Concerning Severall Remarkable Passages of my Life that hath hapned since my Deliverance out of my Captivity. By Robert Knox.

From the Manuscript in the Bodleian Library.

Pressmark Fol. 623.

A

FTER I came out of my Captivity one the Iland of Zelone I arrived at England in Anno 1680 haveing bin then 23 years abroad, for I went out in Anno 1657 & had not bin England ever

since.

The first place I landed at was Erith; haveing noe mony I had borrowed 5 shillings of Capt John Bromaell, he then was Boaswaine of the Ceaser the Ship I came whome in, but before I landed one Mr. Short a Druggtor came one board & seeing me with an old fashion beard (longe whiskers) asked the captaine who I was: he telling him I was Capt Knoxs son come from Zelone he came & discoursed mee, & told me he knew my Brother, & that my Sister was Married, to a second husband & had severall Children, & gave me directions in writing whare each of them dwelt in London; this I looked one as a providence, for tell then I knew not wheather they weare Dead or Living, nor whare to Inquire after them.

Folio 1.
The Author

arrives at
England.

Erith.

The same day evening that I left the ship wee landed at the Her- And lands at mitage, Stephen Rutland my fellow Captive being with me; that night we lodged thare in an Alehouse, & spent with Boatehire good part of my 5 shillings; next morning with my Consort Stephen I went up into the Citty, & althoughe the Citty had bin burned, without inquiry, by my memory I came to the Royall Exchange, which by the magnificece thare of beyound what it was formerly appeared to me very strange, & I inquired in threadneedle Streete for Mr. Lascelles my sisters husband and soone found his house; thare being onely an Apprentice in the Warehouse, I inquired of him for Mrs. Lascelles, he told mee she was at theire Country house at Beadnall Greene; without discovering myselfe I asked him if he knew her Maiden name, he said yes, it was Knox, then I blessed God in my heart that had directed me to find my fathers daughters house.

1680.

He finds his sisters house.

Folio 2.

He discovers his brother.

And his sister.

He is Wel

comed at the East India House.

Folio 3.

He thinks how he should get a living.

I said noe more, onely told the younge man I would call againe, by
& by, for he had told me shee would be there anon.
As I was go-
eing away he desired to aske me one question which was if I ware
not his Mistresses Brother; I asked him why he put that question to
me, he said because he had heard that his mistreese had a Brother
longe Absent in the Eastindies, & my speeche was so like to hers.
I told him I was the same & would goe & see for my Brother, which
he gave me further directions to doe; he was a lodger in St Maries
Churchyard; when I came to the house I inquired for Mr. Knox who
soone came to me. I knew him onely by the unhappie marke I
had given him in his eye, but my Brother knew not mee, I told him
I came from the place whare his father & Brother ware taken, &
knew them boath, & began to talke aboute them, tell I could noe
longer refraine weeping for Joy, like Joseph one the same occation,
& as he did I fell one my Brothers necke & kissed him, blessing God
that had brought me to see my Brother, my owne Mothers Sonn
againe. After Congratulations we went togeather to my Sister,
who was then come whome with her eldest sonn John; truly we
knew not one the other by sight for she asked me if I had not a
pockehole by my left eye, & puting my haire away she saw it which
I knew not of; after Congratulations I told her I had thought never
to have seene her, but now God had dealt by me as by old Jacob,
had showed me her seede also, at which I greatly rejoyced.

Soone after my owne Brother, and Brother Lascelles & friends went with me to the Eastindia house to make my appearance in person before the Comitty of said Company, for I had advised them in a letter from the Downs that I was come so far. At my appearing before them, they all bid me welcome to England, & told me they would not detaine me with discours of inquires to keepe me from my Relations, but defered that to heereafter, & the next time I appeared before them they ordered twenty pounds to be paid to me, & ten pounds to Stephen Rutland which we received accordingly; but Sir Jeremy Sambrooke called a little one side & put two Guineas into my hand, who then I knew not, but afterward I went to his owne house to thanke him againe for that Great faviour.

After Congratulations, & discourses with all my Relations, most of which I found alive to my great Joy & Consolation, I began to thinke how I should now gitt a living in this new world, which I was as new borne into, & all my abilities in kniting & pedling &c

1680.

that I lived by, as I may say in the world that I came from now stood me in noe steed, & my fortune that my father left me was but small & none of my Relations, ware in such Stations that they could imploy & prefer me to any buisnesse that I was Capable to performe. At length God brought me to one Capt John Brookehaven, an old East india Commander, who was one of my fathers acquaintance, but longe had left the seas, & in discoursing with him he, pittying my forlorn Condition, asked me what way & means I thought one to gitt a living. I told him I thought it best to follow the Seas againe, hoping to meete with better fortune then heather too I had had, telling him that my best abillityes as well as inclination led me that way; he liked well my resolution, & told me he would advise me as if I ware his sonn, viz to put myselfe to a mathematicall Schoole, & offered to goe with me to John Colson one of the best in England in that science; his advice liked me so well that I resolved to follow it & without delay; before we parted a time was appointed to goe theather, & accordingly he did goe with me to Mr. Colson, & present- He goes to a ly all things ware agreed one & I became his Scholer, for I was loath Mathematito loose any time. Tell then I had lodged with my Sister but now, to make the best use of my time, I tooke a lodgeing over against Mr. Colsons house, & in short time I had run throught all, for I plyed my studes with dilligence early & late, knowing it was my intrest so to doe.

call Schoole.

Mean While Sr Josiah Child being then Govenor, I went with my Cousen Strype to him at his house to intreat his faviour & offer my service; he received me very kindly & told me I neede not take further care, he would provide to imploy me, & advised me to leave the Sea, which I had found so unsuccesful & live one shore a factor Folio 4. at Bantam.

I told him I was noe wayes Capable of such imployment, but was with a mathematition to improove myselfe to be fitt to serve him at sea, of which I had some small knowledge, & doubted not but in some time to make a sufficient progress tharein. He perswaded me to live one shore, as being an easer life & more profett &c, but said, since I was so bent for the seas, he would provide for me that way; I thanked him & we tooke leave.

1680.

Sir Josiah
Child's
Kindness.

The Author sails for the East Indies.

Folio 5. The Tonqueene Marchant

arrives at Tonqueene.

The ship

strikes on the ground.

Afterward as I was directed I presented my petition to the Company, & they gave me a promise of their exceptance, so I weighted some times on Court dayes at the East india house. After this Sr Josiah Child called me into the parlour, & told me he had this day bought a small ship, building at Blackewall, to put me in Commander & wished me good successe in her, & bid me goe & looke after the finishing & fitting of her & told me further, that as I behaved myselfe in this, it woud be an introduction to a bigger. I hearty thanked him & told him, what I wanted in skill & experience I would indeavour to make up in care, & good husbandry that he might have noe cause to repent of this great faviour he had bestowed one me. This ship was named the Tonqueene Marchant because the first voiage she was sent theather. It is a province one the West part

of China.

She was but 130 tuns burthen; I went out in her in Anno 1681 & sailed from the Downs in Sept. We ware in all 25 men in her, & went in Company with 5 others, all small ships bound for the Eastindies.

It being a bad season of the yeare it was May before I came to Bantam, which was the first port I was bound to; being arived thare, in the Rode Contrary to our expectations we found the Hollanders had taken the place, & the English ware expelled thence & gone to the City of Batavia: they had left 2 engl: factors one board the Duch men of warr that ware then riding in the Rode, to advise all English that came theather to repare to Batavia to the English Agent & Councill. Upon this notice the next day I sailed from Bantam & found all our factors at Batavia. Soone after they sent me to Tonqueene whare by Gods Blessing I safely arived, though I had never a man in the Ship that had ever bin thare before. According to Custome, a China Pilott came one board of me, whare I rode without ye Barre, with a letter from our English Factors resident one that place to welcome me to the port; & advise me to Intrust the Barer who was the Companies Pilott to bring the Ship over the Barre into the River, & according to order next morning I set Saile & stered as my Pilott directed; he onely pointed with his hand to goe this way or that way as he saw by his marks one the land.

Soone after we ware under Saile we came upon the pitch of the Barr, & the Ship struck one the ground so that she beat: her Rudderhead came up into the Great Cabbin that we could not steere, but it

pleased God the next sea hove her quite over the barr & the water deepened gaine. The Ship bing new & stronge gott noe harme & we drew the rudder downe againe into its place, & it was as well as before. The Ship went aboute 20 miles up into the river ware I buried aboute 8 of my men, most principall officers, as Chiefe mate, Carpenter & Boatswaine.

In the January following 1682, the Ship being laden with very rich goods, as wrought silks & Muske, & filled up with lackered wares, I was sent backe to Batavia, and haveing lost so many men out of my small number, was faint to hire some Chineses to helpe saile the Ship: neverthelesse by Gods Blessing I gott safe to Batavia againe. Mine being a small ship and the goods I had brought very rich, the Agent & Councell, according to orders out of england, tooke out all the silk & Muske & loded them one board a large ship called the Surratt Merchant who lay the same time in Batavia rode; & the English haveing lost theire trade at Bantam they had noe pepper to lade me, but put in some few parcell of Cassa lignum (for they had not goods to fill the ship) & sent me whome, for England.

1681-82.

Heere at Batavia I had gott a recrute of men for those that I had buried, & by Gods Blessing goeing alonge with mee I safely arived with my small ship to England againe. But note this by-the-by: Note. that the small ship which they Distrusted to bring theire rich goods whome but sent almost empty away, came whome & Arived very Folio 6. safely, without any losse or hazard, & the Great Ship, the Surratt Marchant, which was intrusted with all the rich goods I had brought from Tonqueene, Perished by the way whome with all her men, and was never since heard of.

Thus Gods Providence Guided & Guarded me this my first voiage. The Ship being safely come whome, and sailing but very slowly, Sir Josiah Sr. Josiah Child who was owner of 1/10 part would have her cutt Child's designe to in the middle & lengthned 12 foot, which the other owners disagreed lengthen the to: however he ordered me that it should be done, & bad mee bring Ship. a builder to him to Contract with aboute the same; which I did, & the ship was cut in the middle and lengthned accordingly. This highly displeased severall of my owners & their anger grew hot