VALENTYN’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. 227 
the suburb soon after them and drove them back within the 
fortress. 
Our troops then encamped in the conquered suburb, and 
after having built two batteries there within a pistolshot of 
the ramparts of the fortress, they battered them so fiercely 
with sixteen 24-pounders, that finally, notwithstanding the 
brave resistance of the enemy, several large breaches were 
made. These breaches exposed the enemy to a great danger, 
but they were able to meet it for a while by their extraordi- 
nary courage. The siege of the river preventing us from 
storming the town as yet, we could do nothing but blockade 
. the town (within gunshot) from the seaside as closely as pos- 
sible with our ships drawn up in half-moon form and 
harass the enemy by an uninterrupted cannonade and a 
constant throwing of bomb-shells, to which they did not faii 
to reply bravely and patiently from their heavy guns. ‘This 
cannonade not only killed many people and wasted much 
powder and lead, but proved plainly that this siege would 
last a very long time, unless their Honours resolved to send a 
larger fleet than they had yet done to besiege the town. 
Though great scarcity of provisions prevailed in the town, 
and the Johorians assisted us in many ways, as, for instance, 
in supplying us with all sorts of materials, in building some 
of our batteries and other works, in preventing the enemy’s 
small crafts from entering or leaving the town, and in hinder- 
ing them in a hundred other ways, still it would have been 
impossible for us to take the town, if no other expedients had 
been adopted. 
The pride of the Governor of Malacca, MANUEL DE SOUZA 
COUTINHO, and the stubbornness of the besieged Portuguese 
contributed not a little to the long duration of this siege, for 
several offers of a reasonable capitulation were rejected with 
contempt. Add to this the self-willed conduct of our Com- 
mander ADRIAAN ANTONISSOON and the fickleness of his 
successor JACOB KOPER, and it is no wonder that five months 
passed without the smallest improvement and with great 
expenditure and loss on both sides. Many remarkable en- 
counters by sea and land occurred during this space of time, 
