NO. 37.— 1888.] CAPTURE OF COLOMBO. 



413 



tion we were likely to experience, when all of a sudden a peal of 

 musquetry, and shower of balls, arrested our attention. A body of 

 eight hundred or one thousand Malays, followed by Dutch troops, gave 

 us this salutation, which being returned with interest, they immediately 

 took to flight, leaving, amongst others, a Colonel mortally wounded on 

 the ground. His remains were interred with military honours, and we 

 took up our almost peaceable abode in the Pettah and environs, about 

 two o'clock the next day : having, however, had a most ridiculous 

 alarm during the night, which terminated fatally for one of our com- 

 rades. Being with the advance, I was posted in a thick grove, with 

 one of the picquets for the night ; the next party to us was furnished 

 by the Bombay Grenadier battalion, in similar ground. All the 

 sentries were loaded, and told to challenge distinctly any one who 

 approached them ; and, if not satisfactorily answered, to fire at the 

 object. The night was dark, and all had remained still, till towards 

 morning, when suddenly, " Who comes there ? " was bellowed out 

 from the Bombay post, and immediately after the report of two 

 musquets, followed by others, resounded through the grove. " Fall 

 in ! fall in ! prime and load ! " followed on our part, to which a dead 

 silence ensured ; and then one of those uncertain pauses, the most 

 trying to the nerves and patience of a soldier. Matters remaining in 

 this state for some time, we ventured to enquire what had occurred to 

 our comrades on the right, and found that a buffalo had suddenly 

 advanced on two drowsy Ducks,* and, not giving the countersign, was 

 immediately fired at ; the remainder of the picquet turning out, loaded 

 their pieces, and also commenced firing, when a shot from a better 

 marksman than the rest killed one of our own sentries, and was even 

 fired so close to him as actually to blow away a part of the poor 

 fellow's mouth. The fact was, that drowsiness had obtained such 

 complete possession of the guard, that on their being thus suddenly 

 wakened they were quite unable to recognise each other in the dark. 



Negociations having commenced between Colonel Stewart and the 

 Dutch Governor-General, van Angleback, we remained inactive for a 

 few days ; when, on February 16, the whole of their possessions on 

 the Island were ceded to us by capitulation, in trust for the Prince of 

 Orange, and the fort was instantly taken possession of by our troops 

 in his name, our corps, the 9th battalion of Native infantry, being 

 detached to Point de Galle, sixty miles south, to receive charge of and 

 garrison that fortress. 



* The Bombay army are generally designated " Ducks" perhaps from 

 their Presidency being situated on a small island. The Bengalees are 

 denominated " Qui hies" from a habit of exclaiming " koey liye?" "who 

 is there ? " to their domestics, when requiring their attendance ; and the 

 Madrasees are designated by the appellation of " Mulls" from the circum- 

 stance of always using a kind of hot soup, ycleped mulligatawny, literally 

 pepper water, at their meals, particularly supper. 



