other particulars, that the force at Banda, according to a return found at the capture of Amboyna, consisted of more than 700 regular troops. On the 25th the ships anchored, for a short time, under the north end of the island of Borneo, chiefly that the Piémontaise might repair her mainmast, which had been much damaged by lightning.

Apprehensive that Daendels, the Dutch captain-general of Java and the Moluccas, might succeed in throwing supplies and reinforcements into Banda before the arrival of the expedition, Captain Cole, the more quickly to get into the Soolo sea, entered the dangerous passage between Borneo and the small island of Malwalli. The coral reefs were innumerable; and most of them just covered with water, and not easily seen until the sun had risen considerably above the horizon. By a good look out and strict attention, the ships, in the course of 48 hours, had nearly cleared the shoals called by Dalrymple Felicia Proper, and the pilot had reported all danger as passed, when, right ahead, a ship was seen, wrecked on a coral reef just below the water's edge, and surrounded by piratical proäs, that fled as the frigates approached. Captain Cole went in his boat to examine the shoal and wreck, and found the deck of the ship streaming with fresh blood, and saw locks of human hair in several places; a sufficient indication that there had been a severe contest about the plunder.

The Piémontaise, having in the mean while been ordered to proceed ahead with the Mandarin in tow, now made the signal for shoals in every direction between the north-east and southeast. This and the approach of night prevented any pursuit of the proäs; and Captain Cole, on his return to the Caroline, found a much more important object to attend to. Indeed, nothing short of the greatest activity and perseverance, on the part of all three captains and their respective officers and crews, could have saved the ships. At 6 P. M. the small islands off the south-west end of Cagayan-Soolo were descried; and, as the only directions published for the Soolo sea mention the probability of a ship's being to the eastward of the shoals off the north-east coast of Borneo when these islands are in sight, Captain Cole decided to run on, instead of anchoring till morning. The ships accordingly placed themselves under easy sail; and the Barracouta, leading, was followed by the others in her track. The night, which was rainy, dark, and squally, was passed by all the ships in sounding as quickly as the lead could be sent to the bottom, and in momentary expectation of the signal for danger. But the small island of Manbahenawan, close to them in the morning, gave a respite to the anxieties of every person on board; as it brought the assurance, that the greatest difficulties in the navigation had already been overcome.

On the 5th of July the ships anchored at Soolo; where they obtained a supply of water, fresh meat, and vegetables. While

here, to give a more imposing appearance to the enterprise, the Barracouta was converted into a ship; an alteration that occupied her crew no longer than from daylight till breakfast time. On the 9th the ships quitted Soolo, and on the 10th entered the Pacific Ocean between the islands to the eastward of Soolo, and which are in sight of Basseelan. On the 21st, after a very favourable run, the ships gained a sight of the Cape of Good Hope (new) on the coast of New-Guinea; and on the 23d, late in the evening, having worked through Pitt's Straits against an adverse wind, entered the Java sea.

It took the ships nearly a fortnight to beat up to the island of Goram, although distant only four degrees of latitude from Pitt's Straits; and on the 7th they communicated with the shore, but, owing to the rapidity of the current and the strength of the monsoon, not without considerable difficulty. The rajah of the island now furnished Captain Cole with two Malay guides, who professed to have a knowledge of the roads and batteries of Banda-Neira; and the same evening the ships bore up for the Banda islands, which, with the prevailing wind, were only a 36 hours' sail from Goram.

The weather on the 8th was very fine, with a haze round the horizon, which favoured the approach of the ships; who were now under easy sail, to prevent as much as possible their being discovered. The final preparations for the attack were this day made; and at 2 P. M. the boats of the ships were hoisted out, and one day's provisions and 50 rounds of ball cartridge for each man put on board of them. At 5 P. M. the ships brought to. At 5 h. 30 m. the small island of Rosensgen became just visible through the haze; and at 6 P. M. Great Banda appeared at the distance of 10 or 11 leagues, towards the lee or eastern point of which the ships immediately bore up.

At 9 P. M. two shots were fired at the British from the island of Rosensgen; an unexpected occurrence, no intimation having been received that an outport was stationed there. This circumstance, added to the fineness of the night and brightness of the moon, frustrated the plan of a surprise by the ships; and, against a place of such alleged strength as Banda-Ñeira, an attack in open day, by all the force which the little squadron could muster, promised very little success. At 9 h. 30 m. P. M.

the ships again brought to, and at 10 P. M. the moon set. Soon afterwards the night became dark and squally. This sudden change in the weather suggested to Captain Cole the idea of a surprise by boats; for, although the Dutch had seen the ships, it was fairly inferred that they would not give the British credit for making, under all the circumstances of the case, so hazardous an attempt.

The excellent arrangements that had been adopted rendered signals unnecessary; and the ships closed near enough to each other, to receive directions by the trumpet. Scarcely had the

men rested half an hour with their arms by their sides, than they were summmoned to the boats; and at a little before 11 P. M., the ships having then dropped within two cables' length of the shore, about 400 officers and men, under the immediate command of Captain Cole, pushed off from the Caroline, shaping their course towards the east point of Great Banda. It is doubtful if there were quite so many as 400 men; for some of the soldiers intended to be of the party were left on board the Caroline for want of room in the boats, and the launch of the Piémontaise, in the dark and tempestuous weather which prevailed, went adrift with only half her allotted number.

The badness of the weather, and the increased darkness of the night, made it next to impossible for the boats to keep together; and, by 3 A. M. on the 9th, none of the party had assembled at the point of rendezvous, except Captains Cole and Kenah, in their respective gigs. About this time the three ships suddenly made their appearance within 100 yards of the two gigs; and Captain Cole, on going alongside the Piémontaise, had the satisfaction to learn from Captain Foote, that he had passed some of the boats at a short distance astern. Pulling in that direction, Captain Cole soon met a portion of his boats; and, receiving from the men in them the most animated assurances of support, he resolved to make the attack, without waiting for the remainder of the party. This was a measure the more necessary, as the boats had still to pull three miles to the point of disembarkation; and that darkness, on which their success rested, was fast disappearing before the grey tints of the morning. The commencing twilight now discovered the shore of an island, known to be Banda-Neira; and the two large fires, blazing near the north point of it, indicated that the Dutch, as Captain Cole had judged would be the case, were collected there, in expectation that the attack, for which the two signal guns at Rosensgen had prepared them, would be made on the same spot on which Admiral Rainier's forces had formerly landed.

The group of islands, of which Banda-Neira is the capital, are 10 in number; six of which are named, Lontor, or Great Banda, Goonong-Api, Rosensgen, Pulo-Ay, and Pulo-Rhun. Banda-Neira is about two miles long and about three quarters of a mile wide; is extremely mountainous, and contains many excellent positions for repelling an invading force. At the time in question it possessed 10 sea-batteries, exclusive of CasteelBelgica and Casteel-Nassau. The first of these castles, mounting 52 pieces of heavy cannon, commanded the other, as well as all the sea-defences at that extremity of the island, and was deemed, by the Dutch at least, an impregnable fortress; and the whole number of guns mounted for the defence of the island was 138. The garrison of Banda-Neira, as we shall by and by satisfactorily show, amounted to 700 regular troops, and at least 800 militia; making a total of 1500 men. The party,

as

now rapidly and silently advancing to surprise this force, consisted of 140 British seamen and marines, and about 40 soldiers of the Madras European regiment, under the command, already stated, of Captain Cole, assisted by Captain Kenah, and by the following officers: Lieutenants Thomas Carew, Samuel Allen, George Pratt, Robert Walker, and Edmund Lyons, of the navy, Captain-lieutenant Nixon, Lieutenants Charles W. Yates, Philip Brown, and William Jones Daker, and ensign Charles Allen, of the Madras troops.

Just as a black cloud, attended by wind and rain, had thrown a temporary darkness over the island of Banda-Neira, the British boats grounded on a coral reef, situated within 100 yards of the shore, and, although unknown at the time, directly opposite to the battery of Voorzigtigheid, mounting 10 long 18-pounders. Such, however, was the violence of the storm, that the garrison at this battery remained in utter ignorance of what was going on so near to them; and the officers and men, leaping into the water, launched their boats over the reef. Shortly afterwards the British landed in a small sandy cove bordered with jungle; and the men were quickly formed, as well as the pitchy darkness of the morning would admit. That done, Captain Kenah and Lieutenant Carew, at the head of a party of pikemen, advanced to take the battery in the rear. This service was so promptly and effectually executed, that the sentinel was killed, and an officer and 60 men made prisoners, without the firing of a pistol, although the enemy was at his guns with matches lighted. Captain Kenah had been directed to storm the next sea-battery, also mounting ten 18-pounders; but Captain Cole, being resolved to take the bull by the horns, or, in other words, to attempt carrying the castle of Belgica by a coup-de-main, recalled Captain Kenah and his party, and, leaving a small guard at the captured battery, pushed on, with the aid of one of his native guides, through a narrow path that skirted the town, towards the Dutch citadel, about half a mile distant.

The sound of the bugle was now spreading the alarm over the island; but, favoured by the storm that was raging over head, and making a rapid march, the British arrived within 100 yards of the citadel-ditch before they were discovered. An ineffectual fire of musketry was now opened from the ramparts. Regardless of this, the brave fellows rushed up the steep ascent; and, placing their scaling-ladders between the guns upon the outer pentagon, which, owing to the rain, burnt priming, were in an instant in possession of the lower works. The ladders were quickly hauled up and placed against the inner wall, but were found too short. This appeared to inspire the besieged with fresh courage, and three guns and several volleys of musketry were discharged; but the stormers soon found another way into the heart of the citadel. Just at this moment the gate was opened by the Dutch guard, to admit the Colonel-commandant,

During, and three other officers, who lived in houses at the foot of the hill. At that gateway the British now made their rush. The Dutch colonel fell, covered with honourable wounds; and, after a slight skirmish, in which 10 others of the garrison shared the fate of their commanding officer, the British colours waved at the flagstaff of the castle of Belgica.

"With such examples," says Captain Cole, in allusion to his officers, "our brave fellows swept the ramparts like a whirlwind; and, in addition to the providential circumstance of the service being performed with scarcely a hurt or wound, I have the satisfaction of reporting, that there was no instance of irregularity arising from success.' A part of the garrison, in the panic that prevailed, escaped over the walls; and the remainder, amounting to four officers and about 40 artillery-men,* surrendered themselves prisoners. Just as all this had been accomplished, "the day beamed on the British flag," and discovered to the new garrison of Belgica, the fort of Nassau, the town, and the different sea-defences, at their feet; but, as some drawback to the joy of the British at their extraordinary success, no ships were to be seen, nor even the boats containing the remainder of the landing party. While a flag of truce is being despatched to the Dutch governor-general, we will pay some attention to the Caroline and her consorts, and also to the missing boats.

Immediately after the boats, containing Captain Cole and his party, had pushed off from the Caroline, the latter made a short stretch off; then tacked, and at 1 A. M. on the 9th, followed by the Piémontaise, rounded the east point of Great Banda, close to the shore, and entered the outer harbour, or that formed by the north-west side of Great Banda, by the islands of Goonong-Api and Neira, and by the two still smaller islands of Pulo-Ay and Pulo-Rhun to the eastward of the latter. The wind now became so baffling, and was attended with such heavy gusts, that the ships were frequently obliged to lower their topsails; not being able, in their short-manned state, to work the yards quick enough to keep them trimmed to the breeze. At 2 A. M. the Piémontaise hailed the Caroline, and informed Lieutenant John Gilmour, the officer in charge of her, that Captain Cole had hailed to say, that he and Captain Kenah had missed the boats at the rendezvous; and that, meaning to defer the attack till a more favourable opportunity, he wished the Caroline, who had a pilot on board, to lead in to an anchorage. Every exertion was now used to approach the land; and the Caroline frequently got within her own length of it, but could not find bottom with the deepest line. Then a squall would pay her head right off, and in another moment she would be becalmed and ungovernable. At one time the Piémontaise, baffled in a similar manner, made

*The official account, by mistake, says two officers and 30 men. + See p. 320.