340 
DR. EPF’s ACCOUNT OF BANKA. 
He and his son if pressed closely always disappeared. The impenetrable 
jungle offered to them a secure shelter. 
In the year 1821 Plembang was taken, an event which in the history of 
the E. I. Archipelago will always make an epoch. By this feat also the hos¬ 
tile forces at Banka were scattered. The Dipatti Barin fled and it was im¬ 
possible to apprehend him. 
In 1826 Captain Shwend was commander at Baturnssak. He strenuously 
tried to capture the Dipatti, whom he considered the chief source of all the 
disturbances. Things had advanced so far as to allow mutual visits 
under the promise of safe conduct. On a journey to Muntok, Captain 
Shewnd passed the night with the Dipatti Borin. They slept on 
mats close together. In the night Shewnd rose, aimed with his gun 
at him and pulled the trigger. The gun missed fire and the Dipatti 
aw oke. Then Shwcnd aimed a blow 7 at him with the butend of the gun 
which however was parried by the arm of the Dipatti. Long afterwards 
he showed me still the cicatrice of it and a stiff finger, declaring that he 
then was true to the Dutch Government otherwise he might have mur¬ 
dered the Captain without any obstacle. The Dipatti Barin escaped and 
claimed for the injury sustained 100 Spanish Dollars which were re¬ 
fused by Shwend, upon which Barin commenced disturbances afresh. 
The Dutch sent two columns of volunteers against him, and succeed¬ 
ed after some time in blockading the Dipatti. At this time the Com¬ 
missioner Laung arrived from Batavia at Muntok in order to investigate 
a certain case pending against the Commissioner’s House. He ordered 
an armistice and entered into a treaty with the Dipatti in 1828, by which 
a pension was granted to the latter, on condition that he and his son 
should not further interfere in the internal affairs, and the promise that 
they would keep the peace in future. This pension was afterwards 
under the Resident Colonel Reede fixed at CO guilders per mensem. He 
and his son Amir took the oath of allegiance to the Government. 
At the time of my departure from Banka he and his son were still alive. 
The old Dipatti inhabited the kampong Mandara excellently suited for the 
erection of fortifications (8 miles above Baturussak on the river, which 
is commanded by the same). The Dipatti Amir founded a new kampong 
opposite Batturussak. The aged Dipatti stood in high esteem among the 
population, who moreover believed him invulnerable, since he had escap¬ 
ed so many dangers without injury. His arms were for the most part 
rsold by him and his pension is spent in gambling, and he himself lives 
poorly. He has four wives and several children. The Dipatti Amir is a 
