Attack on Tiworo, 3 January 1655.
SvH
Attack on Tiworo, 3 January 1655. The Great Ambon War (1651-1656) was not only fought around Ambon, but far beyond. In December 1654, Arnold de Vlamingh, the commander of the VOC troops in this war, visited Buton (an ally of the VOC) on his way from Batavia to Ambon. There, he ordered his vice-admiral, Gerrit Roos, to stage an attack on Tiworo, situated to the northwest on the island of Muna. Tiworo was subservient to Makassar, and was a harbour for Makasar fleets as they sailed to and from the Ambon island to fight the VOC there. The fort was conquered, about 200 inhabitants were killed, and more than 100 people captured and distributed among the attackers as war booty. A subsequent attempt to destroy the Makasar fleet sailing through the Tiworo strait a couple of days later, however, failed.
The drawing depicts the VOC soldiers and their allies sailing up the Strait Tiworo and upriver, and then march to the fort, which is conquered. The settlement is put to the torch. On the top right, a small poem praises the victory.
Legend: 1: is ons kleen vaertuig, 2: onse gelande soldateska, 3: het fort Tybore datwe winnen, 4: de revier van Tybore, 5, desselfs negrij.
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.
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