An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon - Definition and Overview

Depiction of an execution by an elephant, from An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon

An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon is a book written by the English trader and sailor Robert Knox in 1681, describing his experiences some years earlier on the South Asian island now best known as Sri Lanka. As well as being a good read in its own right, it is one of the most important contemporary accounts of 17th century Ceylonese life and an invaluable insight into an early European view of the island's culture.

Knox's trading ship, the Ann, was returning to Madras in India in 1659 when it was forced by a storm into Cottier Bay, Ceylon. The crew were taken prisoner by the Sultan of Ceylon. Knox survived by knitting caps, selling goods and lending rice and corn. After twenty years of captivity, he escaped with one companion in 1679 and reached Arippu, a Dutch settlement on the north-west coast of the island.

Returning to London two years later, Knox wrote and published An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, accompanied by engravings showing the inhabitants, their customs and agricultural techniques. The book has been reprinted several times since, most recently in 1983. Its various editions have at least 5 ISBN numbers, including ISBN 8120618467.

External links

Free eBook of An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14346) at Project Gutenberg