Holland, which in reality, though not yet in name, was now a French province, had a moderately strong squadron in India. Two frigates had been taken since Sir Edward's arrival, the _Maria Riggersbergen_, by the _Caroline_; and the _Pallas_, by the _Greyhound_ and _Harrier_. The first was the unfortunate ship which, under the name of the _Java_, shared the fate of the _Blenheim_; the other was the convoy of the spice ships. Two line-of-battle ships, the _Pluto_ and _Revolutie_ with a frigate and several corvettes and gun-boats, were at anchor in Batavia Road; and information had been received by the _Powerful_, 74, Captain Plamplin, that Rear-Admiral Willaumez, with six sail of the line, one of them commanded by Jerome Bonaparte, might be expected in the Indian seas. To destroy the ships already at Batavia, and to intercept the French squadron, Sir Edward sailed on the 22nd of October 1806, from Madras to Trincomalee. Here a fleet of Indiamen under his convoy was joined by other ships, and went on to Europe in charge of the _Woolwich_ and _Duncan_; while the Admiral, with the _Culloden_, _Powerful_, _Russell_, and _Belliqueux_ line-of-battle ships, and _Terpsichore_ frigate, proceeded to the Straits of Sunda, where the _Albion_ and others were to join him. Lieutenant Owen, commanding the _Seaflower_ brig, was instructed to disguise her as one of the expected French squadron, and to hasten on before. On the 23rd of November, they were joined by the frigate _Sir Francis Drake_, Captain Pownoll Pellew; and on the same day they learnt that Willaumez had gone to America. On the 26th they arrived in the Straits of Sunda, where they found the _Seaflower_, which had already communicated with the Dutch authorities at Bantam as one of the expected French force, and information was sent accordingly to the Governor at Batavia. So completely were the enemy deceived by this step, that the squadron sailed along the coast of Java, and anchored on the 27th in Batavia Road, before its character was suspected.