How Knox escaped from Kande Uda Rata

The first part of this article on the life of English sailor Robert Knox in Ceylon appeared last week

The king in Kandy swiftly despatched a Dissave to arrest the sailors. The behaviour of the Dissave and his retinue gave the impression that the Sinhalese were not only interested in arresting the English sailors but also had plans to acquire the ship. The Dissave sent a message on board indicating his arrival at the scene and asking the captain to come ashore to take delivery of a letter from the king.

In true naval fashion the message was saluted with firing of the ship’s guns. The captain, Knox Sr., responded to the message by ordering John Loveland, the merchant of the ship, and his own son, Robert Knox Jr. to go ashore and wait upon the Dissave. The two sailors explained to the Dissave who they were and made a request for permission to trade in the area while the mast was being fitted. The Dissave’s response was encouraging when he disclosed that the king was pleased that the English were in his territory and was anxious that they be provided with all necessities but the letter was to be delivered to no one but the captain.

This meeting between the two English sailors and the Dissave took place some twelve miles inland from the shore. The two parties agreed to spend the night there and to go to the shore the next morning so that the captain could come ashore to receive the letter.

According to Knox Jr., that evening the Dissave sent a messenger to their dwelling to inform them that he was planning to send some presents to the captain that night and if they desired they could write a letter to the captain which could be delivered with the presents.

The sailors were suspicious of the new move of the Dissave and wrote a note asking the captain not to come ashore until he saw the two Englishmen on the beach. The presents were duly delivered by morning with the message that the Dissave was on his way to the shore with the two Englishmen. What the two unfortunate sailors did not know was that their note, written to the captain was never delivered. The unsuspecting captain came ashore with seven of his sailors and rested, leaning on a large tamarind tree, waiting for the arrival of the Dissave’s party. The Sinhala soldiers moving swiftly surrounded the captain and the seven Englishmen and seized them.

More than two centuries later, in 1893, a stone tablet was placed near this tamarind tree, describing it as the ‘white man’s tree’. The legend inscribed on the tablet was: ‘This is the white man’s tree under which Robert Knox, captain of the ship ‘Anne’ was captured’. The government looked after the tamarind tree. Subsequently this historic tree started showing signs of wilting and decaying. A masonry prop using bricks was constructed to support the tree and chemicals used to treat the affected parts. The tree that lasted more than two centuries came to a tragic end during the 1970 cyclone that lashed the area. The tablet had probably been removed to the National Museum.

The captured captain was treated with dignity. There had been no molestation or plunder. Knox Jr. testifies to this effect. The captive captain was taken to meet the Dissave’s party that included the captain’s son Robert Knox Jr., in a hammock carried on the shoulders of the Sinhalese. Knox Jr. describes how the next day, without knowing the previous day’s happenings, the longboat crew came ashore to make ‘cheeks for the main mast’. The two were arrested. These sailors were rather rough and probably offered resistance. Because of this, these captives were bound with ‘Wyths’ and led away until they reached a place where ropes were available. According to Knox Jr., these wretched captives thought that the ropes were to hang them but the real purpose was to tie them tighter. The long march from Kottiar, through immense jungles to Kandy makes fascinating reading.

The captain and the son were stationed together while others were sent to various locations in the Kandayan Kingdom to be fed by the king’s subjects. Knox Jr. had the misfortune of burying his father who died of malaria within a year of captivity. Knox lived close to twenty years as a Kandyan peasant in several places of the Kande Uda. He built houses, cultivated land, made and peddled caps, engaged in animal husbandry and towards the latter part acted as a real ‘mudalali’ by leasing seed to poor farmers for 50% profit.

He remained a bachelor and had the luxury of certain privileges as the captain’s son. He was much more industrious than the other English captives. He allowed several of his fellow captives to lodge and partake of his garden produce but on strict conditions that the moment any one of them contracted an alliance with a woman, he had to leave.

The tender side of his personality is reflected by his bringing of dying John Loveland to his house and allowing him to ‘give up the ghost’ in his arms. Very little is written about his adopted daughter ‘Lucea’, child of a fellow captive and a Sinhala woman. He made a lasting friendship with Stephen Rutland with whom he made the final escape from the Kandyan territories.

During his life as a Kandyan peasant Knox took special care to be distant from the royal palace lest he would be called for an audience. Nonetheless he and his fellow captives were forced to take part in the Nilambe rebellion against the king in 1664. By this time he spoke Sinhala as a chingulay and wore cloth with the upper body bare and had a waist length beard. He was also severely addicted to the chewing of betel. He was so conversant in the Sinhala language; he went on to produce a dictionary and compiled a list of Sinhala proverbs.

He escaped from captivity, with Rutland, by walking to the north and arrived at Aripu on October 18, 1679. There he met the Dutch officials who sent him to Jaffna and from there to Colombo. After detailed interrogation regarding the affairs of the Kandyan Kingdom both Rutland and Knox were treated kindly. They were taken to Batavia, the Dutch headquarters where further interrogations took place. The two Englishmen sailed from Bantam on January 10, 1680 on the English ship ‘Caesar’ and arrived in England in September 1680.

Most of the writing of the book took place on board the ‘Caesar’ and by the time the ship reached England, Knox had a whole heap of written sheets where he had jotted down all aspects of life in the Kandyan Kingdom. He was determined to write only the truth and other information he was sure to be true. There are several instances where he had erred. One such error, regarding the fate of the young son of Rajasimha II, following the rebellion of 1664, he was able to correct on a later occasion. Boiling and eating of bees that drop following torching of beehives and eating of rats by natives are two habits he was probably misinformed about.

He uses the word ‘sacrifices’ for ‘offerings’ to gods and at temples, which might have given a different connotation to European readers. It is rather strange that a book so comprehensive and encompassing every aspect of Kandyan life, and experiences of nearly twenty years does not mention any native friend, neighbour or official by name. Nor does he mention any details about the Sinhala wives of his fellow captives although they were invited to his cottage during festive times. He does mention that the only reason that the women were invited was to make them cook the festive meals and for no other purposes.

The heap of disorganized written materials could not be published as it was. He sought the help of his cousin and he says, ‘ ..assistance of my cousin John Stripe, a Minister who composed it into heads and Chapters for my papers, were promiscuous and out of forme with severall inlargements on such heads as I had touched briefly and so it came to the booke you see’.

Knox had a number of famous and influential friends, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke among them. Both were members of the prestigious Royal Society. In fact Robert Hooke, one time secretary of the Royal Society, scientist and philosopher, wrote the preface to Knox’s ‘An Historical Relation of Ceylon’. He also wrote the legend to Knox’s portrait by White.

In the preface to the book, this is how Hooke urges other travellers to follow the example set by Knox in putting to pen the experiences gained in strange lands: ‘…..other ingennous, and knowing Men to follow this Generous Example of Captain Knox, who though he could bring away nothing almost upon his back or his purse, did yet Transport the whole Kingdom of Conde Uda in his Head, and by Writing and publishing this his Knowledge, has freely given it to his Countrey and to You Reader in particular’.

By putting to pen nearly twenty years of life in the tropical island of Ceylon that was much sought after for its riches by European nations, Knox had bequeathed us with a treasure trove, considered by the academia as the most valuable source book on the seventeenth century Kandyan Kingdom. The physical characteristics of the Kande Uda Rata with accurate descriptions of administrative divisions and the detailed map of the island marked with his escape route made the book a valuable resource for espionage. It is said that ‘in less than two years after his escape, Knox had unwittingly made the longest report of espionage in history to the enemies of the Kandyan kingdom. There were of them sitting on the doorstep. Rajasimha II died in 1687, six years after An Historical Relation of Ceylon was published in English, French and German. The secrets of his kingdom were now revealed to the empire builders of England and Europe. We have no doubt that the book would have been John D’ Oyly’s constant companion for his espionage in the Kandyan kingdom two hundred years later’ (V.O. de Alwis Gunawardena. 1981)

This illustrates how significant that ‘mighty storm on the road of Matlipatan’ was for the whole world and us. It is also an incident that calls for rejoicing although sixteen Englishmen were taken captive against their will. The storm did not kill any one. Nor did the Kandyans. Many lived contented lives with Kandyan bedfellows, a few died natural deaths and most others escaped at various times.

The happy outcome of the whole episode is a lasting tribute to the English sailors and particularly to Robert Knox and his swansong, ‘An Historical Relation of Ceylon’.