Travels in India (Tavernier) 35.2.1

35.2.1

The Dutch, who had entered Cochin on the Calvetti side, and were already masters of a rampart, remained all night under arms; and on the following day the town capitulated, and was given up. The Portuguese came to carry off the bodies of some clerics who were dead; but as for the others, the Dutch had them all dragged to the river by the Chinese who were in their service—both the bodies of the Dutch as well as those of the Portuguese. The wounded were taken to the hospital, and those who had yielded embarked during the night with the engineer, passing without much noise between the ships of the Dutch, replying to those who asked them whence they came that they were commanded by the Dutch, and that they had orders for the ships to maintain a good look-out. This ruse served them well, and though the ships fired some cannon shots after them that did not prevent them from making their escape. The Portuguese, according to the terms of the capitulation, left Cochin with arms and baggage, but as soon as they were outside the gate of the town, where the Dutch troops were in order of battle, they were obliged to give up their arms and to place them at the feet of the General, with the exception of the officers, who kept their swords. The General had promised the soldiers the loot of the town, but not being able to keep his promise for reasons which he explained to them, he led them to hope that he would pay them six months’ wages ;