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ILLUSTRATIONS

Robert Knox, from the engraving in the Bodleian
Library, Oxford,.

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Frontispiece

The Englishmen's Tree, Cottiar (under which Knox and his Companions were taken prisoners),

The Knox Coat of Arms, .

Handwriting and Signature of Robert Knox,

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Title Page of An Historical Relation of Ceylon,'

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The Manner of their Ploughing in Ceylon,

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The Manner of Smoothing their Feilds,

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The Manner of treading out their Rice,

The manner of their Sheltring themselvs from the
Raine by the Tolipat leafe, .

An Execution by an Eliphant,

A Wanderow,

A Rillow,

Their manner of Fishing,

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A New Map of the Kingdom of Candy UDA in

the Island of Ceylon, .

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EDITOR'S PREFACE

VERY little was known of Robert Knox's early life until the discovery last year in the Bodleian Library of a copy of his 'Historical Relation of Ceylon,' containing his autobiographical notes and additional manuscript. This discovery was due to the untiring research of the late Mr. Donald Ferguson.

It has been generally assumed that Robert Knox was probably of Scottish extraction, but he tells us in his 'Notes' that his grandfather was born in 1581, at Nacton in Suffolk. His father also was born at Nacton and baptised there on the 15th of March, 1606.1

Robert Knox, the author of the Historical Relation of Ceylon,' was born on Tower Hill, February the 8th, 1641; he was the son of Robert Knox, a sea captain who traded chiefly in the Mediterranean. His mother was Abigail Bonnell, and he had a sister and a brother-Abigail, born about 1639, and James, about 1647-8. Knox's account of his early days may best be given in his own words; he says In the time of my Childhood I was Cheiefely brought up under the education of my Mother, my

1 When we recollect that the Knox family intermarried with the Bonnells or Bonneels, and the Van Strips or Strypes who were Dutch, it is highly probable that the Knoxes were also of Dutch extraction. The name in Scandinavian is common, and means 'bony.' We have the root in English in the word 'knuckle.'

Father generally being at Sea, a Commander of a ship that traded in the Medeteranian Seas. She was a woman of extraordinary Piety; God was in all her thoughts as appeered by her frequent discourses, & Godly exhortations to us her Children to teach us the knowledge of God, & to love, feare & serve him in our youths it was alwayes her practice, while she with my Sister ware Kniting or Sowing, to set mee to read by them in the Bible or some other Godly booke, alwayes earnestly exhorting us to the feare of God & not at noe time to omitt priviatt Morning & evening prayers for which use she gave mee the Pracktise of Piety & was in my pocket when taken thare. I may say by Gods Blessing one my Mothers frequent Godly exhortations God spake to my Consiance in my Childhood.'

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He notes when I was grown big enough I was sent to a bording schoole at Rohamton to Dr. James fleetwood (my father then dwelling at Wimbleton in Surry) who since was Bishop of Worcester. An unhappie accident hapned by my hand, when I was aboute 9 years age, one Christmasse Eve, one of my fathers servants had bin a shooting small birds in the feild & came whome & set up his gun against the house wall, Charged but not primed, for all his powder was spent, which was the Cause he came whome for more: whilds he was gone in to fill his horne with powder, I tooke up the Gun & presented it at the tame pegeons that sat one a low backe house. I understood to cocke the Gun: My Brother standing by me one the ground, in the intremm the maid came to fetch in my brother, & tooke him up in her armes, he being then aboute 2 or 3 years old & the gun longe & heavie that I could not well hold it up, it went of & hit my brother right in his left eye. He was not then above

6 yards from the muzell of the gun, all the shot, except very few, fell directly into his eye, at which the same Servant was sent imediately to London to advise my father of what had hapned, who that day came whome with a Surgion, who by Gods blessing cured my Brother with only the losse of the eye, that he lived to see me after my Captivity. When I was aboute 14 years of Age, my father had built him a new ship (the same I was taken in) & my inclination was strongly bent for the Seas, but my father much avarce to make me a Seaman, it hapned some Sea Capts coming to see him, amounge other discourse, I standing by, asked my father if I was not to goe with him to Sea. Noe, saith my father, I intend my Sonn shall be a tradsman, they put the question to me, I answered, to goe to Sea was my whole desire, at which they soone turned my father, saying this new ship, when you have done goeing to sea, will be as good as a plentifull estate to your Sonn & it is pitty to crosse his good inclination, since commondly younge men doe best in that Calling they have most mind to be in.'

Accordingly on the 7th of December, 1655, he sailed from the Downs on the Ann,' bound for Fort St. George and Bengal. He returned safely to London in July, 1657. During this voyage Robert Knox lost his mother, who died in 1656 and was buried at Wimbledon.

At this time, as in his own words, 'the old East india Company ware suncke & next to nothing,' the 'Ann' was a free ship, and without delay Captain Knox fitted her for a second East India voyage, but before they could get to sea Cromwell had brought in his Navigation Act, and the 'Ann' was forced into the hands of the new East India Company. The copy of the Charter Party by which this arrangement was made is as follows:

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