50 History o f Ceyfon
power of the DMch in Ceylon. - The" vigorous enterprise o f
the English had already procured them a greaPascendaney/, i n
India; and they were at this time 'pursuing their conquests
ónvthe Coromandel - The slatibn/*® the Dutch .at Ceylon
proved a principal obstacle to their enterprisi s, as, their enemies
diibré-Tound a'isécme shelter fftb their fleets at all-seasons of
thef year, and could' readily transport from theneé-men and
m ilitary1 «toresl jj to arty part of The eontitient. - A fleet -under
the command Of Sir Edward Hughes; having on board a detachment
of land forces/ commanded by Sir' HecfoFr M.unro,
“was thereforer dispatched towards the- cèrfimencement of > the
year 1782, to attempt the reduction of this island. On the
isëèond of,/January, they; sailed from Negapa|nam,-ya Dutch
«sëttleulenfct'on the Coromandel coast, yhich they- had' previously
'reduced, and. on thé fourth they arrived in thè bay of -,Trin-
éomalée:: Nfoxt day the- troops lauded without opposition ; and
êö the-&Uowin^. nisfit/-W'hile tHéi Governor oï.rthë town was
«onsiflering- óf terms of capitulation, av company of* English
Sfl#inwLsuddehly. made their yay through oifl»oif the gafes*
and rencfeëdï theinseivés masters of the place . without .resist-'
&^ei. . Eert Qstéiiburg, a strong, fort-in ’the* neighbourhood»
'situated on the top óf a hill, and commanding'ithe "harbour,
«till continued /td hold oat. In a few days; , hëwever, it was
taken by } assault p 5 • the garrison, consisting of'- fohr hlitidred
Europeans, after ■ a feeble resistance,, Threw down their’ arms
and were- made prisoners of war/ ■<
Such a prosperous commencement o f thé enterprise gave
the happiest prospect’ of speedily reducing the Whole island;
and Lord’ governor ó f . , Madras, determined
to lose no time to secure and improve this valuable acquisition.
j An tofficai'Lsfs -experience and judgment was appointed
to command the fo^tijess f of .Tri’ncoipalee;, and’ lie ,was charged
Toi,eudeayQjUr by-,Syem meanS: to. conciliate the. natives to the
Englisl^-. (and .,,&QbT?&&i,g$LUP,.,,/meas.urej.»,mhiqh./ifoufd tend to
strengthen the Brjtish ri nter est in the island* The most ’sail-
1 ^B K ^ h o ia e s fe y fe rta io e d ..of tk4 |SnccesS of this, enterprise;
but this fair, prospectrfwas^soon converted into a striking lesson,
that djtatprY measures, jare . utterly ii^mpatible with su^ess'
„in ^nilitary, operations. Span after the captune*of Trincpmalee,
the.English admiral ju d g e d it, necqy>aiy to/san mv tlie .roads
qfMadras^ jqr repairs. While tiresekveiie k p i w a s
updersjpod the F repefr ' admiral Suffrein bad Tmmecfa j
design too^eiake l t ; and about, two hundred men tlie forty-
second rqgmient, under .the, protection, of two ships of (.war,
werp ^dispatched to reinforce the garrison, till tlie i^est ’ of the
Jleet sh6ul(£»be in ak condition tq join jhem. . \Thfo ships, after11
landing , the .troops, .returned ^ to 'Madras wrtii 4 information
that jtfrey -had fallen in witty the French fleet off Trincoma-
Tec,, and had with difficulty made their escape«, The^^ngljsh
admiral ati last found ‘ himself sin a cpndition to sail , fq|**the
,protection' of the place, having on board the hew commander,
^together with a frqdy of troops. But on, dmying off Trin-
. comalee, he discovered the French ddloufs flying, on all' the
, forts, and the French admiral with a fleet of thirty" sail of
the line, moored in the bay. I t - was in vain that the British:
fleet, ^though_ infe|m^ in -jiumper., attadKed and roulied the|
French; the tytte|| found a secure retreat Under* tne cannOn
of 3these forts, which ^eiy.ty^ivity** atyd the want ty; precaution
on „the part of their enemies, in met leavings" garrisop; and
m « H I