bled him to exercise the functions of his station, as the representative of the army, with honor to the service, and with credit to himself: no prospect of such an occurrence appearing at all probable, in justice to the army, and to his own character, he has determined to retire.

"On quitting a country in which he has passed the greatest part of his life, and where he possesses many dear and respected friends, Lieutenant-General McDowall cannot view his separation from a body of men he is sincerely attached to, without suffering the most painful sensations. From the nature of the service, he can have little chance of meeting with them again; but he is bound to declare, that the whole tenor of their conduct has met with his entire approbation, and he will boldly affirm, without danger of contradiction, that His Majesty has not, in any part of his dominions, a more loyal, patriotic, and valiant class of soldiers and subjects, than the officers composing the army under the Presidency of Fort St. George.

"That success may continue to attend their steps -that their dearly-bought laurels may never decay -and that their bravery and discipline may gather additional wreaths in the field of honor, is the sincere prayer of a man who will never forget them."

In 1809, at Masulipatam, the corps took a conspicuous part in the unfortunate occurrences which at that time so seriously agitated the Madras army. In June, Lieutenant-Colonel, afterwards Sir John

Malcolm, was directed to proceed immediately to Masulipatam, and relieve Lieutenant-Colonel Innes in the command of the corps.

In October, a large detachment of the regiment, under Captains Phillips, Forbes, and Nixon, with a detachment of artillery under Captain Court of that corps, embarked on board H. M.'s ships, Dover, Cornwallis, and Samarang, and sailed on an expedition against the Dutch eastern islands. On the 15th February, 1810, they arrived at Amboyna, and about 2 P. M. the same day landed. Captain Phillips commanded the advance party, and attacked and carried the strong battery at Wanuitoo, situated on the top of a commanding height, notwithstanding the determined opposition of the enemy, who had two officers killed, and one mortally wounded; at the same time that a division headed by Captain David Forbes, and his company of the regiment turned the position at Battu Guntong, and forced the enemy to abandon it, by occupying the heights supposed to be inaccessible which commanded it. Battu Guntong was occupied for the night, and before morning the spikes were removed from three of the guns. In the morning the Woyo battery and another which defended the anchorage, were found abandoned a fire was immediately opened on Fort Victoria, which soon surrendered, when 1500 Dutch troops marched out and grounded their arms. strong posts of Battameera and Gillalla were also

The

taken, and completed the capture of Amboyna.

On the receipt of Captain Court's despatch at Calcutta, the following Order publishing it was issued:

Fort William, 2nd May, 1810.

GENERAL ORDER BY GOVERNMENT.

"The Right Honorable the Governor-General in Council has much satisfaction in publishing for general information, the following detailed report of the brilliant achievement effected by a detachment of the coast artillery, the Madras European regiment, and parties of the seamen and royal marines of His Majesty's ships Cornwallis and Dover, under the command of Captain Court of the former corps, in the attack and final conquest of the enemy's forts and batteries at the settlement at Amboyna.

"To Captain Edward Tucker, commanding His

"Britannic Majesty's ships and the forces em

ployed on the expedition to the eastward. "SIR,-I have the honour to report to you by this the earliest opportunity afforded me, the operations of the troops and seamen employed under my command, in the attack upon the enemy's outposts on the 16th instant.

"The force destined for this service, composed of the number of men named in the margin, having

Seamen and Royal Marines from H. M.'s ship Dover
Seamen and Royal Marines from H. M.'s ship Cornwallis
Seamen from H. M.'s ship Samarang

Total of all descriptions (officers included)

landed about 2 o'clock P. M. agreeably to your orders, and being formed according to the instructions I had previously given, the advanced party, under Captain Phillips, consisting of thirty rank and file of the detachment, 2nd battalion artillery under Lieutenant Stewart, the detachment of royal marines from His Majesty's ship Dover, under Lieutenant Higginson, and a detachment of one company of the Madras European Regiment, with a party of seamen from His Majesty's ship Dover, under Lieutenant Jeffries, in all about 180 men, was directed to attack the battery at Wanuitoo, situated on the top of a small hill of a most commanding height and position, and defended by the ordnance expressed in the margin.*

"This, the most advanced post of the enemy, and commanding the shore at Portuguese Bay, was attacked with that gallantry, promptitude, and judgment, which were to be expected from the exertions and talents of that distinguished officer, Captain Phillips of the Madras European Regiment, and was immediately carried, notwithstanding the determined opposition of the enemy, who had two officers killed, and one desperately wounded, after the entrance of our party into the battery.

"Under the able directions of Lieutenant Duncan

Stewart, (who, though wounded, continued at his post,) three of the guns were immediately brought to bear upon the enemy in his retreat, and subsequently, upon the enemy's post at Battu Guntong, which had opened a fire upon our troops at Wanuitoo on their taking possession thereof.

"With the remaining force I proceeded along the height to turn the enemy's position at Battu Guntong, situated about 1500 yards distant from, and nearly on the same level, with that at Wanuitoo, and which commanded the town of Amboyna and Fort Victoria. This party endured with the greatest spirit and patience a most fatiguing and troublesome march, ascending and descending hills, over which there was no road, and many of them so extremely steep, as to require the assistance of the bushes for the men to get up and down by their toils were, however, rewarded, by our reaching, a little after sunset, an eminence which effectually commanded the enemy, and by the satisfaction we experienced on finding that we had pursued the only mode of attack against this post (so strongly defended by the nature of the ground on every other side) which offered a probability of success.

66 The enemy, who was collected in some num

* "One company Madras European Regiment, under Capt. Forbes. The seamen and marines from H. M.'s ship Cornwallis. The seamen from H. M.'s ship Samarang, and fifteen artillerymen. This body was under the immediate orders of Captain Forbes, who fulfilled the duties of this charge to my greatest satisfaction."