No. 39.— 1889.] account of ceylon. 



285 



Anno Christi 1653. 

 [At the beginning of 1653 Saar had an unpleasant experience, 

 which he omits to record in this place, but which he refers 

 to parenthetically in describing his voyage from Europe. 

 Speaking of a vessel that had escaped from two pirate ships 

 of Dunkirk, and the crew of which had resolved rather to 

 blow up their vessel than fall into the enemy's hands, he 

 continues : — " For that is the custom of the East Indian 

 ships, that they would rather suffer a short death than 

 remain a long rime in the murderous hands of the Spanish 

 or Portuguese : as I myself experienced when in India at 

 Angerdotta [Angurutota, or Anguruwatara, on the Kalu- 

 ganga], a pass in the Island of Ceilon, I lay for thirteen 

 weeks a prisoner with the Portuguese, and would much 

 rather have b^en among the heathen or Moors than amongst 

 them. For tiey made us, with our feet fastened tightly to 

 a piece of wcod, pound saltpetre, grind in the powder-mill, 

 and suffer hunger besides, until we were quite blackened. 

 On account of this one of our number, to our exceeding great 

 and imminent danger, on one occasion, from a sort of 

 desperatior, threw, of a set purpose, a number of sparks from 

 the tobacco that he was smoking, with the intention of 

 sending tie powder and all into the air, to deliver himself 

 and us from our misery, which, however, the compassionate 

 God in Hs fatherliness prevented. A man from Friesland 

 was at :hat time imprisoned with us, a fine young fellow, 

 who, vishing to escape, risked it, wherefore he smeared 

 himself quite black, and went completely disguised like 

 a woman, and had got past the guard, when a black youth 

 recognised him by his feet, where the white skin showed, 

 and announced the fact, and for this he was so terribly 

 beaten that he could not move or turn himself for some 

 tine,* However, when they fall into the like misfortune 



* Ribeiro (bk. II., ch. XVII.) gives the following - account of the affair 

 it Angurutota : — " The camp [ManicravareJ having been rid of the 

 trouble referred to, it was notified that the Hollanders had made at 



