Chap.XX. A Defcripion 0/ C E Y L O N. 
709 
Sea En- 
g.igeimnt 
betwixt 
the For t II- 
guefcs and 
Dutch. 
A Portu- 
guefe Sliip 
tfith two 
Dutch 
Vejfijs fct 
on fire. 
Admiral making up towards the Dutch 
Admiral, as their Vice- Admiral ( tho not 
lb good a Sailor as the reft) did to the 
Ships the Rotterdam^ the ^ere, and the 
Falcon Yacht. In the Morning about 
Nine a Clock both Fleets began to come 
within Cannon-fhot, about three Leagues 
from the Road of Goci^ where the En- 
gagement began betwixt the two Admi- 
rals, who plentifully exchanged their 
Broad-fides for three hours fucceflively, 
as did three others of the Portuguefe 
Ships with the Dutch Fleet, the reft of 
their Galleons not being able to come up 
immediately for want of a Wind. The 
PoYtugutJe Vice- Admiral coming at lafl: 
up with the refl:, was briskly faluted by 
our Ships the Rotterdam and the Fere.^ 
whilfl: the reft of the Dutch VefTels did 
what they could to advance clofer to the 
Enemy ^ and at lafi: having got the advan- 
tage of the Sea-wind, they were for 
boarding the Portuguefe Ships, having fent 
the T'exel and Dolphin Frigats, two Fire- 
Ihips, to get in among them ; but thefe 
fetting it before the Wind, avoided that 
danger. The Dutch Admiral Wefierwold 
did his utraoft in his Ship the Vtrecht 
to board the Portuguefe Admiral ; which 
heperceiving,retreated towards his Squa- 
dron, which made the Dutch Admiral 
fet it with all the fail he could make upon 
their Vice-Admiral, which he did with 
fuch fuccefs, that the Portuguefe was forced 
to cut his Sails and Cables to get rid of 
his Enemy, whilfl the ivhole Portuguefe 
Squadron ply'd the Dutch Admiral with 
their Cannon, who thereby received con- 
liderablc damage, efpecially in his Rig- 
ging. Our Ship the Fere would have 
boarded the S. Bartholomew^ but they got 
clear of one another, yet not without 
receiving a good Broad-fide from the 
Ship the Hague and the FliJJingen find- 
ing the Portuguefe Admiral engag'd with 
thefe two Ships, fhe laid the Bartholomew 
aboard, and with the afllftance of the 
Hague ply'd her fo warmly, that fhe was 
fet on fire, the reft of the Portuguefe 
Ships retreating in the mean while to- 
wards the Shore. Such was the violence 
of the Flames, that notwithftanding all 
the Endeavours that were ufcd, the Hague 
was alfo fet on fire, and foon after the 
Flijfmgcn^ and were all three confum'd by 
the Flames. 
The Portugucfcs in the mean while ta- 
king the advantage of the Confufion, 
made the beft of their way towards the 
Road of Goa, being purfued for one 
League and a half by the Rotterdam^ Vere, 
and Texely clofe under their Forts ^ the rvyw-^ 
reft of our Ships being bufied in faving Bald^w. 
the Men from the danger of the Fire, and 
in repairing their Mafts and Rigging, 
fo that the Victoi y remain'd on our fide, 
which would have been very confiderable 
had the fame been not allay'd by the 
burning of the two before-mentioned 
Ships. 
The Lofs of the Dutch amounted to J^'A on 
35 Men, among whom were Capt. Her- '^"'^^M'" 
man Wouters Baah^ befides 50 wounded, 
among whom was the Faftor James Nolpe : 
The lofs on the Portuguefe fide amounted 
to 78 Portuguefes^ and r 50 Mifiices and 
Negroes. Don Lewvs de Caflelhranco^ and 
Father Laurence de Merinda a Jefuit, were 
taken Prifoners, with 90 Portuguefes^ and 
49 Miftices and Negroes, being fav'd by 
the fame Boats that came to fave their 
own Men, and exchanged afterwards for 
a Captain, a Faftor, and eight other 
Dutch-mQD. belonging to the Wieringen 
Yacht ( burnt near Malacca ) befides a 
Sum of 2000 Crowns paid to Don Pedro 
de Sil'va Viceroy of the Indies, The firft: 
of Anarch a Portuguefe Cara<[ue^ half 
loaden with Pepper and Cinnamon, and 
bound for Portugal^ immediately after the 
departure of the Dutch Fleet was burnt , 
by accident ; and the Galeon the Madre. 
de Deos underwent the fame fate in Aj^ril 
following, to the great detriment of the 
Portugucfcs^ whofe Naval Force in the 
Indies was not a little impair'd by the 
lofs of thefe three great Ships. 
The Emperor of Ceylon's Deputies who 
were prefent in the Engagement, were 
furpriz'd at the Bravery of the Hollan- 
ders^ who with their fmall Ships durft 
board the Portuguefes fo much ftronger 
both in Men and Cannon. After the 
Engagement the Dutch Fleet came to an 
Anchor near the Ifiands on the South-fide The Dutch 
of Goa, to refit their Ships, and to ven- refit rear 
ture a fecond Engagement. Soon after ^^j^ ^"f'' 
the Hertogenbofch a brave VelTel comman- ^'^ 
ded by IVilliam Jacob Kofler, join'd our 
Fleet, coming lately from Suratte with a 
rich Cargo of the beft Indian Stuffs, In- Are re'm- 
digo. Saltpeter, and other Indidn Com- forc'd mth 
modities, valued at 412000 Gilders at^**'*' ■5'%/. 
the firft hand, which for meer fafety 
fake were difperfed among the other 
Veffels. The nth of January arriv'd 
likewife the Ship Henrietta Louifa from 
Batavia, having on board 76000 Crowns, 
befides other Merchandizes for our Fadto- 
ry of Suratte^ and was fent thither in 
company of the Breda and Enchuyfen 
Yachts, 
CHAP. 
