VALENTYN’S DESCRIPTION OF MALACCA. 133 
The artillery of the town answered our fire; but the Wit¢e 
Leeuw ( White Lion), was the only vessel once hit, whilst the 
most effective shot from our side, was the one, that hit the 
St. Paulus Chureh, so-named by the Dutch; ALBuqueraus 
dedicated it to ‘Our Lady of the Annunciation,” belonging 
to the order of the Jesuits. 
Matetier in the meantime ordered four boats to survey 
the North side of the town, and to take soundings, for if posst- 
ble he intended to land there and to take its suburb; but he had 
to abandon ee pian, the soil being too muddy, the Portuguese 
having raised strong stockades there to defend their houses. 
He had erected in the meantime a battery of 24 pounders 
at Ilha das Naos, (*) one of the islets near the town, and had 
equipped it also with two small cannons-royal, and imtended 
to bombard the town from that place, it being much nearer 
than the nearest piace where the vessels coald anchor. 
Our Admiral having been informed in the meantime that it 
was almost impossible. to make a pee on the south side of 
the town, intended to Jand on its north side, hence he garri- 
soned the said islet with some 30 men. 
We then opened our fire from the battery of the 24 poun- 
ders in the afternoon of the 2nd May, and soon silenced the 
two batteries on the south side of the town. 
Now and then the artillery of the town fired at our vessels, 
but without any effect; they did not fire at the battery how- 
ever, But when Marztres saw that all this firing to and fro 
was of no use, he deliberated with his Captains, wheter it would 
be better to leave the town alone and go first to meet and 
give battle to the Portuguese fleet, or whether it would be more 
advisable to take the town first; after a mature deliberation 
he resolved to ask the opinion of the King of Djohor, chiefly 
because he wanted to make sure if the latter would help him 
and what his assistance would consist of. 
They did not expect much from the aid of the King of 
se but they forwarded a message to him, and it was decided 
that they should wait for his answer, before acting im any 
way ; the more that there was nothing known about the arrival 
of the Portuguese fleet. 
(1? )Ptlau Jawa, lying opposite St. Paul’s Hill. 
