NO. 53.-1902.] GALLE DUTCH RECORDS. 



451 



Saturday, December 19, 1643, 



[From this date the manuscript consists of copies of 

 original Resolutions. 1 '] 



MS fol. 105. 



On the arrival of the President Jan Thysen, together with 

 the Uppermerchant Marten Vinck and the military forces 

 from Galle consisting of 220 men, the Lord Commander, 

 having convened the Council, has communicated to them the 

 orders and the instructions from the Lord Governor-General 

 touching his Worship's intention as respects the attack and 

 siege of the fortresses of Columbo and Negumbo ; to wit, 

 whether it would be necessary for the strengthening of 

 our forces to summon hither the fleet before Goa either 

 wholly or in part ; 



or whether our troops now assembled would be deemed 

 sufficient to undertake and execute our design against the 

 enemy ; 



This being answered in the affirmative, whether in order 

 to mislead the enemy we shall run with the fleet a few miles 

 northward, and make a feint of going to attack Goa, Diu, or 

 Daman : 



or whether a landing shall first be effected in a place where 

 we have least to fear from the enemy's resistance, from the 

 breakers on the coast, and other inconveniences ; 

 which question having been amply debated and weighed, 

 and having been heard and considered the information given 

 by the said President and the Uppermerchant Vinck, who 



1 These resolutions, although in a certain sense a continuation of the fore- 

 going, are in fact those of the Council of War under the presidency of 

 Francois Caron, Councillor of India and General of the Forces, sent out to 

 Ceylon with a speeial commission by the Governor-General of the Indies to 

 resume hostilities against the Portuguese. This step was taken by the 

 Council of India in consequence of the refusal of the Viceroy of Goa to sur- 

 render the lands within the jurisdiction of Galle, in terms of the treaty 

 -entered into between the States-General and the King of Portugal. See 

 mission of the Commissioner BoreeL referred to at pages 385 and 412 supra. 



2c2 



