Conquest of Loki, 27 June 1652

Conquest of Loki, 27 June 1652. At the start of the Great Ambon War (1651-1656), Kaicili Saidi and kimelaha Majira, the Hoamoalese laders with whom the VOC was at war, made their headquarters in a fortification in the hills above the settlement of Loki. VOC troops and local troops, under the command of Arnold de Vlamingh van Oudshoorn, erected a temporary fortification at the coast in April 1652 and proceeded to cut the sago forests in the area, in order to cut off the food supply to the besieged. In late June, they attacked the hill. After first conquering the settlement and various smaller fortifications, they stormed and conquered the main fort.

On the top right is a four-line poem praising the conquest.

Legend: A: is ons fort dwingeland, B: sijn de soldaten ten storm opvoeterende, C: sijn vijands elf vestingen, D: sijn onse schepen, E: is ons kleen ende inlands vaertuig, F: is het revierken da voor bij ons fort loopt, G: is het water, dat donse doorwaden mosten.

Part of an illustrated manuscript version of Livinus Bor, Amboinse Oorlogen, describing the events of the Great Ambon War (1651-1656), and defending and glorifying the acts of the VOC commander in this conflict, Arnold de Vlamingh van Oudshoorn.

See also: VEL1353 (Nationaal Archief), Atlas Blaeu van der Hem 40:15 (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek).

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