again in the history of the Company was such an opportunity to offer of breaking down the Dutch monopoly.
Probably the best excuse that can be offered for Dale is that he attached more importance to the capture of the Dutch headquarters than he did to the destruction of their fleet. It may have seemed to him a choice of alternatives in which the balance strongly inclined in favour of the one which would deal the heaviest blow to Dutch prestige. Whether that were his view or not he succeeded in effecting the capture of the Dutch fort at Jakatra without difficulty. Under the terms of the capitulation the fortress and garrison and munitions of war were surrendered to the English, while the merchandise and other movable property fell to the lot of the King of Jakatra. Somewhat earlier the Dutch commander had made a secret agreement with the latter by the terms of which the English were excluded from the locality. As an outcome of this probably the native authorities in the weeks following the capitulation adopted an unfriendly attitude. They not only sent prows into the Straits of Sunda to warn approaching Dutch vessels of their peril, but the Pangeran of Bantam, with a force of 2,000 men, appeared upon the scene and compelled the release of the prisoners.
In the face of the discouraging attitude of the native authorities. Dale felt that it was useless for him to continue the occupation. After taking council with his commanders he decided to withdraw his ships to the Coromandel Court there to refit for a further campaign if such should be deemed desirable. His decision was, perhaps, a sound one on the whole in view of the steady deterioration of his fleet and the danger that he would incur
