From
Jambij on
25 February 1688, the Dutch questioned whether
Sultan Hingalaga could be brought under the control of the East India Company or his son with help from their people or the
Palimbanger. They believed
Sultan Hingalaga would never submit voluntarily through force unless he was driven into flight and, if provided with sufficient food supplies, could hold out in the highlands for several months. Only then would his people abandon him and he would be forced to submit. This was considered the only way force could work. Even though the
Palimbanger intended to block the king's escape upriver through the
Tambessij river, it was certain that
Sultan Hingalaga would flee upstream to the land of
Maningcabouw or further as soon as he noticed they wanted to capture him. The
Palimbangers, even if joined with this local lord, would likely not pursue him there to avoid getting more enemies.
Sultan Hingalaga could then follow them back down as soon as they returned home.
Two examples had already shown this:
- When the Dutch first arrived in Jambij, Pangeran de Pattij pursued his father with full force, reinforced with 130 of their soldiers, Bugis and Balinese fighters. After about 2 months away, their provisions ran out and they had to return with their tails between their legs, despite Jambij still having plentiful food supplies at that time.
- Recently, when his majesty used the high water to bring his vessels behind their fortifications through the forest and stayed 3 days at the Sijping river, a musket shot behind the city. After learning of their plan to blockade him, he fled upriver. Pangeran, whose vessels were adequate and as fast as the king's, only pursued him for half a day's sailing. After 2 to 3 days of waiting, Sultan showed himself again about 4 miles away.
It became clear to
Pangeran and the Dutch that using force against his fickle father achieved little, especially since no supplies could be obtained in
Jambij anymore and had to be brought from elsewhere. Everything on the upper side belonged to them and the lower side had been destroyed by the king.
Pangeran remained unwilling to settle the matter peacefully because of the previously mentioned fears. He hoped the
Palimbanger, who according to their information was already actively working in
Tambessi, would handle the matter alone. The king, well informed about this lack of supplies through deserters, knew how to use this advantage. First, since he expected no trouble from downstream, he sent 400 of his people under
Panglima Jabar as leader to that area to support the
Palimbanger and assist the inhabitants there. On the other side, he had sent all the fishermen to the seaport of
Quala Rijoor and other places nearby through the
Mora Sammeij river.