THE DUTCH EXPEDITION TO THE ISLAND OF LOMBOK. Bi) 
The night was dark as pitch; dawn should have commenced at 2.30 August 26th, 
a.m., but the sky was cloudy. 
The dispositions were somewhat as follows :— 
The 4th (Huropean) company, 6th battalion, held the open portion 
of the bivouac, while the 2nd Amboynese company, 6th battalion, and 
the 3rd Maduraese company, 7th battalion, held the low walled 
enclosure. Hach of the two latter companies held two sections in 
reserve. Owing to filling up the companies of the detached columns, 
the sections were only some 30 strong. The force at Tjakra Negara 
may then be taken at 400 men. 
The position soon became intolerable—officers and men were 
dropping fast. At 4 a.m. (26th), the dead and wounded were re- 
moved to the enclosed bivouac and the open one was abandoned. 
By 7 a.m. there were 16 dead and 87 wounded and heavy firing was 
now heard from the direction of Materam. At 1 p.m. General Vetter 
informed the officers that he intended to retreat. After the dead had 
been buried in a pit, General Vetter, with the two native companies, 
the Civil Staff, the wounded and the two field guns started about 3 p.m. 
to cut their way through to Materam, in which they eventually suc- 
ceeded. The teams of the guns, however, took fright and bolted, the 
guns fell into the hands of the Balinese, many of the wounded in the 
stretchers were killed and many men lost by the fire from houses and 
walls. 
At about 5 p.m. the column reached the temple to the south of the 
road near the Materam bivouac, and where the Materam contingent 
had taken refuge, and took shelter there. 
The 4th Huropean company, 6th battalion, remained in the bivouac 
to cover the retreat and with it remained Major-General van Ham and 
‘his Staff and the Chief Staff Officer. 
After the column had moved off, the Balinese brought such a fire 
to bear on the entrance to the enclosed bivouac that Captain Kamerman 
found it impossible to debouch. General van Ham was mortally 
wounded when standing outside and was carried after the column by 
the 4th section of the company under Lieutenant Hardie, the party 
numbering in all 53, including the Reverend Mr. Rogge, Protestant. 
Of these, only eight reached the temple at Materam, including the 
dying General, in whose preservation the utmost devotion had been 
displayed; the Reverend Mr. Rogge, distinguished for his calm 
attention to the wounded under the heaviest fire; and the gallant 
Hardie, severely wounded. 
The remaining three sections of the 4th European company and the 
ambulance, after a fruitless endeavour to cut their way through, by 
the advice of Major Hamerster, the Chief Staff Officer, took refuge in 
the walled temple at the eastern end of the bivouac, where they 
entrenched themselves and where we will leave them for the present. 
The whole of the stores, treasure, etc. in the bivouac fell into the 
hands of the enemy. 
Hvents at Materam.—Aroused by the sound of heavy firing at Tjakra 
Negara, the companies of the 7th battalion occupied their alarm-posts 
4 a.m, 
7 am, 
1 p.m, 
3 p.m, 
Night of 
25th, 26th, 
August, 
