gain his station as commander of a ship under the East India Company."

Although Robert Knox throws to the end of his work, either from modesty or not to detain his readers from what he may perhaps have considered more interesting information, an account of the reason of his going to Ceylon and detainment there, we shall be more methodical, and commence with his arrival off the island.

CHAPTER I.

Arrival of the "Ann" at Cottiar- Captivity of Knox and others Carried to Kandy-Death of Knox's Father Knox obtains a Bible - Isolation of the Captives-Their occupation and progress with the Natives-Native Rebellion against the King Rajah Singha-Description of his Palace, &c. - Conduct of the Captives in the Rebellion-Knox " begins the world anew Plans his Escape - Makes several attempts, and finally reaches Arrippo and Jafnapatam — Embarks for Colombo, and returns to England.

IN January, 1657, the Ann frigate of London, commanded by Captain Robert Knox (the author's father), sailed from the Downs in the service of the East India Company, bound for Fort St. George, and after trading for more than a year from port to port in India, the vessel was lading its goods to return to England in November, 1659, in the road of Matlipatan (Masulipatan), when "a mighty storm arose, which forced them to cut their mainmast by the board, and so disabled the ship that she could not proceed on her voyage to England. The agent at Fort St. George ordered that the ship should take in some cloth and go to Cotair Bay (Cottiar, in the great Bay of Trincomalie), in the Island of Ceylon, to trade, and to set another mainmast, and repair other damages which it had sustained by the storm. The Indian merchants of Porto Novo, to whom the goods belonged, went on shore on their arrival at

Cotair, but the captain and crew were at first cautious in their communications with the natives; being well received, however, they grew more confident and went on shore whenever it pleased them.

The King of Kandy (Raja Singha) hearing of their arrival, dispatched a dissauva or general, with his army, who immediately sent a messenger on board to desire the captain to come on shore, pretending that he was the bearer of a letter from the King. They saluted the message with firing of guns, and the captain ordered his son, Robert Knox, with Mr. John Loveland, the merchant of the ship, to go on shore and wait on him.

The dissauva inquired who they were, and how long they would stay. He was told they were English, that they would not stay above twenty or thirty days, and that they desired permission to trade in his Majesty's port. He replied, that the King was glad to hear that the English had come to his country, had commanded him to assist them, and had sent a letter, but it was to be delivered to no one save the captain.

The party who had previously gone ashore were about twelve miles up the country. They told the dissauva that the captain could not leave his ship to come so far, but if he would come down to the shore, the captain would immediately wait upon him to receive the letter.

The dissauva desired them to stay that day, and on the morrow he would go down with them. Their suspicions, however, were raised that evening by his stating that he intended to send the captain

a present in the night; and accordingly they wrote to warn the captain, but the letter was not delivered to him. The result was, that in the morning the captain came ashore to receive the present, and was told that his son and Mr. Loveland, with the dissauva, were on their way from the interior bearing a letter from the King.

The native soldiers then seized the captain and seven men, but without violence or plunder, and brought them up to the other party, carrying the captain in a hammock on their shoulders. The next day the long-boat's crew, not knowing what had happened, came ashore, and were also made prisoners.

Having taken both the boats and eighteen men, they endeavoured to secure the ship, but through the captain's management this was prevented. He sent his son on board with messages to the crew, but charged him, "on his blessing, and as he should answer it at the great day," not to leave him in this condition, but to return to him again; on which our author "solemnly vowed, according to his duty, to be his obedient son.'

Robert Knox accordingly returned on shore, and the prisoners remained in suspense for two months, expecting to be released; but the time, and season of the year, spending for the ship to proceed on her voyage to some other place, and their condition being, as they feared, and afterwards found to be, the beginning of a sad captivity, the captain sent order to Mr. John Burford, the chief mate, to take charge of the ship, and to set sail for Porto Novo, whence they had last come, and there to follow the agent's order.

“Thus were sixteen of us,” says Robert Knox, “left to the mercy of these barbarians. Though our hearts were very heavy, seeing ourselves betrayed into so bad a condition to be forced to dwell among those that knew not God nor his laws; yet so great was the mercy of our gracious God, that he gave us favour in the sight of this people; insomuch that we lived far better than we could have expected being prisoners, or rather captives in the hands of the heathen, from whom we could have expected nothing but very severe usage."

Robert Knox imputes their "Surprise" mainly to their neglect in sending a letter and present to the King at their first coming, who, he observes, "looked upon himself as a great monarch, as he was indeed, and required to be treated with suitable state."

The party, shortly after their capture, was distributed into separate villages in the interior of the island, where they saw nothing but "the horrible black faces of their heathen enemies;" but Robert Knox adds, "God was so merciful to us as not to suffer them to part my father and I.”

In about sixteen days later they were again collected together and carried near to Kandy, meeting kind treatment by the way and having plenty of food brought to them by the inhabitants, who repaid themselves by the amusement they derived from seeing the Englishmen eat.

On their arrival near Kandy they were again separated, being severally quartered on the inhabitants; but Robert Knox and his father were still permitted to be together and placed in a town called Bonder