Next day, being the 16th, William Webber, Edward Collins, Ephraim Ramsay, and Robert Brown, were brought on shore for examination; and at the same time Samuel Colson, William Griggs, John Clark, George Sharrock, and John Sadler, from Hitto and Larica, were brought into the hall.  Robert Brown, a tailor, was first called in, and being subjected to torture by water, confessed all in order, as interrogated by the fiscal.  Edward Collins was next called in, and told that those who were formerly examined had accused him as accessory to the conspiracy for taking the castle.  Denying all knowledge of or participation in any such plot, with great oaths, his hands and feet were made fast to the rack, and a cloth bound about his throat, ready to administer the water torture, upon which he entreated to be let down, saying that he would confess all.  On being loosed, he again protested his entire innocence and ignorance of every thing laid to his charge; yet, as he knew they would make him confess any thing they pleased by means of torture, however false, he said they would do him a great favour by informing him what they wished he should say, which he would speak as they desired, to avoid the torture.  The fiscal said he mocked them, ordered him to be fastened up again, and to receive the water torture.  After suffering this for some time, he desired to be let down again to make his confession, devising as well as he could what he should say.  Accordingly, he said that he, with Thomson, Johnson, Brown, and Fardo, had plotted about ten weeks before, to surprise the castle with the aid of the Japanese.

While making this contrived confession, he was interrupted by the fiscal, who asked whether Captain Towerson were privy to this conspiracy.  He protested that Towerson knew nothing of the matter.  “You lie,” said the fiscal, “did not he call you all before him, telling you that the daily abuses of the Dutch had instigated him to devise a plot, and that he wanted nothing but your consent and secrecy?” Then a Dutch merchant who was present, named Jan Igost, asked him, if they had not all been sworn to secrecy on the Bible?  Collins declared with great oaths, that he knew nothing of any such matter.  He was again ordered to be seized up again to the torture, on which he said that all was true they had said.  Then the fiscal asked, if the English in the other factories were consenting to this plot?  To which he answered, no.  The fiscal then next asked, if the English president at Jacatra, or Mr Weldon the agent at Banda, were engaged in this plot, or privy to its contrivance?  He again answered, no.  The fiscal next enquired by what means the Japanese were to have executed their purpose?  And, when Collins stood amazed, and devising some probable fictions to satisfy them, the fiscal helped him out, saying, “Were not two Japanese to have gone to each bulwark, and two to the door of the governor’s chamber, to have killed him on coming out to enquire into the disturbance you were to have raised without?”