Page 273 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAX NAVY. 241
The night of the occupation of Batavia was not suffered to
pass without an effort to retrieve his fortune on the part of
General Jansens, who had taken post at ^yeltervreeden, not
more than three miles distant. The attack was, however,
repulsed, and, on the morning of the 10th of August, the army
advanced on the enemy. An action now took place between the
advance, under Colonel Gillespie, and the French advanced
division, under General Jumel, which resulted in the defeat of
the latter, and the occupation of Weltervreeden with its arsenal
containing three hundred guns ; in this affair the British loss
was seventeen killed and seventy-five wounded General
Jansens, who had served with distinction in the French Army,
now removed to Cornelis, described by Thorn as " an entrenched
camp, defended by two rivers with a number of redoubts and
batteries ; the circumference of these fortified lines comprised
nearly five miles, defended by two hundred and eighty pieces of
cannon." A battering train was landed from the ships, the
reserve joined the army from Chillingching, and the bridge was
removed from the Anjole river, the communications beyond that
point being abandoned. The materials for a siege having been
collected,* the British Army broke ground on the night of the
20th of August, within 600 yards of the enemy's works. The
batteries being nearly completed on the night of the 21st,
twenty 18- pounders and nine howitzers and mortars were
brought up from the ships, and mounted early on the following
morning. To assist in working these batteries a body of five
hundred seamen was landed from the fleet, under the command
of Captain Sayer, and also a strong detachment of marines. The
Dutch made a sortie at daybreak on the 22nd, but, being driven
back, opened a heavy fire from forty guns, which caused
considerable loss to the working parties of soldiers and seamen.
During this day the casualties were ninety-six of all ranks,
including six officers killed and mortally wounded.
There was a lull on the following day, and, on the 24th, the
British batteries opened with a salute, which was returned in the
most spirited manner, and a severe cannonade continued during
the greater part of the day. Before evening, the superiority of
our fire was made manifest ; the nearest redoubts of the enemy
were silenced, and many of their guns dismounted. The British
batteries had hitherto been worked by a company of the Royal
Artillery, two companies of the Bengal Artillery, and five
hundred seamen from the fleet ; but, owing to the casualties
and the fatigue incidental to the duty in very sultry weather, it
* Speaking of the work performed at this time, Commander Macdouald, who
'' Narrative :"—
was present, says in his " Both tlie ollioers and crews of the Hon.
Company's ships of war were ahiiost hicessantly employed, day and uight, under
Commodore Hayes, in tliis arduous and most hiborious duty, and iu con-
veying the guns to the landing-place, whence they were conducted to the
batteries."
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