell and fincff cinnamon is brought from Nigombo. At the time for gathering this drug, the Company are obliged to draw out a cordon of feventy-two miles in circumference; and as there are a great many of thefe corps de garde, it follows, that the Company muft pay a great many Europeans, as well as Cingalefe. As foon as the cinnamon is weighed at the factory, it is divided
into
I 341 ]
into bales of 100lb. each, packed up very clofe, and rolled up in a Gongi, or ftrong packing cloth woven for the purpofe; infteadof which they formerly ufed cows—or buffaloes—hides. The fine and whole cinnamon may be known from the coarfe and broken, at firft fight, and without opening the bale ; the former bales being much fmaller and more cu-rioufly packed, while the coarfe is covered only with mats, though by no means in a flovenly or unhandfome manner.
Thefe cinnamon-barkers are under the command of a captain, called a Mala-badde, and are diflributed into four different claffes, Chialiaffes, Ccelis, Laf-caryns, and Ihandarias ; all thefe have their particular villages appointed for them, where they are to live; though there is yet another fort, called Rani-Chialiaffes, or fingle barkers ; thefe originate from the genuine Chialiaffes, but are difperfed all over the ifland. Under the captain are five vidans, or lieutenants,
and
t 342 ]
and under thefe again, fixteen grand officers, or enfigns, and thirty-four petty officers, called Durias. The bufinefs of thefe is, exclufively of their ordinary duty, to keep an exact regifter of the number of perfons to be afleifed (Tombes), as every chialias is bound to pay a poll-tax and other ajfcffments to the company ; the poll-tax (deccum) is levied upon them according to their rc-fpective ftrength of body and their age, rifing from three havers for eleven years of age, to a rixdoljar for forty, and from this age falling gradually to one fliver. Thefe imports, as well as all the others, mufl be paid with cinnamon, or elfe with the value of that cinnamon in money.
All the Chialiaffes muft be ready at all times to work at the governor's command, for on him it depends how much is to be barked and delivered in; and this again depends on the demand for it from Europe. When the cinnamon-tree is not in bloffom, it is very eafy to ftrip
t   343 1 it of its bark ; but in the flowering feafon, this latter adheres ftrongly to the tree, and is not eafily taken off.
Not only all kind of commerce in this article, excepting the delivery of it to the Company, is prohibited on pain of death, but alfo all diffillation or ex-preflion of its oil; and in confequence of this prohibition, whenever any ftills or other inffruments for thefe purpofes are found, not only the owners of them are ftrictly punifhed, but all their works entirely deffroyed.
Exclufively of cinnamon, the Dutch have feveral lucrative articles of commerce in their own entire poffeffion, as,
i. Areek, 2. the pearl-fifhery, 3. the elephants, 4. the fine manufactories for dying red, at Jaffanapatnam, and other kinds of manufactories. Befides all thefe, the net income arifing to government from ffamped paper; from a tenth on the title of all fixtures; from certain duties farmed ou t; from the monies paid for pafTes taken
out
[   344 ]
out by every Moor and other merchant dwelling on the ifland, which is ftill more increafed by the continual pairing to and from Manaar, is confiderable. The cuftoms likewife produce a large revenue, as all the rice brought in by the Moors pays five per cent.' and all other commodities imported by them, ten. All commodities brought into the ifland muft be paid for with the produce of the country; and great care is taken, that no cafh is carried out by the Moors, or other traders: on the other hand, the merchants, exclufively of areek, elephants, and other commodities of the country, which they contract for, muft pay for every thing they want, with fpecie, a regulation which certainly is not a little in favour of the Company,
THE END,
It