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archive access 1.04.02, inventory number 1955, page 943

On the position of 15 degrees and 54 minutes latitude, Jan Riebok spotted 2 ships and some small vessels on 1720. These turned out to be 13 or 14 sails in total, which they presumed to be pirates. Both ships prepared for defense. In the afternoon, a large three-masted vessel approached his ship without showing a flag. He fired 5 shots (not 12 as the English captain at Couchi claimed) to make them show their flag. They then showed an English flag, followed by the entire fleet doing the same. When passing each other, they realized it was the English fleet hunting pirates, which they couldn't have known earlier since no flags had been shown.

Writing from Colombo on October 20, 1721, Riebok explains that his actions were not strange, as it was common practice for smaller vessels to yield to fleets of three or more ships and show their flag when requested. He defends his actions as necessary to avoid being surprised by enemies or pirates, and to protect the ships under his convoy from being cut off from the Company's ships.