Stewai/t, wgs the Mutwal river,; a t , the distance, of about four
TjQil&li fipni; gplumbo; and[uÈ£tef fhe énerny^jvhp, njade. their
^p.pear^nce for;, the first .dime, ;^tfr^ttiped to dispute
the passagg. . ï^atur§/li&4-dope • eyery, thing in hgr power to
render ; their j resistance„ [effectual. - Th e r i ver was here half a
mile broad, and •j$n’ in such c&sf|jj^tioii. • as nearly c at
and iryjulatefpr three Or four, miles, that tract' pf country which
immediately presented itsejf tp; otu: 'a rm y .' A little n e c k .o f
land on the, south side afforded the paly ;éntrang*&to * this tract,
which .frqmt >ite -strength "w^s -ealted. .the-©rand jPass. A
.tery ..erected by the Dutch on the Golumbo side Gommaiided
th e ;passages> and general fitewart was of Jeourse obügëd^ to
h a l t , Thé?/ army lay here feu two days prpparirigy themselves
for a difficult enterprise, when they were astonished.Jib. learn
that the Dutch had- thrown the guns of the battery into the
river, evacuated the post, and retreated precipitately into the
garrison of Cdluniba, The British at, first doubted th e 'tru th
of the intelligence, and th e n , supposed it, was a, , stratagem M-
the enêiny! to draw them across, and afterwards , attack •'them
witfi. advantage. As po opposition, however, noW|^Fes^t|d^nr^
self on the ©they side of the river, it* was jyci carry
Over the army, which was speedily effected on rafts of bamboe,
and a few boats from our ships lying at , airchor oft the mouth
of the river. Our troops then encamped in a-large grove of
cOcoariinh trees, with, a Malay village in f r o n t.T h e position
was veiy . advantageous* as the river, from, its winding*/tfourse*
protected our right flank and rear, while, tfie. left, was skirted
by a very thick wood p r jungle, which, extended- nearly to the
B la c k tow n of Calumbo.. pur;,ships,, which r lay at nó; gfgafe
distance, were ready to furnish :the army with -every thing. ne~
5
oes^ary, It/was dÖtU^^st^:^%eunïsta^ceu>hat! fehej Dutch tooia
advantage to excuse their p^m afflmous fcoMuctfem ahanefoningt
such' t-poSifcipp-.., 'Ihfeyiwere ;'afraid'5of
tfé’éfci^^etó| f e n d e d l l ^ -llïln and^tfodnfoi t
;pfflE4b&M&bo:;V':ÉÉ^ '-3 But those
wtfo :ftréT' ' abq^udinlfo‘É|*iwith.' dHdisitjiafebn w rjtjife*'epMtyy wull>
look upon this US’ a -yery .pb^- .palliation. of. théir^cówardiee ;;
eVeh>''W^p6slr^i%e' hkd attempted ftqw'land femp^Sbèjtwë^®
them fiöd the fort, ahsécüiiê rfefï'eafciwas/.ppened)' ta&jthemr'by.
the' thick fw°°d^ft'4he feffti through which, fromd’ojic not
kTOwingi the VgroOpd, it wfuld havfe^beeh dahgerqdpi and, m-;
• proper -for lü's f@* piirsultfthein.,
1 W h ilst'5 otff- troops lay Aere,'s the D u tc h t^ n 'fo out from iCo-
, lüéfooi/h large pa rty -o ft M a lay s’ ündero the command of <jo-r
loiïê-h Raymond, a . Frenchman, .to; .a ttack ; * ^ which they did
‘fath e r^u n ex p ec ted ly - inufhe: morning;,about, day break- Ouri
ttdbpsVj however^ particularly our flank, companies under colb-
ifel Barbut, gave dhemc such > a warm | reception, th a t tfiey»
shbh ^ ’retired; very precipitately and .with/ -gifeat.- lösssnntheitb
braV©i commander, was.' mortally wounded, and ; died-, a vfewT
:da3% '-after,c THé löss on u n r p a rt'w a s n o t material ;; arid L> this;
whs the . last $nd only attempt m a d e 'b y the enemy. .to op,-
pète U‘S;4 •
..^ ^H tó ö y ^ rw a s now come. to Columbd,'.the capital o |: thér
Diitdh ^dominions -in‘Ceylon, large1,, fortified,, and-r capable of
a vlgóröuPdefënce ; and here''theydseemed dd havencpjv2enti^tr,,
edn thte'ir iffe^ténee. • On our appearing befote it, iK^ever, a-v
capithlatioii - Whs immediately proposed, and in a few. davs aftpi],,.
,this;' ifopöttautciplacer; ^ s . surfdaflered ifitor.-ouil l^pds., . ..To ,
examine flie iieauies: which .led. to this unexpefotgd jcmidcict,
*''<i 2 1