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



133 



aforesaid bastions, as if they were firing their muskets, the 

 Commander (as there was no seeing on the batteries in 

 consequence of the smoke) went a little south to wind- 

 ward of our batteries to certain well-situated rocks, from 

 where he could conveniently see each cannon shot on either 

 side and note its result. Having remained there about an 

 hour or an hour and a half, the besieged were so weakened by 

 our cannon shot, that they could use none of their guns, 

 but only fired volleys from their muskets now and then. 

 After three hours' bombarding, such a breach was made 

 in the bastion St. Jago that one could have entered 

 it without any danger. Our Commander, therefore, 

 having returned to our works with Vice-Commander 

 Coster, resolved to send Lieut. Blaauw with a drummer 

 and white flag of peace and truce to those in the Fort, 

 to tell them that it was in our power, and should be 

 surrendered on favourable terms, and that if they delayed 

 doing so he would take it by storm and spare no one, but 

 would hand over everyone as a prey to the Cingalese, and that 

 from them nothing save a great massacre was to be expected. 

 They could therefore adopt such resolution as they 

 deemed expedient. Lieut. Blaauw having set out of our 

 works on his mission, and gone so close that he could 

 easily speak to those in the Fort, was not allowed any 

 audience ; for they shouted so loud that we could hear them 

 in our batteries u Retire vos ! Comoude retire ! Retire ! " and 

 incontinently fired four or five times on the Lieutenant and 

 drummer with their guns ; thus violating a rule common to 

 all nations, namely, to admit to audience a man bearing 

 a white flag. The Commander gave orders to fire on the 

 enemy briskly till about 4 in the afternoon, and made every 

 preparation for storming next morning the bastion St. Jago 

 and the curtain close to the bastion St. Cruz, in such manner 

 as was resolved and approved in full Council on board. 



Resolution. — In the yacht " Armuyden " lying in the bay 

 opposite Trincomalee, dated Sunday, May 1, 1639. Whereas 

 to-day, in consequence of our continued firing at the Fort of 



