1810	Colonial Expeditions - East Indies	316

steep that the men had to help themselves forward by the bushes. By a little after sunset, however, the British reached an eminence that commanded Batto-Gautong ; whereupon the enemy, after spiking the guns, retreated, and the battery was entered without opposition.

After the cannonade between the ships and batteries had continued for two hours and a half, during which the former, having drifted very close in, had been exposed to a very heavy fire, partly with red-hot shot, the ships took advantage of a spirt of wind off the land, and anchored in Portuguese bay, now freed from further annoyance by the success of the party on shore. In the course of the night, 40 men were landed from the Samarang and two field-pieces from the Dover, under the direction of Captain Spencer; and the seamen succeeded in getting the guns up the heights, over a heavy and difficult ground. During the night, also, one 9, and two 12 pounders in the Batto-Gautong battery were unspiked, and on the following day brought to bear on Fort Victoria. The fire of the British from the two captured batteries caused the enemy to abandon the Wagoo and the water battery, and finally to capitulate for the surrender of Fort Victoria and of the whole island of Amboyna.

This important capture was effected with a loss to the British of only two privates of the Madras regiment, one marine, and one seaman killed, one lieutenant and one corporal of artillery, four privates of the Madras regiment, and four seamen wounded. We must not omit to state, also, that Lieutenant Jeffries, of the Dover, while serving on shore, received a concussion in the breast from a spent grape-shot, but remained at his post. The three Dutch national vessels that had been sunk in the inner harbour were the brig Mandarin, Captain Guasteranus, of 12 guns (afterwards weighed by the British), cutter, name unknown, Lieutenant Haum, of 12 guns, and San-Pan, Lieutenant Dukkert, of 10 guns.

The success of the British in this quarter led to the surrender, in a few days afterwards, of the valuable islands of Saparoua, Harouka, Nasso-Lant, Bouro, and Manippa, all without bloodshed or resistance. After sending all the Dutch officers and troops from Amboyna to Java, Captain Tucker proceeded in the Dover to the Dutch port of Gorontello, in the bay of Tommine, on the northern part of the island of Celebes ; and, on or about the 16th of June, succeeded in persuading the sultan and his two sons, who represented the Dutch company, to haul down the Dutch, and substitute the British colours ; a ceremony complied with under every demonstration of attachment to the British government.

Having thus opened a large proportion of the Celebes to the English trade, Captain Tucker set sail for Manado ; and, arriving thereon the 21st, sent a flag of truce on shore, with a summons to the governor of Fort Amsterdam, on which and some adjacent

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