148 



ROBERT KNOX. 



" To His Excellency the Governor presiding at 

 Madras on behalf of the Honorable Company of the illus- 

 trious English nation. 



" Sir, 



" Three days ago, a black man, calling himself Perga, 

 appeared before me in Colombo, and placed in my hands 

 the accompaning note written on the leaf of a sugar tree,* 

 and from it Your Excellency will learn the wretched state 

 of your people, and their great necessity, which permits not 

 of being any longer neglected. We have assisted them 

 with some clothes, and 50 pagodas ready money, which the 

 abovementioned Perga has undertaken to convey to them 

 without fail, and return, on a promise of a reward of 20 

 pagodas ; and we hope we shall always be able by means 

 of him, to help both your people and ours. I have enquired 

 of the black, Perga, after the condition of both, and under- 

 stood him to say that 23 Englishmen are still alive, namely. 



Captain J ox Loubling* 1 These four are in a 

 „ Robert Knox f village beyond Kan- 

 „ John Berry f dy named Legonder- 

 „ Willim Dei| j ry. 



5 Persons under the command of Mr. Markes, who 

 were stranded at Calpentyn, are living in the town of 

 Kandy. 



4 Persons in Zalimoer, a division of the town of 

 Kandy. 



4 Persons in Oere Noere, another division of Kandy. 



* The Cart/ota Ure?is, or Jaggery tree, or Borassus jlabelli-* 

 formis, the Palmyra or Fan palm. 



* Perhaps John Loveland. 

 f William Day, 



