I IS Capture qf ’ Cafotmbo
»lay hè of use to our own: nation, a n d , the commanders o f
93» garrisons abroad.
Previous to* the British troops appearing befer© Colombo,,
it^-garrison had been, in tome I measure - weakened hy the loss^
of the Swiss regiment . dehM&urcav which ■ for a dnhitftjnae had
composed part1 of it. . This* regiment, upon;. lhe> tgEpa^qf .$ts»
agreement * with, the Dutioh; haying «^pited & few .«if n if t^ e f e ^
general ' Stewart tras: seüt against; .Céyfen, had transferred.; its,,
sedviees.dtoi. ■ our. government? ami. '/.other1 »troops had not.
hitherto been, procured, ftoms Holland ori Batavtovtsfo replace it;
at-niCblumboi 1 The s t e g t k feid the 'garriso® was by .tidss
means impa iredbut tire want a frmmn b e rs^ a sn et itspram-T
eijM dëfeeti' ’ as upori. iiÉfrching. oiit 'aftet’c the- sprrend^fe'/ih-
was founds to ; coiiskfc of.-jteira_bajttldl(his-iof -flHifeck- db#'
French regiment of Wirtemberg, besides native troops?;.Mrnmgt
in all a-’ nuihber fully"* equal to: thfeifercd sent* .ag^sprt&»tsf
The d i «sponsions among both: the civil and; military; Koffipqr§*
of the gairrison. were a cause which, more powerfuUy; hastened!
its surrender.; Those. .’principles, whieh. haver/ produced ;; so,
many convulsions and atrocities in Europe, had also,* ponem
trated into this colony. . The governor,. M. ^ a n Angfebecfei
was a: very respeetablp old officer, of moderate principles; and.
a/m ild disposition. Many o f those under him weFe, however,-
violent republicans of the jacobin party 5 they declaimed against
the governor as a. man of a- weak, mind,' and wished to place-
in !thé- government his sou, whom, !tbey had gamed over to their,
own principles. The' violence of this party had gone’ to an*
alarming height; they had. already begun to denounce" their«,
opponents; and? several respectable gentlemen would in alhprom
bability have fallen,,victims to their fury, had not the sudden,
■ ' 11T
arrivii b# tfie English at this critical moment rescued them from;
impending destrhdtio®.> -
' The- sthte 'of "discipliffe1 in the garrison Tad also fallen into
the^inost; shameful disorder. Drunkenness and nmfciiiy’. were ..ears;
Tdrfee^'gifdeltet' height, i The ' oMK'govemor. has frequently;
{fejihred1 at the tables >©$’ our bffteers'j.' thatejJie-'Was in constant!,,
dahp^' of his life' fedm-their mutinous- condilctv He had resolv»*
.edpfe ’deMd^'the place-4©i the- last ? teutsach-’was the"- state- of i
ihliibordiriatidh 4 h ie h ' prevailed,' th at’ he1 couM, n o t by ■ any
' mdans rMuc^1 thfe Dutch trOops, artel in ’particular the officers,..
tk '^ ll^ c S ^dht s%airfet : the->dnem^. Tersmal Jj safety ,1 an , object;
sf:hr6ely evdk1 attended^ to by o to 1 troops!' eitheri hyrtsea dr'land,-
aeeikedrni dhem d o ‘Overpower' byery cerise of duty on honour.,-
A ;>fdWsbf‘‘fenai weht td aeebmpany ik e Malay troops
"expedition T Mvkalready' mentioned';; b u t scarcely; had : tggje
reached the gates, o f the. Black Town when their icotn-age eva-:
pdrated; and.1 they left the Malays to their . fate, $Fofc above
ohbfe^%wd:’EuTObean o'fficers met us in that action, besides the;
brave Goldhel; Raymond] ‘who was ashamed o f being:.connected,
with such poltroons, afld'"Would have''broughti-tbeiri c0hducti tov
ptlliic Beikttre,;'had! not Bb life; Mlenda^ Pcffil©!sa^ffi(fe to his
shtise of Mhoar;;
This -statef -off total ' ineubordination, the' ^ofence. iof the jaeo*
Mb“ jbdrty, and*'the fear of an internal massacre, induced tile
gi>ve$ibf to>!efrtfer. intoya private treaty* ifor surrender with the
En^tis^ a s‘ soon* aS they ’appeared before the place. He let his
t i p ^ » hoy ever, knoWThat1 such-' a; measure was in agitation ;>
but f t l ^ pijod'uced noj efiect on theip disorders,; and h« at length;
signed1 the.-capitulation Without tlieir knowledge, and I believe
, Our troops were suddenly introduced*