14 ST. HELENA 



tainous land near High Peak ; but the islanders were again 

 on the alert, and prepared to meet them with a force of 

 500 men from the island garrison. The Battle of High 

 Peak then took place, and the islanders had to retire, the 

 Dutch forcing their way down towards Fort James, into which 

 the Governor and the islanders had retired. The besieged 

 Governor and men resisted the attack for some time, but 

 eventually gave in, and made their escape on some ships in 

 harbour which were bound to the coast of Brazil. Very 

 fortunately they fell in with a British squadron commanded 

 by Captain Munden (afterwards Sir Richard). 



He was proceeding outward to convey to England the 

 East India homeward bound fleet, but on learning what 

 had occurred at St. Helena he determined to recapture 

 it, and accordingly set sail for the island, arriving on 

 May 14, 1673. Unobserved and quite unexpected by 

 the Dutch, he landed at " Prosperous Bay " on the east, 

 with about 200 men, under command of Captain Kedgewin. 



Fortunately they had a slave, who had escaped with 

 Governor Beale, named Black Oliver (of whom an account 

 will be found in "Jottings from Records"). He was 

 well acquainted with the island, and made a good guide up 

 the steep and rugged rocks till they came to a perpendicular 

 cliff of great height, now called " Hold-fast Tom." This 

 seemed an insurmountable difficulty, but one of the party, 

 named Tom,, taking with him a large ball of twine, and 

 exhorted and encouraged by his companions, accomplished 

 the difficult feat of scaling it. By the help of the twine a 

 rope was drawn up, and he was able to assist his companions 

 to the summit. Captain Kedgewin, with his little army, 

 was then enabled to travel by Hutt's gate toward Long- 

 wood heights. On the way they refreshed themselves at 

 the houses of the cottagers, and passing Longwood, took up 

 a position on the top of Rupert's Hill, east of, and above, 

 Jamestown. 



By this time Captain Munden had sailed across to the 

 north and appeared in front of Fort James about the same 

 time as Kedgewin appeared on the heights, and the Dutch 

 were so taken by surprise that they immediately sur- 

 rendered. 



On landing, the English placed two guns in position on a 



