310 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON), [VOL. XVII. 



but also that supposing that according to his suggestion we 

 should effect a landing, disembark our guns and other war 

 material, he might easily fail to join us, and even if he 

 should join us he might (as might easily happen), on encoun- 

 tering the enemy, fail to keep his ground, take to flight, and 

 leave us in the lurch — -a thing of which we have had an 

 example from his men a few days ago, to wit, near Caleture^ 

 where the enemy having taken up his position and attacked 

 them with a few volleys of musketry, they, although being 

 on this side the river and the enemy on the other side, 

 immediately took to flight — 



MS. page 68. 



or, possibly, he might delay so long that we should be 

 obliged to re-embark and put to sea, forasmuch as it is 

 impossible for our ships to continue at anchor here in the 

 bad monsoon, 1 which is on the point of setting in, without 

 risk of great damage to the said ships, especially in so open 

 a sea as this ; 



while at the same time we might be compelled to leave our 

 guns behind, seeing that about that time the breakers on the 

 coast are so violent, that no boats could stand in them ; 



It has been unanimously approved of and resolved to 

 abide by our preceding resolution, specified above. 



And as far as the excuses are concerned, which will have 

 to be made to the king touching this point, the Council has 

 resolved to entrust this matter to the Lord President, than 

 whom no one in the fleet is deemed to be better acquainted 

 with the king's whims, and who will no doubt be able to 

 couch our refusal in the most elegant phraseology ; 



It has furthermore been resolved that, notwithstanding 

 that by resolution of the 23rd of this month it had been 

 decided that we should remain here with the fleet until the 

 yacht "Arnemuyden" should have returned f rom Alycan, 



1 North-east monsoon. 



