jtoo Ohjervatlo7is on the Straits of Malacca. 



away ; fo that they were obliged, to avoid total deftru^lion, 

 to throw themfelves into the fea, and to fave thenifelvcs by 

 fwimming. The reft betook themfelves to flight; for the 

 Dutch give the Malays no quarter. 



Of the laft inftanceof this man's courage, which coft him 

 his life, I myfelf was an eye-witnefs. The French frigate 

 La Prndente, of thirty-fix guns, on board which I was a 

 prifoner, being in the ftraits of Malacca, about two o'clock 

 on the 17th of July 1795, the man at the maft-head calling 

 out Vive la Repubiiquc, announced that he faw a fail which 

 feemed to be Iteering towards us. As there was then little 

 ©mo wiiid, the twoveflels approached each other very flowly, 

 and it was therefore near funfet before we could perceive that 

 the ftrange fail was a vcflel with two mafts. About ten at 

 night, after I had lain down in mv hammock, I was roufed 

 by the drum beating to quarters. Thi; officers near whofe 

 birth my hammock was flung, immediately flarted frora 

 theirs, and defircd ihe citoyen priJhnnitTy meaning me, to 

 do the fame. The fore-deck was cleared, and every prepa-. 

 ration made for battle. I then proceeded to the fore-deck, 

 and obtained permifiion to remain there. The two veflfels 

 by this time were fo near that they could fpeak each other. 

 Our commandant hailed the ftrange fail, and aflced to what 

 nation fl)e belonged. The anfwer was, that flie was a Dutch 

 iliip oF war. — Strike to the republican frigate La Prudcnte, 

 and lower your fails. — Are you really French ? faid the 

 Dutch captain. — Yes : take in your fails and drop your 

 anchor, or I'll fink you. — I have no anchor on board, re- 

 plied the Dutchman, but plenty of cannon ; and at the mo- 

 ment we received a whole broadfide, which we inRantly re- 

 turned. Several of the Dutchmen being killed, they thea 

 called out that they ftruck. Having taken pofleffion of the 

 Dutch veflvl, and fliiftcd the prifoncrs on board the frigate, 

 we found tlie former to be the .Tava, of iiighteen 9-pounders, 

 i.omuianck'd by tlie beforementioned captain Bloem, who 

 bnd that day failed from Malacca. A fliot had carried away 

 part of his left breaft, but he ordered that the colours fliould 

 jiot bo flruck till after his death. 



T"i:ie inhabitants of Malacca arc a jnoiley race, confifting 



• ' of 



