No. 35. — 1887.] CAPTURE OF tkincomalee. 



127 



continued, they would, without doubt, have been driven 

 ashore. But the Almighty averted this and saved us from 

 such a calamity. 



After the weather was a little settled and the ships had 

 their masts and yards up again, the Commander weighed 

 anchor and sailed into the enclosed bay that was yesterday 

 sounded and inspected by the Vice -Commander Coster. 

 The wind was from the S.W. In sailing to the mouth 

 of the bay they found scarce any deep bottom. In sailing 

 in one ought to avoid the east side a little, as from 

 it (as before mentioned) extends a rocky reef where 

 there is not more than 3 fathoms water. So that in truth 

 rthe ship "Henrietta Louisa" ran aground there, but 

 Iby God's help got off uninjured. The ships " Utrecht " 

 and "Oude water " remained opposite Coutijar, owing to some 

 mishap or other unknown to us. The rest of the fleet 

 came into the bay over about 3, 4, or 5 fathoms water to the 

 east side, and brought up in good anchorage, safe and sound. 



April 22. — A little before day the Commander sent four 

 boats from the fleet to Coutijar to accompany the ships 

 u Utrecht " and " Oudewater " if they could sail here stealthily. 

 The other boats were sent ashore by him about 1.30 o'clock 

 with skilled sailors and some sixty soldiers, that he might 

 accompany them himself and inspect the situation of 

 the Fort in order to be more fully and better informed 

 about it by seeing it with his own eyes, and thus come to a 

 surer resolution. This was most advantageous and beneficial 

 to the Company. 



Therefore, having landed with the Fiscal Gerard Herbers and 

 the aforesaid soldiers, they inspected the Sort on all sides 

 within musket shot both from under the walls through the 

 undergrowth and from the open beach, so that one could 

 easily hear them speaking to each other in the Fort and 

 telling each other that we were there. The Commander also 

 ordered his trumpeter to play " Wilhelmus van Nassau " on 

 the open beach, so that they could hear it easily. They 

 thereupon fired on us twice. The first ball did not reach 



