Indian Antiquary Vol 35

SR No.: 032527
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 434
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 193

JUNE, 1906.] THE TRAVELS OF RICHARD BELL (AND JOHN CAMPBELL).
Thence we went to Candanna73 in ye Mallabars contrey, a City wthin a fort wald, & is 8 leagues from Serapelle. The Custom of those places are to haue howses without the Cittys for to Lodge travellers in, Cald Serays [sarais] for they pinitt yu not into theire ffort or Towne. In one of these howses I tooke vp my lodginge. My horss put vp, I sent my men into ye towne for přition. They of ye Contrey had liberty, I not, to goe in. Fsently after comes the Old man weh caused ye Monkeys heaue downe ye Bonnetts & desired of me reliefe. I said, I was a traveller and had not to give him. He went his way, it beinge about 6 Clock at night in the Month May. He noe sooner Gon, but I began to strip myselfe starke naked and ran into ye feilds distracted, frighted wth sights of armed Ollyfants, men in Arms Chasing me till day next morning, at wch tyme I found my selfe at the doore of ye Saray I had taken vp ye night before, shiveringe wth cold. I cald my selfe to mind I had a bible & It did please god to direct me to it. I had noe sooner red a few lines but I had my perfect senses but sadly weary. I then put on my Clothes. My horss all that night had not a bit, for my sarpts returnd not, And I demanding ye reason, they told me they thought they had beene with me. Att 8 Clock caime ye Old man and askt me how I did because I lookt soe wild, And askt me some thinge to give him. I gaue him 2 Ropees, 4s 6d Engl money. He replied, why could not I [have] given him that last night, in a thretinge manner, As he went away.
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He was not from me pistoll shott, but I tooke one of my pistolls & fyred it at him. It was Charged with a brace Balletts & fyred both in pan & barrell, but the bulletts stuck in ye Mussell of my pistoll, soe, yt yu might touch them wth yo finger and never went out.
My sarvts beinge of ye Contrey, told me wthin 5 Leagues of yt place was a Kinge of braue Justice liveing at Kissna [Krishna, Kistna] by a River, Bigger as Tygris or Euphrates, Almost as Bigg as Attick [Atak, i. e., Indus] wch parts ye Pattans contrey & ye Osbucks [Uzbegs], yo Biggest fresh water River in ye world, Elleaven Legues in bredth, haueinge 9 Rivers comeinge into it theire. His name is Timmenagg [Trimal Naik].74 We refrest of selfs in the way, at wch place my boy askt me if I had not given the Old man money. I sd yes. Then replied he, all yor money is gon. I look & see my Scretore [escritoire] lockt, Sa, alls well. Nay, sd ye boy, Open ye lock & see, for if these men get but a penny, the[y] will baue all yu haue, if 1000 pounds. I opend it & all was gon, 100 pagodays in gold & 23 Ropees in silver, weh was every penny I had. This made me drop. my Currage, beinge 120 Leagues from Releife. The boy observeing it, sd, Sr, I haue 50 Ropees & lets goe or Jurney to Timmenagg.
Timmenagg, heareinge a Christian traveller was come, sent me All vitions for man & horsse, for he is a grt Kinge, its y Custome of y' Controy, & after sent for me to ye Walls of ye Citty, They haueing erected his tent on ye Walls, from whence he discorst wth me, asking seuall questions &wth all how I likt his Contrey, On woh I told him how I had beene vsed by ye Oldman.
Say Kinge, haue a care what yu say, & say noe more then trewth, for if yu doe, it wilbe ill for yu, but if ya say trewth, yu shall haue yor money againe yts lost.
In ye morninge he sent 5 horsemen to call me wth a dish like a pottinger running on ye ground before them.75 They sd to me, horse. I did. Away went ye dish before vs as fast as we could well pace. This Dish is cald a Battica.76 It ran ye verry same way we caime from ye howse we lodged at 4 days before, for I had staid wth ye Kinge 2 days. In yo way we mett 2 men. It ran vp theire boddys & downe againe, for its ye Quallity of this Battica to doe soe to anie yt haue but reced money from yo first robber.
13 Cundanore, old name for Kurnool (Madras Man, of Admn. III. 252).
14 Timmenagg appears to be Tirumala Nayakka (Trimal-Naik) of Madura, whose dates are given in the Madras Manual as 1623-1659 and by Sewell as 1635-1657. These do not agree with the narrative, as Campbell says he started on his travels in 1667, at least eight years after the death of Trimal Näik.
5 Mr. Irvine says that Manucci speaks of sorcerers who could make a pot move without touching it. 16 Portuguese, batega, a bowl or a gong, something to be beaten. I am indebted for this note to Mr. Irvino.