On this day, a small force of the British East India Company consisting of an army contingent, ships and a few gunboats captured Makassar, which is part of Indonesia now.

The ships were Malabar, under Captain Robert Deane, the commander of the naval force, Teignmouth and Aurora. The army contingent was being led by Major-General Miles Nightingale.

By 1812, the Dutch had handed over their sovereignty of the Dutch Indies to the British, including South Sulawesi. Makassar, located there, was an important trading centre under Dutch control. The products included oil made from bado nuts, popular in Europe for men’s hairdressing. This led to anti-macassars, cloth protecting the head-rests of chairs, still popular in this part of the world, especially in bureaucracy.

The British captured the city with the ruler, who was sympathetic to the Dutch, fleeing. The British also captured many manuscripts from the royal library and set the palace on fire.

The Dutch would regain control of their territory soon.

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