Dutch Attack

The Dutch Attack and Rout at Macau, 24 June 1622

by J. Bosco Correa

This is an edited version of an article first published in the Bulletin of Casa de Macau (Australia).

In the early part of the 17th Century, Portugal had a great advantage in trade with China and Japan through Macau that the Netherlands (Holland) coveted. At that time, Spain and Portugal were united under King Philip III of Spain (who was called Philip II of Portugal). Spain and the Netherlands had a long history of conflict, but had signed a truce for 12 years from 1609 to 1621. No sooner had that truce come to an end than the Dutch sought to take Macau by force.

The Governor-General of the Dutch Settlements in Asia, Jan Pieterzoon Coen, gave the order for the invasion and sent his commander, Cornelis Reijersen, from Batavia with a fleet of eight warships. He was to he joined in Macau by two Dutch and two English vessels that were detached from the Anglo-Dutch fleet under the command of William Janszoon, blockading the Spanish-held port of Manila. Reijersen’s fleet was further strengthened by another Dutch ship and two Portuguese vessels that were captured off Malacca and now manned by Dutch crews, together with some Japanese^* who had joined the Hollanders.

Charles R. Boxer states that 20 Japanese “had come with a fleet of Don Juan da Silva from Manila in 1621 with the object of assisting the Portuguese in Macau against the Dutch; this expedition had touched at Siam where they were overpowered and destroyed in a quarrel with the Siamese; these Japanese had escaped and now asked leave to transfer to the Dutch Service”. Some 12 or 13 of these were killed in the subsequent battle in Macau. [CR Boxer, Estudos Para A História De Macau — Seculos XVI à XVII, Fundação Oriente (Lisboa) 1991]

The squadron of four vessels detached from Janszoon’s fleet appeared in the Macau roads on the morning of 29th May 1622, expecting to intercept and seize Portuguese merchant vessels that were due the next day from India and various East Indies ports, laden with valuable cargo. However, their attempt was foiled when a well-armed flotilla of lorchas was despatched from Macau to escort these merchantmen safely into the port through the islands.

On the 23rd – the Vigil of the Feast of São João Baptista (St John the Baptist) – the Dutch decided after a reconnoitre that Cacilhas Beach would be the point of disembarkation of their landing force on the following day.

To divert the defenders, Reijersen had three of his ships engage the São Francisco battery with heavy bombardment, which was answered by Portuguese guns. During this artillery duel, which lasted four hours, the Dutch shouted to the defenders that the next day would see them masters of Macau, and that their women would be defiled after all the men had been killed. As it was obvious the invasion would take place the next day, Lopo Sarmento de Carvalho spent all night visiting and exhorting the soldiers to fight to the last, as they could expect no mercy from the heretical foe.

At dawn on the feast day of São João, 24th of June, two Dutch ships resumed their bombardment of the bulwark of São Francisco but this time Portuguese counter-fire was more successful in that it destroyed one of the enemy ships.

In the meantime, the main attack was taking place at Cacilhas Beach, under cover of smoke from a barrel of damp gunpowder lit by the enemy and heavy cannonade from the ships, with the landing of the assault force of 600 troops supported by some 200 armed seamen.

Opposing them from a shallow trench dug on the beach was a force of some 60 Portuguese regulars and 90-odd Macaense musketeers, under the command of António Rodrigues Cavalinho. ln the ensuing clash, a shot hit Admiral Reijersen in the stomach, compelling him to retire to his flagship. Captain Hans Ruffijn then took over the command and pressed on with the attack. With 600 men marching in orderly formation he thrust Cavalinho and his men back. By that time the Dutch had already suffered the loss of 40 men.

This engagement continued as the Portuguese musketeers withdrew until they reached a spring called Fontinha, within artillery range of the city. At this stage the invaders came under fire from a heavy cannon which had been mounted by the Jesuits on the bulwark of the half-completed fortress of São Paulo de Monte and where, amidst great consternation as to their fate, the women and children had taken refuge.

A well-placed shot by the Jesuit, Padre Jeronimo Rho, a famous astronomer, blew up a wagonload of gunpowder in the midst of the Dutch formation, with devastating results. Other guns from Monte opened fire, causing further casualties among the invaders.

Panic set in and fearing an ambush from a nearby bamboo thicket, the Dutch halted their advance on the city, and sighting the hermitage on Guia Hill with its commanding height, wheeled towards it. However, their advance up the hill was checked by a group of thirty musketeers and their African slaves, led by Rodrigo Ferreira, who were well hidden behind large rocks. They opened harassing fire on the invaders, who could not return fire without putting themselves at risk.

By now the Portuguese commanders of the garrisons at São Tiago, at the entrance of the Inner Harbour and São Francisco, realising that the attack was confined solely to Cacilhas Beach, despatched 50 Musketeers under the command of João Soares Vivas, to reinforce the main defenders, led by Lopo Sarmento de Carvalho, who were preparing for a decisive counter-attack.

They arrived just at the critical moment. The Dutch considered their position untenable: they had lost their powder store; they had found resistance to be unexpectedly strong, had suffered heavy casualties and were fatigued by constant skirmishing in the summer heat, and were in danger of being encircled. So they decided to retreat to the ships before it was too late.

Lopo Sarmento de Carvalho seized this opportunity and gave the order for attack, shouting the Portuguese battle-cry of “São Tiao” – “St James and at them!”. His eager men needed no urging and hurled themselves at the Dutch. They were soon joined by Macaense citizens, their African slaves, as well as armed Jesuits and Friars.

The Dutch were demoralised to see their commander, Captain Ruffijn, felled by a shot. Terrified by the furious onslaught of the defenders, particularly their African slaves who were merciless and gave no quarter, they turned and bolted, flinging away their arms and standards. Their rearguard also panicked and the sailors, worried that the longboats would be capsized by their fear-crazed comrades, put to sea, leaving the troops to the cold steel of the Portuguese and their Africans or to a watery grave.

It has been estimated that the Dutch suffered some five hundred casualties, including eighteen officers killed. One captain and several soldiers were made prisoners. They lost all their cannon, flags, drums and other equipment. The victors collected over 1000 weapons from the battlefield. The defenders suffered the loss of four Portuguese, two Spaniards and several African slaves. Some twenty were wounded.

In a little over three hours on this fateful day, the mighty Dutch force was totally routed by a small but determined band of Portuguese. On the very battlefield, the victors freed their African slaves, in recognition of their loyalty and bravery.

The entire population attended a Te Deum at the Cathedral, in thanksgiving for this great victory, which was attributed to the intervention of St John the Baptist, whose feast day it was. He was declared the Patron Saint of Macau. To this day, the 24th June, Dia de São João, is celebrated in Macau with a special Mass at Sé Cathedral attended by local dignitaries.

Legend claims that the rout of the Dutch invaders was due to the apparition of St John the Baptist to the astonished Dutchmen, with a mantle into which the enemy shots were deviated.

Macaenses all over the world have traditionally celebrated this day at their homes, usually with an abundant feast which generally included rich Macaense desserts and a great, variety of exotic tropical fruits. Folklore has it that no one suffers from the aftermath of over-indulgence on this particular day, because of the protection of St John.

It is hoped that perhaps we Macaenses will revive this great custom and get together wherever we are to commemorate our patron Saint’s feast day and to celebrate once again our heroic victory of 1622!