CAB7-4 — Page 560

Page 560

Page 560

532

Page 560

Appendix No. 9.

NETHERLANDS.

If he elects to force his way, no easy task along the causeway canal and railway into the old town, unless he can at once pass the works at Weltewreden he is condemned to quarter his troops in Tanjong Priok and the lower town, and they will probably be decimated by marsh-fever and cholera.

If he determines to make a circuit round the inundation, his seaward flank and communications are threatened by the garrison of Batavia, and his landward flank by the field army encamped on the high ground waiting its opportunity.

Analogous arguments hold good with regard to a western landing; besides, in that case he would only have an open beach to fall back on, a situation so disadvantageous, that with the Onrust maritime position, we have omitted the measures proposed for that flank to a great extent.

7. Any permanent defences of the new town on the southern side purposely to be omitted.

8. Entrenched positions suitable for 3,000 to 4,000 men to be prepared at Parong and Makassar, and for 6,000 at Buitenzorg.

Suppose Batavia in the enemy's hands, the strand batteries abandoned, the inundation tapped, and the fort Prinz Hendrik captured, the matter is by no means at an end; the weakened and sickly army must advance against the entrenched camps, harassed on the march by native partizan troops, or sooner or later receive a counter attack from the south, of an undefeated and healthy force of regulars.

It must be confessed that if proper measures are taken in time by its defenders, the capture of Batavia, and an advance from thence into the interior presents a very formidable problem.

Samarang.

Samarang is a town of 3,500 Europeans, 10,000 Chinese, and 54,000 Javanese and other native inhabitants. As its population would lead us to suppose, it is a place of considerable inland and sea- ward trade, but its chief military and naval importance consists in the fact that it is the sea terminus of the old post road and the new railway to the highland camps and forts, which are held to be the stronghold of Java, and where a considerable portion of the army are stationed.

Samarang extends along the shore for two or three miles, and is from half a-mile to two miles in width; its distance from the beach is a mile or so, and the intermediate ground is occupied by the usual almost impassable marsh, with boat and irrigation channels, fish ponds, rice fields, &c. The town is approached from the beach by two raised causeways, which are connected by another running parallel to the shore close to the water. Between the town and the shore lie the old fort and railway-station, and close to the beach the new or improved strand batteries. South of the town the country rises rapidly, but to the east and south-east stretches a wide irrigated plain intersected by roads and water channels; the Demak district, dividing the sea-shore from the hills; to the west, in the direction of Kendal, the belt of level land is only a mile or two wide, the Kendal district again stretching out into a wide irrigated plain. The great post road of Java runs from Ken lal close to the foot of the hills at Bodjong, a suburb of Samarang, one branch cuts across to Djoemblang, on the Samarang Willem Í Great Hill post road; the main shore road passes through Samarang, and there leaves the coast some miles on its left, and goes straight to Joana and Rembang, missing Japara; the Great Hill road issues from Samarang in a southerly direction, joins the Bodjong branch about 2 miles south of the out- skirts of the town, and leads direct to Oenarang, &c., on Willem I. This road sometimes forms hill defiles, and at others runs on a causeway through irrigated fields, and offers numerous defensive positions. The railway takes a more circuitous route, leading south-eastward, it passes for 17 miles across the Demak plain to the Tangong station, where it enters the hills; 8 miles through the hills is the Kedong Djati Junction, from whence branches lead west to Willem I, east to Soerakarta, and ultimately, when the lines now in progress are completed, to Soerabaia.

The port of Samarang is a mere roadstead, and a by no means safe roadstead; the steamers calling have sometimes to wait for days before they can land their passengers, and even the mails are only got on shore with the utmost danger and difficulty; large vessels are obliged to lie off two or three miles; the mouth of the river forms a sort of harbour for small vessels, and this year's Budget mentions the lengthening of the dry dock, but this must be small; the river, which is navigable for small vessels, runs through the town, dividing the European town on the east from the Chinese and native town on the west.

The principal public and private establishments of military or naval interest in Samarang are the powder mills at Bodjong, the workshops of the Railway Company, which are stated also to perform private carriage and metal work; there are also private firms for the construction of "all kinds of machinery" and wagons. The plant of these establishments would prove of great value if left avail- able, after the removal of the rolling-stock of the railway; we may mention, en passant, that there is said to be a steam-engine factory at Oenarang, and tool and construction factories at Soerakarta, which have recently relieved the Samarang factories of some of their work; formerly middle Java was entirely dependent on Soerabaia, for this class of work. The charts show coal-stores at Samarang, but it is not one of the Government depôts.

Fortifications and Defences of Samarang.

Samarang had formerly an enceinte and ditch, but only adapted for opposing a native Power. The citadel, with five bastions and wet ditch, was disclassed in 1873. Of the four batteries originally defending the place, viz. :-

1

k

a

a

a

S

€

S

દ

I

£

€

C

£

f

t

a

C

t

1

1

C

€

t

1

(1.) The lunette west of the river;

(2.) The lunette Kali Gawee;

(3.) The lunette Torbaya;

(4.) The strand battery west of the river;

Nos. 2 and 4 were disclassed in 1873. Of the two batteries retained, one is on the Samarang River, another on the Torbaya, ancther small stream to the eastward, both more or less in front of the town.

Page 560

E

1

Page 560Page 561