1810	Capture of Banda-Neira	317

batteries were mounted 50 pieces, of various, but chiefly very light calibers. The terms offered were immediately acceded to ; and the Dutch garrison, numbering 113 officers and men, laid down their arms. Along with Manado fell its dependencies, the ports of Kemar, Le Copang, Amenang, and Tawangwoo.

On the 1st of March the Cornwallis chased a Dutch man-of-war brig into a small bay on the north side of the island of Amblaw, in the neighbourhood of Amboyna. As the wind was light and variable, and night approaching, Captain Montagu sent the yawl, cutter, and jollyboat, under the command of Lieutenant Henry John Peachey, assisted by Mr. John Garland the master, and master's mate William Sanderson, to endeavour to bring the vessel out.

After a fatiguing pull during the whole night, the boats found themselves, at daylight, close to the vessel : which was the Dutch national brig Margaretta, mounting eight, but pierced for 14 guns, with a crew of 40 men. In the face of a heavy fire of grape and musketry, and of a brave defence by pikes and swords, Lieutenant Peachey and his party boarded and carried the brig, and that with so comparatively slight a loss as one man dangerously, and four slightly wounded. The Dutch had one officer killed and 20 seamen wounded.

On the 10th of May the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Caroline, Captain Christopher Cole, 38-gun frigate Piémontaise, Captain Charles Foote, 18-gun brig-sloop Barracouta, Captain Richard Kenah, and transport-brig, late Dutch prize, Mandarin, Lieutenant Archibald Buchanan, the two frigates having on board about 100 officers and men of the Madras European regiment, to be landed at Amboyna, and the transport a supply of specie and provisions for the same destination, set sail from Madras roads. Captain Cole had previously obtained from Rear-admiral Drury permission to make an attack upon some of the enemy's settlements that lay in his route to Amboyna ; but that permission was accompanied by a friendly warning of the great strength of Banda, in reference especially to the small force then on board the frigates. On the 30th, after a very fine passage, the ships arrived at Pulo-Penang or Prince of Wales's island, in the Straits of Malacca. Here, having made up his mind to attempt the reduction of the spice islands, and communicated his intentions to Captains Foote and Kenah, Captain Cole gained some slight information respecting Banda-Neira, the Dutch seat of government, but failed in obtaining what he most wanted, a plan of the island.

On the 10th of June, having been supplied by the Penang government with 20 artillerymen, two field-pieces, and 20 scaling-ladders. Captain Cole departed from the island, to make a passage into the Java sea against the south-east monsoon.

On the 15th when in the Straits of Sincapore, the ships fell in with the Samarang, and learnt from Captain Spencer, among

^ back to top ^