page_title: Banda Islands
section_title: English-Dutch rivalry continues
hierarchical_section_title: Banda Islands / History / English-Dutch rivalry continues
caption_attribution_description: English: View of the Island of Banda-Neira... Captured by a force landed from a squadron under the Command of Captain Cole in the morning of the 9th August 1810 (PAG9056)
context_page_description: The Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about 140 km south of Seram Island and about 2,000 km east of Java, and constitute an administrative district within the Central Maluku Regency in the Indonesian province of Maluku. The main town and administrative centre is Bandanaira, located on the island of the same name. They rise out of 4-to-6-kilometre deep ocean and have a total land area of approximately 172 square kilometres. They had a population of 18,544 at the 2010 Census. Until the mid-19th century the Banda Islands were the world's only source of the spices nutmeg and mace, produced from the nutmeg tree. The islands are also popular destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling.
context_section_description: Though not physically present at the Banda Islands, the English claimed the small island of Run until 1667 when, under the Treaty of Breda (1667), the Dutch and English agreed to maintain the colonial status quo and relinquish their respective claims.
  In 1810, the Kingdom of Holland was a vassal of Napoleonic France and hence in conflict with Britain. The French and British were each seeking to control lucrative Indian Ocean trade routes. On 10 May 1810, a squadron consisting of the 36-gun frigate HMS Caroline, HMS Piedmontaise, formerly a French frigate, 18-gun sloop HMS Barracouta, and the 12-gun transport HMS Mandarin left Madras with money, supplies and troops to support the garrison at Amboyna, recently captured from the Dutch. The frigates and sloop carried a hundred officers and men of the Madras European Regiment, while the Mandarin carried supplies. The squadron was commanded by Captain Christopher Cole, with Captain Charles Foote on the Piedmontaise and Captain Richard Kenah aboard the Barracouta. After departing from Madras, Cole informed Foote and Kenah of Cole's plan to capture the Bandas; Foote and Kenah agreed. In Singapore, Captain Spencer informed Cole that over 700 regular Dutch troops may be located in the Bandas.
  The squadron took a circuitous route to avoid alerting the Dutch.  On 9 August 1810, the British appeared at Banda Neira.  They quickly stormed the island and attacked Belgica Castle at sunrise.  The battle was over within hours, with the Dutch surrendering Fort Nassau – after some subterfuge – and within days the remainder of the Banda Islands. After the Dutch surrender, Captain Charles Foote (of the Piedmontaise) was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Banda Islands. This action was a prelude to Britain's invasion of Java in 1811.
  Before the Dutch retook control of the islands, the British removed many nutmeg trees and transplanted them to Ceylon and other British colonies.  The competition largely destroyed the value of the Banda Islands to the Dutch.
caption: View of the Island of Banda-Neira captured by the British on 9 August 1810
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