No. 37.— 1888.] capture of Colombo. 



409 



fort, a secure retreat was opened to them by the thick wood on the 

 left, through which from our not knowing the ground, it would have 

 been dangerous and improper for us to pursue them. 



Whilst our troops lay here, the Dutch sent out from Columbo a 

 large party of Malays under the command of Colonel Raymond, a 

 Frenchman, to attack us, which they did rather unexpectedly in the 

 morning about daybreak. Our troops, however, particularly our 

 flank companies under Colonel Barbut, gave them such a warm 

 reception that they soon retired very precipitately and with great loss ; 

 their brave commander was mortally wounded, and died a few days 

 after. The loss on our part was not material : and this was the last 

 and only attempt made by the enemy to oppose us. 



Our army was now come to Columbo, the capital of the Dutch 

 dominions in Ceylon, large, fortified, and capable of a vigorous defence; 

 and here they seemed to have concentrated their resistance. On our 

 appearing before it, however, a capitulation was immediately proposed, 

 and in a few days after this important place was surrendered into our 

 hands. To examine the causes which led to this unexpected conduct 

 may be of use to our own nation, and the Commanders of our garrison 

 abroad. 



Previous to the British troops appearing before Columbo, its 

 garrison had been in some measure weakened by the loss of the Swiss 

 Regiment de Meuron, which for a long time had composed part of it. 

 This regiment, upon the term of its agreement with the Dutch having 

 expired a few months before General Stewart was sent against Ceylon, 

 had transferred its services to our Government ; and other troops had 

 not hitherto been procured from Holland or Batavia to replace it at 

 Columbo. The strength of the garrison was by this means impaired ; 

 but the want of numbers was not its principal defect, as upon marching 

 out after the surrender, it was found to consist of two battalions of 

 Dutch troops, the French regiment of Wurtemberg, besides native 

 troops ; forming in all a number fully equal to the force sent against it. 



The dissensions among both the civil and military officers of the 

 garrison were a cause which more powerfully hastened its surrender. 

 Those principles, which have produced so many convulsions and atro- 

 cities in Europe, had also penetrated into this Colony. The Governor, 

 M. van Angelbeck, was a very respectable old officer of moderate 

 principles and a mild disposition. Many of those under him were, 

 however, violent Republicans of the Jacobin party ; they declaimed 

 against the Governor as a man of a weak mind, and wished to place in 

 the government his son, whom they had gained over to their own princi- 

 ples. The violence of this party had gone to an alarming height ; they 

 had already begun to denounce their opponents ; and several respectable 

 gentlemen would in all probability have fallen victims to their fury, 

 had not the sudden arrival of the English at this critical moment 

 rescued them from impending destruction. 



