The armed boats of the squadron were constantly employed in landing the troops, and in attacking the batteries of the enemy. On one of these occasions we had the misfortune to lose Lieutenant Alewyn, the commander of the brig Siwa, an officer universally esteemed. I will pass over in silence many other particulars of minor importance, connected with this expedition. As the westerly monsoon was now drawing to a close, and the number of our sick had become very great, we found it impossible to pursue the enemy into the interior. Macassar had been freed from danger, Supa had been taken, and the island of Celebes placed in a state of more tranquillity; but not a single native chief had been brought under the subjection of our government, so that the expedition had produced no other useful effect than that of affording a new proof of the total inability of the natives to withstand the courage and military skill of Europeans. On the departure of the fleet from the Bay of Boni, my brig, together with the _Nautilus_ and the _Daphne_, sailed for Amboyna, touching at Buton on the way, to obtain refreshments. Every ship that had been employed had a large number of their men sick, one fifth only of the crew of my brig being fit for duty. My officers and myself also suffered much; indeed, on our arrival at Amboyna there was not a healthy man on board. This prevalence of sickness is to be attributed to the fatigues we had endured, and it should act as a warning to our government to deter them from undertaking expeditions like these except in cases of urgent necessity, or when they have very important objects in view. I will now proceed to give an account of the more agreeable duties entrusted to my charge, which I was fortunate enough to carry into execution to the satisfaction of the government, and within a tolerably short period of time. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 2: The yard in which these vessels were built, was subsequently burned by the rebels; Mr. Waller, the shipwright, losing all the property he had collected by his diligence.] [Footnote 3: This name, unfamiliar to European ears, is derived from a fable of the Bramins, whose religion once obtained in Java. Dourga was the consort of the god Siva, in fact the Juno of the Jupiter of the Hindoos. Many images of this deity are to be met with among the ruins of the temples scattered over the island.] [Footnote 4: The _kriss_ is a short dagger of a serpentine form; the _klewang_, a sort of hanger or short sword; and the _lelah_, a cannon of small calibre, usually composed of brass.] [Footnote 5: Panambahan is a Javanese title, the possessor of which takes precedence of a Pangeran or Prince, but ranks below a Raja or Sultan.] CHAPTER II. TIMOR.