368 



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



They, the prisoners, being unable to establish in the least 

 degree that the chief officers, such as Walraven de Rivire, 

 Lieutenant Jacob Gans, Ensign Adam Helwinck, together 

 with the sergeants, had shown themselves in any way 

 cowardly in the fight at the last extremity, and until 

 they were unable to hold out longer on account of their 

 mortal wounds, but contrariwise, that said officers had 

 acquitted themselves as becometh honest and faithful 

 officers, declaring, however, that the hindmost troop had 

 not been led by chief officers ; and that so soon as the enemy 

 had made the first charge our men had got into confusion, 

 so that some of them took to flight, and the others wishing 

 to maintain their ground got likewise into disorder through 

 these fugitives, and began to run away, insomuch that no 

 one could be got to stand firm and make head against the 

 enemy again ; and forasmuch as it clearly appears from 

 what has been heretofore said, that they, the prisoners, as 

 faithless and dishonourable cowards, got rid of their arms, 

 did not resist the enemy, and shamefully forsook the field 

 they had already almost conquered, abandoned the faithful 

 officers and soldiers who kept firm (and who have most of 

 them paid their fidelity with their lives) ; this being a 

 matter of very hurtful consequence, inasmuch as not only 

 thereby the good name and character of the Dutch have got 

 into great disrepute with our enemy, the Portuguese, and 

 our allies and friends, the Cingalese, and contrariwise the 

 aforesaid enemy has got into great consideration with the 

 " blacks "; 



MS, page 135. 



but, moreover, if they had kept the field, as they stood a good 

 chance of doing, seeing that the enemy had already been 

 once forced to retreat, the said enemy would not have 

 ventured to stay in these parts, in such wise that the country 

 hereabouts might have become open, and we might have got 

 some provisions from the outside ; whereas now, on the 

 contrary, they are likely to invest us even more closely than 



