The fleet of Van Spilbergen at Batticaloa

In July 1602, Van Spilbergen undertook a voyage to the interior to Ceylon to meet the king of Kandy. He persuaded the king that he was an enemy of the Portuguese and the king of Kandy made him his ambassador to the Dutch States General to negotiate an alliance against the Portuguese. After returning to his ships, in early August Van Spilbergen captured a small vessel with Portuguese that neared his ships. This convinced the representatives of Kandy that he was indeed an enemy of the Portuguese. Later he also captured a Portuguese sampan and on the 12th of August another sampan was captured. The expedition meanwhile obtained some cinnamon, pepper and other products.

This image depicts Van Spilbergen’s fleet capturing smaller vessel at Batticaloa. 1. Is the bay and river of Batticaloa. 2-3. Are the two ships of Joris van Spilbergen. 4. The shaloup of Van Spilbergen takes a galliot. 5. The boat of Van Spilbergen takes a sampan. 6. The shaloup of Van Spilbergen, with 14 men, takes a galley. 7. Is not described. 8. A Portuguese boat, in which some fled.