In 1803, in response to the restitution of the Moluccas to the Dutch as per the Treaty of Amiens of 1802, Lord Wellesley, Governor-General of India, decided upon the resettlement of Balambangan Island, and instructed R. J. Farquhar, the British Resident at Amboina for the British East India Company (EIC), to manage the expedition.
Farquhar reestablished the settlement at Balambangan by the end of September 1803. The resumption of war with France led the EIC to abandon the island in 1805.
HCS Mornington, under the command of Captain W.J.Hamilton, a 22-gun sloop belonging to the Bombay Marine, the EIC's naval arm, was the sole warship of the expedition.
| Vessel | Master | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anstruther | William Richardson | Armed ship; wrecked on 22 or 23 September off the coast of Banggi Island whilst en route from Malacca to Balambangan |
| Thornhill | Graham | Wrecked on 22 or 23 September off the coast of Banggi Island whilst en route from Malacca to Balambangan |
| General Baird | W.Fleming | Destroyed by fire in the settlement's harbour on 29 October. |
| Balambangan | Company ship? | |
| Commerce | Armed ship? | |
| Four transports |
Source edit
- Naval Chronicle, Vol.12. p.441.