1810	Capture of Banda-Neira	323

stern-way at the rate of seven or eight knots an hour, and only avoided running foul of the Caroline by bearing up : the consequence of which was, that the Piémontaise, lost as much ground in a few minutes, as she had been all the night toiling to gain. As the Caroline, soon after daylight, approached Banda-Neira, several of the forts fired at her ; but, not being able to spare any hands from working the sails, the frigate made no return. Fortunately for her, one shot only took effect ; nor did that do any greater damage, than entering the quarterdeck bulwark and carrying away the midship spoke of the wheel. At 7 a.m. the Caroline descried the castle of Belgica ; and, about the same time, a well-directed shot from the latter silenced the sea-battery, which had annoyed her the most. It was now that a small English jack discovered itself above the Dutch colours ; and all on board the Caroline used increased exertions to reach the spot, where their gallant comrades had effected so much, and where they might yet have to effect more.

As the flag of truce had not yet returned from the governor, another was sent to say that, unless all hostility immediately ceased, Fort Nassau, at whose flagstaff the Dutch colours were still flying, would be stormed by the British, and the town laid in ashes by the cannon of Belgica. This decisive message produced the immediate and unconditional surrender of Banda-Neira and its dependencies ; and the Caroline, just before she anchored off the town, saw the Batavian flag lowered from Fort Nassau and the British hoisted in its stead. About the same time that the Caroline came to, some of the missing boats, after a night of great hardship and suffering, entered the harbour. The remainder of the boats had got on board the Piémontaise, who, as well as the Barracouta and Mandarin, anchored a little before noon with the Caroline. In the course of this day 1500 regulars and militia, 400 of the former from the north point, laid down their arms on the glacis of Fort Nassau ; a clear proof, coupled with the manifest strength of the defences, that the force of Banda-Neira had not been overrated.

Viewed in every light, the taking of the Banda isles was an achievement of no common order. Where are we to find, even in the annals of the British navy, more skill and perseverance than was employed in overcoming the difficulties of the navigation to the scene of conquest ? Or where a greater share of address and valour, than was displayed by Captain Cole and his 180 brave associates, more than three fourths of them seamen and marines, in the crowning act of their bold exploit? Without seeking to discover shades of difference between two cases in their general features alike, we may point to the conquest of another Dutch colony ; a conquest which, in the manner of its execution, spread as much renown over the British name in the western, as this was calculated to do in the eastern, hemisphere : let no one, then, call up to his recollection Captain Brisbane and

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