CONCERNING THE LOMBOH WAR.
Lomboh is an island to the east of Java. The Raja of Lomboh did not come
to Batavia at a time when it was expected of him, and after some
correspondence the Resident of the nearest district was sent to see him.
After--in true oriental fashion--promising to give him audience, and
then failing to do so--keeping the Resident waiting a week--he finally
sent a message refusing to meet him. Then troops were sent. But their
departure was not effected without a commencement of that bickering
which marked the whole subsequent course of events. The General in
command was junior to the Admiral over whom he was put. A compromise was
effected by a second general being appointed. When the expedition
reached its destination the Balineri showed great astonishment at this
parade of force, and affected to be at a total loss to understand why
they had come.
This unexpected turn of events finally ended in a great "chumming up"
which developed into social functions and the taking of a photograph, in
which the Raja's generals and other chiefs of the expedition were all
taken in one large group. This photograph was sent to Buitenzorg--the
seat of Government--as a proof of the unreality of the scare, and the
diplomatic ease with which the expedition had been able to come, see and
conquer.
The photograph is not now to be purchased. After the festivities and
photography the Dutch force camped by the Palace walls, and the general
in command reported officially that the matter was settled.
On receipt of this welcome news the Governor General was so delighted
that he gave a dinner party that same evening, and after the meal was
over stood on the billiard table and made a little speech announcing the
bloodless success and happy termination of the affair Lomboh.
The Palace where the troops had camped was a kind of village--a
collection of houses surrounded by a huge wall. Each day the Dutch held
parades and drill outside the village, and tried to astonish the natives
with the wonders of their Winchesters and field guns. At these the
people professed great astonishment, examining those modern weapons with
intense interest, and asking questions innumerable as to their
construction and cost. The latter is almost invariably the first
question which occurs to a native mind.
The Balinese must be clever actors, since all the while they possessed
hundreds of Winchesters and many pieces of field ordnance within those
deceitful walls. They were deceitful walls, for they were extensively
loop-holed, the apertures being cunningly stopped up with mortar. One
evening the crisis came. The officers while playing whist--dressed in
their lounge clothes of sarong and their feet bare, were attacked and
shot down almost to a man. When the poor fellows sought refuge under the
walls, hand grenades were fired to dislodge them. A general panic and
flight followed. Those fugitives who had managed to effect an orderly
retreat, took refuge in a temple about half way between their camp and
that of another detachment. It was only then that they realized to the
full extent the nature of the terrible disaster, for here they met a
poor remnant of that other detachment fighting their way to them for
help--they also having been treacherously attacked.
But this was not all, no warning had yet been sent to a third detachment
which had been left on the coast. This column, ignorant of any disaster,
marched in to the recent camp and had scarcely time to wheel round
before the guns in the loopholes opened fire, almost annihilating them,
a few only escaping back to the boats.
How deeply affected were the Dutch and their friends, the whole
civilized world, at the arrival of this terrible news, is matter of
history, and for a time something like consternation reigned in
Buitenzorg and Batavia.
After telegraphic communication with Europe, and the fortunate mislaying
of a certain message deprecating any prompt action, the Governor General
took a popular step in deciding to send every available man to the seat
of war, and to render all possible assistance.
This was done, and the Dutch forces subsequently retrieved their
fortunes, in some measure avenging the death of their comrades. But it
was at no small sacrifice, since Java--the Government of which place
much reliance on military display--was almost destitute of troops. As an
illustration of this it is related that during this war the Sultan of
Deli elected to pay a visit to Batavia. As only two battalions of troops
were left it was considered impolitic that he should know it, therefore
the men were marched past him first when he was dining in the capital,
and then despatched by train to represent other battalions, and march
past him once again on the occasion of his visit to Buitenzorg the
following day.
The description of the tears of the aged Sultan of Lomboh at the
destruction of his beautiful palace, and the marvellous stories of how
jewels and millions of treasure were borne away by the victorious
General more resembled a page for the "Arabian Nights" than a record of
facts in the present day. On the other hand, accounts of the terrible
hardships endured by the brave Dutch soldiers sounded more modern, and
were only too easy of belief.
The seat of the war was only half a day from the Javanese port of
Soerabaya, and enough money had been collected in Java and Holland to
pay the cost of the entire war, and yet it was so mismanaged that
officers had only rice to eat, and nightly camped out on the ground
without shelter in that fever-giving climate.