THE LOMBOK WAR

In 1894 the Dutch landed an elaborate military expedition in Lombok and sent an ultimatum to the Lombok Radja, who was under the influence of Gusti Gede Djilantik, Radja of Karangasem, a friend of the Dutch. The terms of the ultimatum were accepted and the Radja agreed to pay a " war indemnity " of one million guilders. Conferences were held between the Balinese And the Sasaks, and everybody seemed satisfied.

The army remained in the capital for a few weeks giving military demonstration while waiting for the payment of the indemnity. Soon there were rumours of dissension between the old Radja and the princes, and the Balinese began to appear less friendly; the camps were no longer visited by the princes, and one day the women did r even come to market. This was the signal for the Dutch to prepare for the defence.

That night they were attacked by fierce rifle-fire through holes made in the thick walls of the palaces and houses around the Dutch encampments. Orchestras played continuously and all night the great alarm-drums were beaten. The Dutch returned the fire as well as they could in the darkness, trying to demolish the stone walls of the palace, but without much success. Captain W. Cool, an eyewitness, relates: " The noise was deafening and bullets were falling fast around us. . .

Added to all this was the ear-splitting sound of the tomtoms and the war cries of the Balinese as an accompaniment to the hammering and boring of the walls." Every bivouac was besieged by an invisible foe. On the dawn of the third day the army retreated towards the sea, wing nearly one hundred dead and three hundred wounded. among the dead was General Van Ham, second in command. A Regiment was taken prisoner and was marched along the lines of Balinese soldiers; Captain Cool tells us that " they were all armed, yet they maintained a respectful attitude. Not an offensive word was said or a threatening hand raised." The starving prisoner were fed with white rice and drinks of orange and coconut water.