Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	bank_n	deep_a	fathom_n	1,397	5	12.8434	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40482	A relation of two several voyages made into the East Indies by Christopher Fryke and Christopher Schewitzer the whole containing an exact account of the customs, dispositions, manners, religion, &c. of the several kingdoms and dominions in those parts of the world in general : but in a more particular manner, describing those countries which are under the power and government of the Dutch / done out of the Dutch by S.L .	Frick, Christoph, b. 1659.; Schweitzer, Christoph.	1700 (1700)	Wing F2211; ESTC R33794	234,144	381

lies in the Sea not far from the Land It is about twenty miles long and two broad from seven to ten Fathoms deep It belongs at this time to the Hollanders The Oysters in which the Pearls are found are about the breadth of one's hand They stick to the bottoms of Rocks some twenty or thirty together There are People to look every year and see whether the Pearls are ripe when they are so they write to all the neighbouring Kings to let them know what time the Fishing is to begin Then the Divers are sent who are Malabarian Fishermen who come with their Boats and some Stones along with them Each Diver hangs a Stone upon his Foot to sink him the sooner when he is at the bottom he fills his Net with Oysters and then loosens himself from the Stone Then the Stone together with the Net is drawn up by another Malabarian in the Boat whilst the Man shoots himself up to fetch breath When they have thus fill'd their Boat with Oysters they row to Land and throw them out There is a Dutch Soldier waits on each Boat to see that the Malabarians do not take any of the Pearls away The three first days these Boats are all employ'd for the East-India Company after this they may Fish for themselves paying a Rixdoller a day for every Diver The Oysters are laid in heaps on the Shore and the Merchants come there to buy them They are sold at the rate of eight hundred for a Rixdollar The gain or loss of the Buyer depends on meer chance For some may be find no Pearls in all they buy others make vast advantage of their Bargain There hath been no Fishing here for these eight years Some superstitiously think that the place is bewitched Others give this for a reason which I rather approve of that the boisterousness of the Sea hath cover'd the Oysters with Sand so that they cannot come at them The 6th In the morning all our Company went in the Boat call'd the Elephant and having the Wind for us we expected to reach to Columbo by night The number of the Soldiers and Officers was in all 110. We had but a small Vessel with Water a bushell of Rice a small Buffler and a young Buck which two last things were for a present to the Governor Thus the Boat was quite full and no Man had room to lye down but was forc'd to keep his Seat The Wind blew North But at noon it ceas'd and then we went but flowly but we kept in sight of Land all along on our left hand Toward night the Wind arose again and and then we made some speed Therefore the Steers-men bad us all look out sharp for Columbo where we earnestly desir'd to be especially because our Water Vessel was every drop drunk out The 7th By break of day we found that we were carry'd wide off of it by the strength of the current and partly by the oversight of our Steersman For we could see no Columbo nor Land neither All the Officers were very angry with him for 't and would certainly have thrown him into Sea if he had not got up to the top of the Mast where they made him stay all that day for his Punishment Our Captain consulted the Map of the Island Ceylon and he directed us somewhat in our course and about night we got in sight of Picod ' Adam or Adam's-Hill and at six of the Clock next morning we got happily to Columbo It was high time for us to get thither considering that we had been two days and three nights without Meat or Drink The Steersman begg'd we would pardon him and not complain of him to the Governor The 8th As soon as the Gates were open'd we enter'd the City and went to our respective Posts The Captain with whom I spent some time when I was here before sent to me to desire me to make his House my own again if I pleased I did not make any refusal of so advantagious a proffer but accepted of it and I staid with him till The 16th When I was order'd to go with several others to carry a Present which the Governor sent to the King of Candi during which time I had the Title and Office of Captain The Presents were two Persian Horses with sine Velvet Cloaths and Trappings each Horse led by two Malabarian Slaves Ten Falcons each carry'd by a Malabarian dress'd all in white Six Musk-Cats each in a different Cage carry'd by two Slaves Six very large Cocks from Tutucurini each of them likewise in a Cage cover'd with green Velvet Two Persian Sheep each with a Tail that weigh'd 20 or 25 pound A Box that had two Bottles in it that held each of them six Gallons of Persian Wine Besides this a great piece of Sandel Wood that weigh'd 200 pound wrapp'd up in sine white Linnen The Letter that was to be deliver'd to the King was carry'd in a Silver Cap by a Serjeant bare-headed and a Canopy was carry'd over it by four Cingulayan Nobles By each of which another went with a large Wax-Candle lighted as long as a half Pike Our march began in order at the Governor's House Some Companies of Cingulaish Soldiers went first then some Companies of Dutch then the Presents after them two Companies more of Dutch These were order'd to go as far as the King of Candi's residential Town Ruenel All the City was in Arms and all the Cannon was Fir'd round and a Dutch Company that conducted us out of Town gave three Vollies and went back again We together with the others before-mention'd went on with the Presents At night we came to a place where Dutch Potters live two Leagues from Columbo there we lay that night and the next morning march'd on and came The 17th At night to Hanquelle or Gourwebel a Dutch Fort where we lay The 18th We had a very unpleasant and dirty way and were not a little tormented with Blood-suckers till we came to the Fort Sittawack which is in possession of the Dutch and 12 Leagues distant from Columbo Immediately Letters were written on leaves of Sugar-trees and dispatch'd to the Coral of Candi at Ruenel to acquaint him with our being come thither with a Present for the King his Master and that he should permit them to come forwards if he pleas'd to receive them But not a word of answer did we get and we staid here in expectation of it six whole Weeks till the end of September At last we had Directions sent us from Columbo which were That we should go four Leagues farther beyond Ruenel and deliver them to the Coral and then come back And accordingly The 1st of October We went and after having crossed seven little Rivers we came to Ruenel This Fort heretofore belong'd to the Dutch but was abandon'd by them tho' themselves had built it There we cross'd over and having march'd a League further we came to a large Plain where we halted

with variety I sent for some Gomgomers the Musicians of that Country and some Javian Baliar Dancers who made us a great deal of Pastime The Baliar Dancers which come from Babylon I have spoken of before but these were Javians which are a sort far inferiour to them and differ from them much in the same manner as there is between a Dance performed by a Dancing-Master and one danced by a Rustick But what was most Diverting to us especially to my Friend was some Tumblers and Jugglers that were amongst 'em who shew'd us several Tricks which do usually so much surprize even those that see them that I know a Man runs some risk in relating of them However some of their most considerable Tricks of Activity I cannot wholly pass pass by They were five in number One of 'em laid himself flat down upon his Belly upon a Mat they had spread on the Ground and in the twinkling of an Eye raised himself upon his Legs then laying himself down again as before he rais'd himself after the same manner and stood upon his Head only After this he laid himself upon his Back and gave several Leaps in the Air like a Fish The other four did the same Tricks over one after the other and still better and better After this they took a Ladder of about 12 Rounds and set it against one of 'em one of the other four got up to the top of it and laid himself a cross it the second went up and sat a-cross theother's Shoulders the third climb'd up and pitch'd himself on his Head upon the Head of the second and there stood with his Feet directly upwards upon which the fourth came and stood upright on the Feet of the third And after playing several Tricks there he leapt down on the Ground and stood still the next Fellow that was still standing on his Head gave a spring upwards and falling down lighted on the Shoulders of him that stood below the next who was on the Ladder came down likewise with a Leap and fell a-cross the Shoulders of him and so did the fourth and last who had been the first on the Ladder He that had stood all this while and held the foot of the Ladder took it and climb'd up with it to the top of the other four and there made a sort of Harangue to us in Japponnese which concluded the Sight There was a great many other Tricks intermixt with these which were well worth the taking notice of but I thought these would suffice to shew you how far these Men out-do any thing we commonly see in Europe This being over we call'd for our Reckoning in which came to no more than Two thousand Butgis An European at first is frightned at such a reckoning as this and thinks that such a Sum of Money should be enough to Treat a King and all the Nobility or to defray the Charges of a Lord Mayor's Feast but he must understand that these Butgis are but little thin pieces of Lead with holes in the middle of 'em a certain number of them is put upon a String to save the trouble of telling them over upon every occasion and three Hundred of 'em are worth but Two Pence of Dutch Money so that our Dinner amounted but to 13 or 14 d. Besides this our Musick and Dancers cost us a Shilling and we gave a Ducatoon to the Juglers and Tumblers having paid all we went back again down the River to Batavia At this very time the Streight of Sunda was very much infested with Pickaroons They had only Praws or small Boats of their own with which they run with ease in and out of several Rivers of the Kingdom of Bantam and did a great deal of mischief about the Islands of Toppers-hoedie Dwarsin-de-zee and others They used to wait there for their Prey and when they had gotten their Booty they made immediately to their lurking holes where finding safety for a great while they were at last so bold that not a Ship could scape them and the more because the Company never concerned themselves about it nor took any Measures to suppress them But at length the Bali the Ship in which I had been some time before coming that way bound for Jambi on the Coast of Sumatra and being obliged to cast Anchor near the aforesaid Islands these Pyrates joyning their Forces together came and surrounded her and notwithstanding a stout Defence made on Board the Bali for some hours they made themselves Masters of her killed all the Men they could come at and having taken what they could conveniently carry away set it on Fire While the Ship was all in Flames a Ship from Malabar coming luckily by made towards the Fire to see what it was Two Men who in the Engagement had hid themselves below Deck and were now got out but knew not how to dispose of themselves stood upon the Fore-Castle ready to throw themselves into the Sea to avoid being burnt But they sent them a Boat by which means these poor Creatures were preserved and being brought on Board the Ship they continued their Course to Batavia where they gave the General an Account of what had happen'd The Company now being Sufferers by this thought fit to send after these Pyrates which they never minded before while they came by no loss themselves and while the Fishermen only c. were in danger Immediately two Men of War were ordered to go after 'em together with eight small Boats well Mann'd to give them Chace It being requisite there should be Chirurgions more than ordinary in those Ships and this being like to be a short Expedition and near home my Friend and I who could not be employed in a long Voyage were appointed to go with them We were very well pleas'd with our Commission and accordingly we got ready our Chests and went on Board the Ceylon which carried 300 Men and 48 Guns The other Ship was about the same Rate The Boats had each of them from 60 to 70 Men and about 16 Patterero's When we were got past the Island Onrust we kept along the Sea-shore till we came beyond Bantam and there we lay before the Mouth of some Rivers as close to the Land as we could And so as to lye to the Windward At Night we divided our Fleet and sent two of our Boats out to Sea to entice the Pirates out after them if they should chance to see them and we stood ready to clap in between them and the River so to cut off their Pass and hedge them in We lay two days close to the Shore within a Stone 's throw of Land but very safe with no less than 60 Fathom Water Atlength about Sun-set we saw five Boats making Sail towards our two Boats at about two Leagues distance from us upon which we moved altogether forwards along the Shore and by that time it was quite dark we made directly towards 'em taking still care to be

and take him up which they did and in about two hours time brought him safe to us The 19th We had a very fair Wind and fine Weather Two of our Seamen quarrel'd and fell at last to their Knives and wounded each other As soon as the Master knew of it he had 'em both Duck'd from the Main-mast as wilful Transgressors of the Laws of the Ship The 20th about 6 in morning our Boatswain a very expert Seaman climb'd up the Main-top-gallant-Mast which is the highest part of the Ship no sooner had he look'd about him but he cry'd out aloud Land Land The Master ask'd him which way and he told him to the North-East streight we changed our Course from North West thither The Helmsman threw out the Plummet and found a sandy bottom at 80 Fathoms In the afternoon we got sight of the high steep Mountain call'd Adam's Pick and by that we knew that this was the place we wanted to be at viz. the Island Ceylon Towards night we changed our Course again to the East and sometimes to the E. and by N. for we had no mind to be near Land that night and we could not have reach'd the Road that day In the first Watch between 6 and 10 we could feel ground still but in the 2d and 3d we could not The 21th in the morning at break of day We chang'd our Course again and went directly towards Land lying South-East of us with the Wind at S. W. About 10 a Clock before Noon we saw the Ships that lay at Anchor upon the Road by the City of Columbo In the mean while the Wind veer'd four Points more to the W. and so much the fitter for us About Noon we felt a sandy ground at 40 Fathoms but we kept Sounding still till we were quite out of the deep and in full sight of the Land This day every one had plenty enough of boil'd Rice and the Water Vessels were free to any body We had suffer'd a great while Hunger and Thirst notwithstanding that we had Course Diet enough and above 40 Barrels of Dutch and Batavian Water The Soldiers now begun to Equip themselves to make a shew at their Landing and dress'd themselves very sine with great Joy and Satisfaction Their Arms which till then had been kept up in the Gunner's Room were delivered to 'em to go out Arm'd as is usual to Shore All our Flags were out till about three in the afternoon when we cast our Anchors and found still 12 Fathom Water The Gunner was ordered to fire one Gun and one Seaman was to strike our Admiral 's Main-mast Flag before the City of Columbo but immediately again to set it up After this we fired all our Guns to which the Fort of Columbo answer'd with seven of their Cannon The Governor of this City sent two great Sloops of Ceylon to fetch us ashore in which our Lieutenant and Men went up to the Governor's House who welcomed us all very heartily and gave all our Men three days liberty to refresh themselves after their hard Voyage The distance between Columbo and Batavia is about 500 Dutch miles which we had reach'd in 49 days from the 3d of October to the 21th of November The 22th I went to Board with an old Cingulaish Woman because she could speak a little Dutch and she got her living by keeping a House to entertain the Dutch of which she had generally 20 or 30 in her House I paid 15 s. a Month and 40 pound of black Rice We had every one his own Dish served up with Flesh Fish Figs and such like Diet twice every day at 8 a Clock in the morning and 4 in the afternoon Our House was only a Hut made up of Boughs of Trees And here I met with three of my old Acquaintance who On the 23th took me Abroad to a very large Orchard call'd Tang Salgato where we drank some Sury fresh from the Coco-Trees This was in the morning and about noon we bespoke a hot sort of Liquor called Massack which is made in the following manner They put into a Vessel 8 Quarts of Suri and to that one Quart of Arack or Brandy All this boil'd together and about 20 or 25 Eggs are broke into 't which gives it substance and a good colour Then they add to all this some Kings Sugar which they get from some certain Trees there and some Nutmeg and Mace All this came to half a Rixdollar We had some Women to wait upon us which they call Bulliatoses who diverted us with various Leaping and Dancing Their Ears are about a Span long with Golden Pendants in them They saw by my Dress that I was newly come from Europe and I found they had a great mind to Converse with me but I not understanding them made them understand by shaking my Head that I did not Care for their Company The 24th We took a walk about two or three miles out of Columbo to see some tame Elephants that were kept in Orchards there And having seen them we went into the House which belong'd to a Portuguese who treated us very nobly and at night had us home upon an Elephant of his This day an Ambassador named Myn Heer Bucquoi was sent from Ceylon with a Lion for a Present to the King of Candy From the 25th to the 30th Our Men were daily Exercised and at night our turn began to be upon the Guard where my Post obliged me to be till The 25th of April 1677. which was five months in which time I learned the Cingulaish and Portuguese Languages finding them not only useful but necessary to those that are to stay there The 22th I was sent with 30 Soldiers to the Fort of Galture 8 Leagues from Columbo to have some new Ramparts added to it Of this Fort I intend to speak by and by designing now to give an Account of the Cities Inhabitants Cattle and Fruits of the Island Ceylon as far as I could observe of them while I staid there CHAP. IV. A Description of the Isle of Ceylon its Cities Forts and Inhabitants which are chiefly of two sorts An Account of the King of Candi's Court Officers Counsellors and his other Subjects Their Customs Manners Religion c. Their Houses over-run with Fleas and Pismires Their manner of Eating and Trading The King of Candi's a Cruel Tyrant The Cingulayans Customs in War Their Arms and Exploits The other Inhabitants of Ceylon are Malabarians who are Subjects of the Dutch They Worship the Devil Crocodiles Serpents c. Their Burials The Dutch took Columbo and other Cities of Ceylon from the Portugueses and the King of Candi tho' he had help'd them against the Portugueses The King of Candi's Resentment of it to this very day Vnhealthy Climate of this Country THE Island Ceylon is about 200 Dutch miles in compass It lies in the Indian Sea not far from the Maldivian Islands and the Wild Coasts of Cormandel and Malabar It was found out

Admiral that lay in the Road with two other Ships to whom we struck our Pendants We pass'd on by Porto Novo a Fort that belongs to the Moors under the command of the King of Volkendal They had a great many Boats before it and one at a distance to watch the rest This one put up a Flag and sir'd a Piece for a Signal and of a sudden they were all under Sail taking us for Enemies But it was but a false alarm of theirs for our design was only upon the Fort Policere which is not far from St. Thomas into which many Soldiers that had deserted from the Viceroy Lakay were got And this Fort we had orders to Invest and Demolish because it was a great hindrance to the Dutch Commerce But on the 21th A Yatch met us that was coming to bring us word that the French upon notice of our coming were fled out of the Fort and gone to the King of Volkendal So we went back to Nagapatan where we arriv'd The 11th at night and cast Anchor there We heard that the Moors had drove away a Dutch Merchant that was Registerer and Secretary of Matapatan and had seiz'd all his Goods Upon which we sent 2 of our Boats with 150 men to redress this Injury And on the 13th They came back with an account of their good success and that they had restor'd the Merchant his Habitation and forc'd the Moors to give back all they had taken from him Our Ship being to take up 400 quarters of Rice at this place we lay still there till The 12th of January 1679 When we set sail and came on The 13th To a Dutch Fort call'd Punto de Pedre a very pleasant place having great plenty of Onions Tamarins Figgs Cocos Jager and Arecktrees which make delicate shady Walks some of 'em a mile or two long and a fine Campaign Country There we lay all night and very well lodg'd we were The 14th Early in the morning we march'd on foot to Jafnapatan I was very dry in the march and coming to a Malabarian Village I slipp'd into a little Hutt to get me some milk to drink I found an old Woman there with her Daughter I desir'd a Pint of milk and they gave it me asking me a Damagas for it which is two-pence I drunk it off and having paid my money went away to overtake the rest of my Company and not thinking of any thing I was immediately shot in the Leg with one Arrow and with another in my Thigh I pull'd them out and look'd all about me but could not perceive any body nor whence they should come However I thought to fright them and cry'd out O Nay Dayoli mettene Landes inguw●●●e which signisies Ye dogs there are more Dutch a coming But that was all the revenge I could have for I durst not complain of it because it was done by stealth and contrary to our orders that I stopt there So I went out of the Village as fast as I could and stopp'd my Wounds with an old rag that I used to wrap the lock of my Fusil in and overtook my Company and went on to Jafnapatan in great pain There our Post was and I immediately went to my Countryman Lutz the Physician who Cur'd me but was forc'd to cut open my Wounds because the Arrows were poison'd We staid there till The 14th of February And then we were carried back in Boats to Manara There was a Vessel here that would have held us all very well but the Captain-Lieutenant would take but one Company in with him wanting room for good quantity of Hogs and Onions that he had a mind to carry to Columbo to trade with We had very good Quarters here and staid till The 1 st of March Then we were divided and went in two Boats The one was a large Dutch one call'd the Elephant the other a poor little Mallabarish one into which it was my lot to go It was quite open and had neither Rudder nor Compass But those in the Dutch Vessel told us that we should not want one if we would but follow 'em we told 'em we would if we could but we gave our selves over for lost and never expected that it would carry us over the Sea However we went well enough while the day lasted but towards the evening coming to the Pearl Bank at Aripen it began to Rain and blow exceedingly The Wind was good but so strong that we were afraid of overturning ev'ry minute Our four Seamen who were Malabarians thought good to keep as nigh to the shore as we could all of us thought very well of that too But the Rogues more afraid than we as soon as they came in sight of the Land leap'd into the Sea and left us and swam to shore By mere good fortune we had some Soldiers amongst us that had been Saylors who manag'd the Sails and Stern I had chosen to lay me down by the Hearth where they used to dress their Victuals to keep my self and my Writings dry but the Rain beat upon me and mixing the Ashes and Soot with it I look'd next morning like a Chimney-Sweeper but the best on 't was that I kept my Papers very safe This was a bitter night and in the morning we struck upon a little marshy Island and there staid till day to see which way we were to take There was an old fellow with us that knew where-about Calpintin was being well acquainted with the Country by the help of his Directions we thrust off our Boat and sail'd by many other little Islands like this and got in sight of Calpintin and by the next morning to it Here we found the fellows tha● should have been our Guides but had basely left us We lay still here till the 5th Instant CHAP. VII The manner of Fishing for Pearls Why this sort of Fishing was laid by for seven years The Author's departure from Calpintin to Columbo The Dangers he went through in his Journey Comes to Columbo Presents sent by the Governor to the King of Candi What they were The Author is order'd to go along with them In what base manner the Candians receiv'd the Presents and then treacherously fell upon those that brought them How they came off and in their retreat destroy'd two Heathen Temples What strange things happen'd while they were about it They return to Columbo The Gates there are shut up twice a day and why An account of Sittawack and of the Amboineses who serve the Dutch Company there Precious Stones in the Earth and in the Rivers where most found A Description of them and where and how they grow What policy the Author was forc'd to use to get a Saphir of an Old Cingulayan A strange Cock An Elephant falls into a Well out of which there was no getting of him An Earthquake BEfore I proceed I will inform the Reader how the Pearls are got here how Fish'd for and how Sold. The Bank where they are