Page:An English Garner Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (Volume 1 1877).pdf/414

 heard they were gone. But this caused us to overshoot our time, the moon spending so fast. As soon as we heard that they were departed out of the country, we went onwards of our journey, having kept most of our wares for a pretence to have an occasion to go further; and having bought a good parcel of cotton yarn to knit caps withal: the rest of our wares, we gave out, was to buy dried flesh with, which only in those lower parts is to be sold.

Our way now lay, necessarily, through the chief Governor's yard at Colliwilla [''? Kalluvilla'']; who dwells there purposely to see and examine all that go and come. This greatly distressed us. First, because he was a stranger to us and one whom we had never seen: and secondly, because there was no other way to escape him; and plain reason would tell him that we, being prisoners, were without our bounds. Whereupon we concluded that our best way would be, to go boldly and resolutely to his house; and not to seem daunted in the least or to look as if we did distrust him to disallow our journey: but to show such a behaviour, as if we had authority to travel where we would.

So we went forward, and were forced to inquire and ask the way to his house, having never been so far this way before. I brought from home with me, knives with fine carved handles and a red Tunis cap, purposely to sell or give to him if occasion required: knowing before, that we must pass by him. And all along as we went, that we might be the less suspected, we sold caps and other wares; to be paid for at our return homewards.

There were many cross paths to and fro, to his house; yet by God's providence, we happened in the right road. And having reached his house, according to the country's manner, we went and sat down in the open house; which kind of houses are built on purpose for the reception of strangers. Whither, not long after, the great man himself came and sat down by us; to whom we presented a small parcel of tobacco, and some betel. And before he asked us the cause of our coming; we showed him the wares we brought for him, and the cotton yarn we had trucked about the country, telling him withal, how the case stood with us, viz: "That we had a charge greater than the King's allowance would maintain, and that because dried flesh was the chief