212] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



the port were driven on shore, but 

 it was expected that some of them 

 would be got off again. 



The negro government of St. 

 Domingo (Hayti) has this year 

 been a scene of that disorder and 

 mutation, which may always be ex- 

 pected where the strongest sword 

 is the only source of authority. The 

 mimic monarch, Christophe, has 

 been encountered with superior 

 force by his rival Petion, and for the 

 time, at least, has sunk under the 

 contest. Petion is stated to have 

 made the whole of Christophe's 

 cavalry prisoners about the 15th of 

 April. During his absence, however, 

 from Port au Prince, Christophe 

 had suddenly appeared before that 

 place, and gained possession of a 

 strong fort ; on which account all 

 the British shipping had been or- 

 dered nway by Captain Vashon. 

 But this success was only tempo- 

 rary. Petion took from him St. 

 Mark's, Cape Nicholas Mole, and 

 Gonaives. Christophe was deserted 

 by his staff officers, and fled to 

 the mountains ; and, in fine, the 

 seat of his power. Cape Francois, 

 submitted without resistance to his 

 rival, who advanced to it at the 

 head of 12,000 men. 



The occurrences reported during 

 this year from the British posses- 

 sions in the East Indies have been 

 of no great importance. The 

 strong fortress of Kallinjur in 

 Bundiecund has submitted to ihe 

 British arms, after a resistance 

 which in the first instance was suc- 

 cessful. Colonel Martindell, who 

 commanded the force led against 

 it, ordered an assault on February 

 2. The troops advanced in three 

 columns to storm a. breach which 

 had been made by the artillery, but 

 on arriving under the walls, thev 



found a perpeodicular precipice ta 

 be surmounted before it could be 

 reached. Ladders were applied, 

 which were thrown down by the 

 garrison, and in the mean time the 

 assailants were exposed to a very 

 destructive fire of cannon and mus- 

 ketry. They at length found it ne- 

 cessary to retreat, with a severe loss 

 of officers and men, which chiefly 

 fell upon the European part of the 

 force. The action, however, was 

 not thrown away, for the display 

 of courage and enterprise made 

 such an impression on the com- 

 mander of the fort, that he soon 

 after surrendered by capitulation. 



Accounts from Java state, that 

 an expedition fitted out at Batavia, 

 under colonel Gillespie and Cap- 

 tain Sayer of the Leda, against 

 Palambang, had been completely 

 successful ; and that on its return, 

 the army had been employed against 

 the rajah of Jacgocatra, who had 

 shown symptoms of disafliection. 

 His fortress and town were storm- 

 ed, and himself taken prisoner, 

 with the whole of his property. 

 Though he had a force of 10,000 

 men, the loss of the victors was in- 

 considerable. The Dutch islands 

 of Macassar and Tiraour are also 

 said to have been captured by the 

 same expedition ; and the resources 

 of Java were found sufficient not 

 only for its own security, but for 

 aiding in the general defence of 

 the British empire. The fort of 

 Nowanuggar belonging to the Jam- 

 raiah, submitted to the British 

 arms on February 24, just as the 

 troops brought against it under 

 Lieutenant colonel Lionel Smith 

 were on the point of storming. 



A dangerous conspiracy was de- 

 tected among the native troops at 

 Travancore, the object of which was, 



to 



