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HISTORY OB^ THE INDIAN NAVY. 211

but this monotonous duty did not suit a man of the ardent teui-
perament of Captain Hayes, who found a congenial colleague
in Lieutenant Scott. At the head of only forty-five seamen,
with escalading ladders, he advanced against Fort Tabooka,
Ternate, under the fire of its guns and the cross-fire of two field-
pieces and six hundred Natives, (300 yards distance on the rigiit
flank. The assaulting column, together with the rest of the
advance division, under Colonel Burr, commanding the troops,
was forced to retreat, with the loss of one-third of their number.
Nothing daunted by this reverse, he engaged Fort Orange and
four batteries, on Ternate, on the 11th of May, within pistol-shot
range, for two hours and a-half, but after a severe action was
obliged to haul off; a second time, on the 16th of May, the
'Swift' and 'Star' were carried within pistol-shot range of
the batteries, and sustained the concentrated fire of more than
thirty pieces of heavy ordnance. At length Lieutenant Hayes'
temerity was rewarded with success ; the forts were silenced
and stormed, and, soon after, on the 21st of June, 1801, the
whole island surrendered to Colonel Burr, who had invested the
town and works on the land side.*
The ' Swift ' lost in this service twelve killed and wounded,
and the 'Star 'ten; that the casualties were comparatively so
few, considering the brilliancy of the Rervice, is owing to the
fact that the gunners in the forts were unable to depress their
including Tidore, Batchian, Motir, and Machiau ; the King of Ternate extended
]iis rule over seventeen or eighteen islands, and maintained a considerable naval
force. The Portuguese iirst visited these islands in 1510, but on their expulsion
by the Dutch in 1607, the native princes were interdicted from having any
intercourse with them. The Dutch erected in Ternate three forts called Orange,
Holland, and Williamstadt.
* The following extract from a despatch of the Company's Resident at
Amboyna, which was communicated by the Court of Directors to Lord Hobart,
Secretary of State, givesabi'ief account of the captui'C of Ternate. " The Dutch Go-
vernor made a most resolute resistance, having defended the place wit li uncommon
firmness for fifty-two days, though I am sorry to add, at the expense of tlie poor
inhabitants, who perished from famine, from ten to twenty a day, from our stronir
blockade by sea and land. During this excellent disposition of our military and
marine forces, the latter under tlie command of that gallant olficer, Captain
Hayes, the armed supplies for the enemy were intercepted through liis vigilance,
which certainly contributed in a higli degree to the ultimate success of the entei'-
prise. The value of the captured property taken by the squadron amounts to u
lac and 50,000 dollars, (equal to £20,0tX)). The cUfficulties the Honom-abie
Company's forces by sea and land had to encounter in tliis arduous service, ami
the spu'it and intrepidity which they manifested during a siege of nearly two
mouths, do them inlinite credit, and have seldom or ever been exceeded in this
part of the globe. The accounts we have received of the strength of Fort Oranyi-
and its numerous detached batteries, proved exceedingly erroneous, insomueii
that Colonel Burr declares the place to be extremely strong by nature, and most
exceedingly improved by art, with a powerful garrison, and so well provided witti
arms and ammunition, as to tlirow dilllculties in the way of our force, w hich were
as distressing as unexpected ; tliey, however, persevered and kept their ground
with so much bravery and resohition, as to compel the enemy to surrender their
different strongholds one after the other, until the principal fort and town were
so completely blockaded by sea antl land, and so reduced by famine as to make
them sue for conditions, which, I understand, are very satisfucttn-y,"
p 2