Mataram, still the meeting was constantly postponed for some reason or another.

In our opinion the disturbances must by this time have spread as far as the immediate neighbourhood of Bogor, the usual residence of the Government officials, so that it would have been difficult to receive the controller there. No heed was paid to the suggestion made by him, that it would be sufficient if he were afforded an opportunity of presenting the letter to the princes in one of their "poeris" at Mataram or Tjakra Nagara and that he could return on board until the reply was ready and once more go on shore to receive it at one of the "poeris. Instead of that, in the afternoon of 29th July, a "pumbuckle" came on board, as representative of the authorities to prevail upon the controller to return to Bulèleng for a time, as it would be impossible for the princes to see him within the next few days; but that as soon as it was convenient they would let the Resident know.

They had however on this very morning received in audience a European lawyer, from Singapore, one who was evidently advising the Lombock rulers.

After wasting six days in the harbour the controller was obliged to return, without having accomplished anything.

And of course there was no question of an apology!

The promised notification as to when the Governor-General's letter could be received remained non-forthcoming.

Such then was the conduct of the Lombock rulers towards their Suzerain! During the whole of this period warfare was being carried on in the interior and the inhabitants were running imminent risk of utter annihilation! Such was the state of affairs when the Governor-General Pijnacker Hordijk gave up office.

Very shortly after his appointment, the new Governor-General, Jhr. C. H. A. van der Wijck, redemanded the letter written by his predecessor and which was still in the custody of the Resident and began seriously to consider what would be the best line of conduct to pursue in connection with Lombock.

From various sources information was being brought in about

the insurrection.

Thus the commander of the warship stationed at Ampenan reported that owing to the disorders having spread to the West coast of Lombock, the rulers had been obliged to withdraw some of their troops from Central Lombock in order to defend Mataram, Tjakra Nagara and Narmada, and that the rebels seemed to be getting the upper hand.

Permission was refused to Gusti G'dé Djilantik, prince of Karangassim, who was still fighting the Sassaks, to purchase a large number of guns and a proportionate quantity of ammunition, ostensibly for Karangassim, but in reality intended for the Lombock rulers, who

were making serious preparations to win back lost ground and to bring once more into subjection the dessa of Sekarbela, which was suffering from a rice famine.

At the beginning of January a trustworthy Bugis, who had been sent by the Resident to the East coast to obtain information,* was able to report that there had been but little fighting in East Lombock during the last few months and that by mutual consent it was decided to place posts of observation along the frontiers, but that although the rice harvest could only take place in three months' time, in several districts there was a scarcity of food, and many Sassaks had to be satisfied with all sorts of makeshifts and that in the neighbourhood of Praja and Sakra alone, over two hundred people had died of starvation. The chiefs of Sakra conveyed to this Bugis a letter-20 February-in which they, in the name of all the Sassaks in authority, requested the intervention of the Government. †

In order to procure further particulars as to the accuracy of these statements regarding the existing famine and if necessary to take measures against it, the Governor-General sent Liefrinck to East Lombock; he was at the same time to acquaint the princes with the reason and the object of his mission (26 Feb).

On the 27th the controller left Buleleng and on the 3rd March reached the East coast, which district he really found in the most lamentable condition.

Let us see what he says about it:

"On the following morning," he writes, "I went to visit the fugitives in the settlements of the neighbourhood of Sakra and was not long in discovering that the reports which had reached Buleleng were far from exaggerated. In many cases the dwellings consist only of the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree and there is no question of any suitable sleeping accommodation, so that a good deal of sickness results.

"Walking through these temporary settlements, there is no need to enquire whether hunger exists; the hollow cheeks, the emaciated bodies. tell their own tale too plainly.

"The poor little children are the most to be pitied; owing to the misery and lack of food of these past few months, hardly anything is left of the poor little mites but skin and bone.

"In several places I saw the people preparing their meals, which consisted mostly of a quantity of chopped papajastam, pisangstam and a few young leaves, and in very rare cases a handful of " 'djagoeng' was added.

*He was to find out whether it was true or not that the aged prince was still alive contradictory statements having been sent in. It is characteristic of the people, that this spy was unable to obtain positive information on this point, regarding which uncertainty prevailed until General Vetter had a personal interview with him.

The translation of this letter is as follows: "This letter is sent with the utmost humility by us Raden G'dé and Dj'ro G'dé Mami Kertawang of Sakra to the Resident of Buleleng. We hereby request your help in the difficult circumstances, in which we are placed and we wish to inform you that all men in authority in this country are relying upon the assistance you will give us. Written 20 February, 1894.

"After this look round, during which I visited about 200 of these unfortunates, I saw that help was absolutely needed, and knowing, that in that case, it would be given, I decided to return on board immediately and inform Your Excellency of the State of affairs."

After that the controller had an interview with the chiefs and what he gathered from them he relates as follows:

"Referring in the course of conversation to what I had seen that morning, it was

pointed out to me that what I had been able to discover in such a short survey, was but trifling in com

parison to the

misery in other

places, Praja for

instance.

"In order to

give me some idea of the extent of the famine they mentioned the names of 28 dessas which are now nearly quite de

serted, amongst

which several,

such as Rarang

Soldiers' wives.

Kopang, Batu-Klian and Turadadi formerly contained three thousand or more inhabitants, so that according even to their very moderate estimate, the fugitives must amount to 50.000 persons.

"There is not a single dessa or hamlet where they are not to be found; sometimes they are received in the dessas and establish themselves in the existing homesteads, where frequently the open spaces under the rice barns, are fixed up so as to accommodate an entire family; and sometimes they establish themselves in groups outside the dessas.

"All the chiefs declared that they did all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of these poor people, but that it was quite impossible for them to supply food for all.

"In many instances they have given up all the available space in their own homesteads; one of them assured me he had lodged as many as seventy wanderers.

"In the course of the following days" continues the controller, "I visited the dessas of Mas Bagei, Dasan Lekong, Kali-Djaga and Pringgabaja, where, as well as in the outskirts, there were many fugitives, who were just as badly off as at Sakra, and in Pringgabaja things seemed if possible, worse!

"Praja, however, seems to be suffering from the greatest distress of all; I have been unable to go there, as it is a three days' journey, besides which, there is a rumour current that an invasion of the Balinese may be expected any day.

"From what I have actually witnessed, I have no difficulty in believing the report received at Buleleng that corpses had been seen on the roadside near Praja; I have not seen any with my own eyes, but judging from the emaciated skrunken appearance of the greater number of the fugitives, it is quite possible to imagine that some of these poor wretches must succumb on their way from one dessa to another.

"Everywhere I receive the same accounts of the famine and in the dessas I have more recently visited they seem to use the same sort of substitutes for food.

"In many cases parents have been known to sell their children to obtain food for themselves; usually the price received is a rijksdalder,' (4s. Sd.) but instances have occurred, where they have had to be satisfied with 400 kèpengs. (1s. 4d.)

66

With the exception of the chief of Praja, I have met all the present chiefs of the East coast. The most influential amongst them are: "Raden G'dé Mamy Ketawang of Sakra, Raden G'dé Melajoe Kesoema and Raden Soehara of Mas Bagei, Raden Rarang of Rarang, Mangei Kanat of Batu-Klian and Raden G'dé Wiranom of Pringgabaja.

"According to my instructions, I have abstained in all my interviews with the chiefs from discussing their hostilities with the Balinese and I have given them to understand from the outset that my mission was undertaken solely to enquire into the state of the people in connection with the terrible famine.

"This however did not prevent them on their part from repeatedly referring to the disturbances which had been going on for some years past and to the events which had driven them to rise against the Balinese; the accounts of the treatment which they and their inferiors have received coincide entirely with what we have already heard. They wish it to be clearly understood that under no possible circumstances would they ever again submit to Balinese rule; what they had borne previons to the outbreak of the war would baffle all description and if it were the intention of our Government to force them to it, they would, every man of them, prefer to be put to death at once. "It is not astonishing that the chiefs should express themselves so strongly, for they are one and all acquainted with the plans made by Anak Agoeng Madé for their extermination, after the rebellion has been stamped out. At a large meeting at Mataram he announced, that as soon as the country was once again under his rule, it was his