288
POST-CAPTAINS OF 1807.
The enclosed is a list of the vessels, their terms of the highest praise force, &c.
(Signed)“George Harris[1].”
From this period Captain Harris appears to have been actively employed on the coast of Java, until the final reduction of that valuable colony. On the 12th Aug. 1811, he was detached from Batavia to take possession of the French fortress at Samanap, “in which he was eminently successful,” as will be seen by his official report to Rear-Admiral Stopford, dated the 1st of Sept.
“Sir,– On the night of the 29th August, the boats of H.M. ships Sir Francis Drake and Phaeton, left the anchorage under the isle of Pondock, in two divisions, the one led hy Captain Fleetwood B. R. Pellew, the other by myself. I previously despatched the Dasher, Captain Benedictus Marwood Kelly, round the south end of Pulo ’I Lanjong, to gain an anchorage, as near the fort of Samanap as possible; by day-light, on the 30th, the boats sailed through the channel, formed by the east end of Madura and ’I Lanjong, and at half-past twelve (midnight) effected a landing, without discovery, at a pier-head about three miles from the fort. The landing, although difficult, from its being rocky, and low water, which prevented the boats from coming near the pier, was soon accomplished, and, at half-past one (A.M. on the 31st), two columns, composed of 60 bayonets and 20 pikemen, each flanked by a 12, 4, and 2-pounder field-piece, having the Hussar’s marines in reserve, began their march, in the utmost order, towards the fort. Silence was so rigidly observed, during our progress, that, notwithstanding the governor had intimation of the Dasher having weighed and stood in for the harbour, and that boats were seen approaching the tower, the fort did not discover our approach until we were through the outer gate, which was open. The gallantry of the rush at the inner gate prevented them from securing it, and only allowed time for two or three guns on the south-
- ↑ Eight feluccas, of 87 tons each, burnt. These vessels were quite new, and remarkably well built, but the nature of Captain Harris’s orders would not allow him to preserve them. They were 87 feet long, 17 feet broad, and fitted with carriages, &c. for 7-inch howitzers and 24-pounder carronades. Each of them was calculated to row 60 oars, but neither had a single piece of ordnance, nor more than 24 men on board, when first discovered by the British. The ninth felucca being armed with an howitzer and a carronade, was manned as a tender to the Sir Francis Drake. One proa of 60 tons, mounting two 9-pounders and one swivel, was given up to the prisoners, 87 in number. Four other proas, of the same size and forces and two small merchant vessels in ballast, were burnt. Total 16 sail.
