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Captain Sayer subsequently escorted a fleet of Indiamen to Bengal, and joining Vice-Admiral Drury at Madras, in Jan. 1811, was directed by that officer to assume the command of a squadron, having on board 600 soldiers belonging to the 14th and 89th regiments, sent to pave the way for the reduction of Java and the enemy’s remaining possessions in the Eastern seas.

Previous to the arrival of the armament prepared in India to effect those conquests, a detachment from the squadron, consisting of 200 seamen, marines, and soldiers, defeated 500 of the enemy’s troops near the city of Bantam; and a fort mounting 54 guns, with a garrison of 180 men, besides the crews of 2 gun-vessels, was stormed by a Lieutenant and 34 sailors belonging to the Minden, events which compelled the enemy to weaken his force at Batavia, by detaching a body of 1000 men to Bantam, at a time when the former place was threatened with an immediate attack^[1].

Captain Sayer’s services during the subsequent operations in the island of Java, are thus related by Commodore Broughton and Rear-Admiral Stopford, the latter of whom joined the expedition and took upon himself the direction of the naval part thereof on the 9th Aug. 1811:

Commodore Broughton to Rear-Admiral Stopford.

On the 3d Aug., in the afternoon, we saw the coast about Murderer’s Point, and on the following day, about 3 P.M. we anchored off the village of Chillingchill, in five fathoms water. The greater part of the army was landed before dark, without the smallest opposition; and in the course of the next day, every thing the army required was on shore. On the 6th, the Leda and the small cruisers proceeded off the entrance of the river Antziol, and we anchored off Panjong Priock, where the advance of the army took post in the course of the day. On the 7th, the advance crossed the Antziol, on a bridge of flat boats, prepared by the navy, under the direction of Captain Sayer, and the Commanders Maunsell and Reynolds. In the morning of the 8th, a flag of truce was sent into Batavia, and a deputation came out from the city, requesting to surrender at discretion, and put themselves under our protection. The General (Sir Samuel Auchmuty) and myself agreed to respect the private property of those inhabitants who remained in the city; and the advance, under the command of Colonel Gillespie, took immediate possession; the men of war

1. See Captains Edward Wallis Hoare, and Edmund Lyons.