Hikayat Abdullah

III. DESCRIPTION OF MALACCA FORT, AND ITS DEMOLITION

Now at this time, I had no other employment than that of constantly reading manuscripts or writing, this only; when shortly there came a rumour to Malacca that the English intended to destroy the fort, but none of the races of people inhabiting the town would believe that such could be done so easily, saying one to another, that the life of the Governor would not be long enough to finish such an undertaking. This was, in their opinion, owing to the strength, workmanship, and hardness of the stones, and its extraordinary position. And on account of these circumstances, such an event could not come home to their understandings, nor that the fort could be quickly knocked down. So many people went about saying, Now is the time coming for poor people to get rich in earning wages at the fort demolition. Another one would suggest that if they meddled with it many would die, for how many of the devil’s imps were inside of it! Again, half the people cried that it comes off the knowings of the English, this destroying the fort; for should it happen to fall into the hands of another power, it would be a long war to get it back owing to its great strength and the skill with it had been constructed.