HMS Amboyna (1796)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Batavian Republic
|
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| Name: | Harlingen (Haarlingen, Haalem, or Haerlem) |
| Captured: | 23 January 1796 |
 UK
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| Name: | HMS Amboyna |
| Acquired: | 23 January 1796 by capture |
| Commissioned: | 9 March 1796 |
| Fate: | Broken up April 1802 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | brig |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Armament: |
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HMS Amboyna was the Dutch brig Harlingen, which the British captured in the East Indies in 1796. They renamed her Amboyna after their recent capture of Ambon Island. She then served briefly in the Royal Navy before she was broken up in 1802.
In early 1796 Commodore Peter Rainier sailed a squadron consisting of Suffolk (his flagship), Centurion, Resistance, Orpheus, Swift, one or two armed vessels belonging to the East India Company, and three transports with troops, towards the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. On their way as they were passing through the Straits of Banca, on 22 January they sighted a strange sail. Lieutenant William Hugh Dobbie, fifth lieutenant of Suffolk took her launch to investigate. When it became obvious that the vessel was a becalmed Dutch naval brig, Suffolk's boats joined him. Towards early evening, a breeze came up, which enabled the brig to make sail. Dobbie and the boats gave chase, firing their swivel guns as their quarry fired at them. Eventually, Orpheus came up and at 2am captured the brig at 2am. She was the Harlingen, of 14 guns and 45 men. Rainier put Dobbie in command of Harlingen.
On 16 February 1796 the squadron arrived off Amboyna, Molucca islands and landed troops who were able to take possession without facing any resistance. Then on 7 March, the squadron arrived off Great-Banda, or Banda-Neira and again landed troops, this time taking possession after facing only a little resistance. Orpheus and Harlingen covered the landing, their fire silencing a battery.
The Admiral found in the Treasury at Amboyna, 81,112 Rixdollars, and in store 515,940 pounds (weight) of cloves; in the Treasury at Banda-Neira 66,675 Rix dollars, and 84,777 pounds of nutmeg, 19,587 pounds of mace, and merchandise and other stores. Estimates suggest that each of the captains in Rainier's squadron received £15,000 in prize money.
The day after Banda capitulated, i.e., on 9 March, Rainier had Harlingen purchased into the Navy and commissioned her as Amboyna, with Dobbie as her captain. Rainier intended to have Amboyna sail back to England with Captain Robert Lambert (of Suffolk) and the dispatches announcing the victory. At the last minute news arrived of an uprising by the local populace, who were Moslem, against the Dutch on Ambon. Rainier sent Orpheus to Madras with the dispatches instead, and Amboyna to Ambon to support the Dutch. Amboyna spent April and May on this mission before the Anglo-Dutch forces were able to suppress the insurgency.
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Wikipedia