The Life, Adventures & Piracies of Captain Singleton Section 22

In which the captain and his crew find themselves precariously anchored within reach of a vast multitude of hostile natives, engaged in a cautious and tense parley mediated by a Dutchman whose allegiance wavers. An account follows of an English captain's earlier encounter with the island's inhabitants, illustrating the perils and mistrust that accompany dealings with the unfathomable customs and stratagems of Ceylon’s barbarous people.