, 1873-05-08
THE WAR IN SUMATRA.
Tho l1ollnndc-Atcltincnc gtruggfc.-s
T7Ae Elc1d Of Action,

Ane Elctl OF Actt0ns
Frnnt tho LoHdon Times. dnr1f n,
remarkable Incident In modern col LnIal lfs-
tory III reported from tho East Indian Archi-
pelago. considerable forco Of Europeans Ina
boon dofoatod, and ia now hold IN check, by tho
IL for the most part in the possession Of tho
Dutch but thoro remains at least two natiyo
Btatea IN the northern md northonBtorl por-
tons Of tho isand. That in the north ia tho
State Of Achen or Atohin. On tho 2oth OF lat
month tho Dutch formally dcclarod wnr against
tho Atohincso, and OIL tho 18th of April they
M woro reported to bc meeEing with somo SUCCESS.
Thoy had then captured two Atohinoao earth
sutan's palueo Evon thon, however, they soem
70 nave found thcir taBk more formidable than
they haqo anticipated, as they wore aaid to liavo
to Batavia for 1enforcements Five
iolon ToVorao. After capturing so,ne small
| earthworla, tl,oy had attempted to storm tic
s ciot Sitndsl of tho AtehnoHe and they wore ro-
o.noa ho nghtng vas mess
.mand Of tho Dutch forccs waa killed. NClra-
ton" which Roems to DO tho namo Of this chief
citadel, in haid to 70 provided With artillery Of
garrison. They made DESPERATE dotonso; and
| II waa not with tho garrison only that tho Dutch
had to deal. Outside tho fortrcaa tloy woro as
sai,ed OH al gitoa by humorous bands, md they
d9rSonents; aan They have since boon obliged to
| abandon taoir entorprlso altogether for tho
prosont. at q council Of war hold in
front Of Atclin,, 1t was unanimously
tained ,] their position was uutonsblo, and It
was decided to suspend tito expedition till tho
autumn. Tho principal roaaon aasigned for this
resolution, however, ia tlle approach Of the mon-
wooks all communication VIII tho shoro, and nd
tllua rondor 1t impossible to convoy Bupplios to
tho troops. All that can bo done for tic present
ts 70 mnintain tho blockade Of tho coast. THO
1,n-r1 r.
| gained decisive victory. Their onemy 10 not
only, dofeatod, but compelled to withdraw, Il
nuht 1a,s Soon very strange that TUG Dutch should
bo fiSo s.,ta g. ssnak y; eoaGulatea ae thor
gazetteora states that "it was formerly d
| Koworfal kingdom, but IS now nearly extinct,H
sha Mhon tue rort9guoso first roachod sumatra, in
1906, they found tho territory around Atchin
ruled by powerful King, md we're prevented
obtaining footing In tho noighborhood. The
putch Woro mora fortunate hundrod yearB
Xthye hhy TsrS By the Ks Sr sasn
| on their return: This kingdom, in short. has
| boon powerful ever since sunlatra has boon
known, and tho Dutch, ono would think, should
Y ne'G ps neon %el acquainted with its resources
accounte, tho pcoplo have found means
! to possess themselves Of powerful artil.
| 1ery. Tho natiyos, Of sumatra aro chiefly
island, 1oar Atchin, aro described aa 4 finer rucs
than tho other tribes. They arc taller, atoutor,
aud Of darker complexion than the rcst, and ard
supposed to Aavo considerable infusion Of Him
| doc blood. They arc MaAomedaua of a aome.
what irregular tyne: It is not littlo romarle.
able that people titus comparatively uncivilizod
| should have inflicted no soyero chock on a Eu-
ropoan forco. Tho Dutch have gradually OK
tended their territory In tho inland by taking nd
vantage of tie feuds Of petty chiofa, and tho
arssions Will VIII eroat @ 'sg ouansg to- to hH hssHo
g completely surprised their advo5aarics.
conclusion tt, tho struggle. Tho Atcllinose may
| onjoy tlei- victory till the autumn, though tho
b1ockado Of thoir coasts will destroy their trade,
and possibly they may rotaliato upon tho Dutcl,
from the monsoon is over and autumn arrives,
tho Dutch Government will not fal to havo
collected 3 sufficiently largo forco to insure
is impossible to witnoss, without melancholy,
those last struggles Of native racoa against
tho advancing force Of European powers.
It Is THO hame story, whatever the par
tic % nati7es DO semi-civ,lized Mayiays or. Wild
| Modoo Indiaus- Thoy intlict thor rcveugo from
timo to timo but they are sternly ogerpowered
ut the last. We arc not get informed what was
| tho causo Of quarrel between tho Dutch and
their Malay neighbors; but It may easily DO
| supposed TINT tho ATalays WOW the powor Of tho
Dutch with standing suspicion, md that occa-
slonn Of dispute are only too ready to hand Tho
colonies in spirit which il notwoll calculated to
allay any such jealouaies. ,Atchin inaaod; VAS
| not q dependency Of theirs but its relation
toward thc,n in likely to be materially infected
BY tho general feeling roepocting them in tho
island, and thoy, have not hithcrto shown much
disposition. to adopt tho only policy which can
hive not, in ono aenso Of tho word, been colo.
MICS at all. They have boeu established and
maintained almost wholly for tho sake Of tho
profit which could bo derived from them for tho
mother country.