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chap, xix DEFEAT OF THE PORTUGUESE 237
of the Dutch who were on land. The Dutch fleet was composed of more than thirty sail, and anchored at the island of Tana-keke,1 at 7 leagues from Butagne.2
The
King felt compelled to defend himself against these enemies whose power
he feared, and with the vessels of Macao, which were in the roads,
attempted for some time to resist the Dutch attack. The combat was
obstinate on both sides, the Dutch divided their fleet, and while
thirteen vessels devoted themselves to the Portuguese, the remainder
incessantly battered the fortress, which was carried without much
resistance. It is said that on this day the Dutch fired more than 7,000
cannon shots, and that the King was so much terrified that he ordered
the Portuguese not to fire any more, so as not to irritate the enemy
further. The Prince Patinsaloa died during this engagement, and this
was a great loss to the King of Macassar, who had become formidable to
his neighbours by the diplomacy of this minister, upon whom he
entirely relied. As the vessels of Macao found themselves surprised and
unprepared for defence, it was not difficult for the Dutch fleet to
destroy the Portuguese ; they burnt three of their vessels, sent two to
the bottom, and took from them a quantity of costly goods ; thus it was
that the Dutch reimbursed themselves profitably for the cost of the
deputation to China.
On
the 13th of June the King of Macassar, named Sumbaco, through fear of
seeing himself reduced to the last extremity, ordered a white flag to
be hoisted on another fortress, whence, surrounded by his wives, he
watched the fight. During the truce which they granted him, he sent one
of the highest of the nobles of his court to the General of the Dutch
fleet to ask for peace, which was granted to him only on condition that
he would send an ambassador to Batavia, that he would expel the
Portuguese from the island, and that his subjects should no longer
trade with them.
As the articles of the treaty were to be ratified at Batavia
1 Tanahkeke,
or the ' Island of Sorcerers', in S. Lat. 5° 30' towards the extreme
end of the south-western peninsula of Celebes (Crawfurd, Diet., 426).
2 Bontaing, Bonthein, Bonti {ibid., 57) on S. coast of Celebes.
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