PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTTTTICO. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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to the piratical outrages which have lately disgraced this part of the Straits; and you will communicate between the officer in command of these ships and the Viceroy of Salan- gure in order to secure the most efficient aid in the work of restoring peace to his country, a work on which the Viceroy is already engaged.
It will be your first duty to attend the trial of the prisoners now on board Her Majesty's ship "Rinaldo," and to give such aid to the Court as you may deem advisable for the purpose of securing a full and fair inquiry, and the proper punishment of any of the accused who may be found guilty. You will, however, avoid taking an active part in the trial itself, which, as you are aware, is to be conducted by Tunku Dia Udin in accordance with the forms and law of his country.
After this Court has concluded its labours it will become a question for the Viceroy to consider what steps ought to be taken with reference to the fortified stockades in the Jugra River, which I am informed are of no use for purposes of revenue or police to the good of the country.
If the Viceroy should determine to occupy or destroy these stockades, you will be prepared to procure for him such assistance as may be required to enable him effectually to carry his purpose into effect.
Information has reached me that the Toomboh River is a haunt of pirates, and that the Lookoot and other rivers in the neighbourhood are used for similar purposes. It will be for the Viceroy to consider what steps he may deem necessary to be taken with reference to these places as to their political relations to his Government, but you will carefully impress upon his mind the duty which devolves on him of freeing his country from all contact or relations with pirates, and the desirability of taking advantage of the presence of so many of Her Majesty's ships of war off the coasts of his country to assist in getting rid of these marauders.
The Hon. Major McNair, R.A.,
Colonial Engineer, and
J. G. Davidson, Esq.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
A. CLARKE, Governor.
Inclosure 6 in No. 84.
Report of the Commissioners appointed by Sir A. Clarke in the late case of Piracy at Jugra River, in the State of Salangore.
Sir,
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On board Her Majesty's ship “ Thalia," February 21, 1874. WE have the honour to report that, in obedience to instructions received from his Excellency the Governor, we proceeded on the evening of Thursday, the 11th instant, on board of Her Majesty's ship "Thalia," at anchor off the Jugra River. We were accom- panied by His Highness the Viceroy of Salangore, Tunku Dia Udin and suite.
2. Shortly after reaching the vessel we received from his Excellency the Governor the letter addressed to bis Excellency by the Sultan of Salangore, dated 11th February, 1874, informing his Excellency that the witnesses required in the Merib piracy case, including Raja Yacub (alias Tunku Alang) would be at once sent to the stockade at the mouth of the Jugra River, where it had been arranged the trial was to be held by a Court to be composed of His Highness Tunku Dia Udin, Datu Aroo, Punghulu Dagang, and See Ah Keng.
The same evening Datu Aroo, Punghulu Dagang, and See Ah Keng, with Rajas Yacub and Kahar arrived at Qualla Jugra.
3. It was then reported to us that the piratical boat, of which no tidings had been previously received, had been discovered the day before up a branch of the Jugra River, and concealed by mangrove bushes. It had been with some difficulty recovered, and brought down by an officer of Her Majesty's ship "Rinaldo," a water-cask belonging to the boat had also been found in the stockade on the left bank of the river. This stockade was hurriedly abandoned by the Langat Malays on the morning of the 7th instant, when Captain Woollcombe's boats entered the river.
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4. On the morning of the 12th the eight prisoners charged with piracy and murder, who, with the witnesses, had been brought from Malacca by Her Majesty's ship “Rinaldo,' were visited by us and informed that the trial would take place the following day. The prisoners were asked for the names of any witnesses and friends they wished to be present at their trial, and a letter was then written and forwarded to the Bultan asking him to send down without delay the persons they had named.
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5. This afternoon we proceeded on shore with Tunku Dia Udin and Captain Woolcombe, of Her Majesty's ship "Thalia," to arrange for the sitting of the Court at the stockade, and for the sate custody of the prisoners there upon their being landed and transferred to the native authorities.
6. On the 13th the witnesses required for the defence arrived from Langat, and at 8 A.M. the prisoners and all the witnesses were sent on shore in the boats of Her Majesty's ships "Thalia," "Rinaldo," and "Avon," the prisoners were then formally handed over to Tunku Dia Udin, and the trial commenced about 9 A.M., Rajas Yacub and Kahar being present.
7. The proceedings at the trial, which lasted three days, accompany this report. The examination of the witnesses was, at the request of the Court, undertaken by Mr. Davidson.
8. On the 18th the Court unanimously found all the prisoners guilty of piracy and murder, and sentence of death was solemnly passed by Tunku Dia Udin upon seven of the prisoners, the eighth being reprieved by the Court on account of his youth. The time of the execution was fixed for the following day, the 16th, at 10 o'clock. The same evening a letter was sent by us to the Sultan informing him of the result of the trial.
9. Early on the 16th an armed guard of seamen and Marines was landed 'from Her Majesty's ships, and several of the followers of His Highness the Tunku Dia Udin were also in attendance. The prisoners having been permitted to converse with their friends, and repeating that they had nothing further to state in their defence, were about 11 o'clock taken out to a piece of rising ground behind the stockade, and were executed by Malays in accordance with the custom of the country by the "spear" and "kris." The latter weapon used on such occasions had been sent down by the Sultan during the night. Their bodies were at once removed by their own people to be buried on a point of land some little distance up the river; that of one of the prisoners, who was said to be a relative of Raja Yacub's, was allowed by the Court to be taken to Langat.
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His Highness Tunku Dia Udin then gave orders for a notice board to be put up on the spot, and that the name of the place should hereafter be known as "Qualla Per- monoh," or the "place of execution."
10. The stockades on both sides of the river were then, upon the requisition of His Highness, and, under orders from Captain Woollcombe, burnt down, and destroyed, and the guns rendered useless.
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11. It now became our duty to consider the amount of compensation that should be demanded from the Sultan for the outrage committed by his people upon British subjects, and we fixed this at 5,000 dollars, and thereupon addressed him a letter informing him of our decision, and demanding that that amount in dollars, or its equivalent in tin, should be at once placed on board Her Majesty's ship "Midge," then lying off his residence at Langat. The same evening the Sultan replied to our letter informing us that 286 slabs of tin, weighing 150 piculs, and 1 catty, or about 7 tons, had been handed over to Captain Grant, of Her Majesty's ship "Midge." The piratical boat was delivered over to the owner, and was taken in tow by Her Majesty's ship Parsons, which left for Malacca the same afternoon with all the witnesses from that Rinaldo," Captain place.
12. The next morning, Tuesday, the 17th, Rajas Yacub and Kahar, after being seriously cautioned by us as to their future conduct in connection with piracy, returned to Langat, taking with them a letter from us to the Sultan, pointing out the disgrace which had for so long a time been attached to his country in countenancing piracy, and advising him, if he valued the friendship of the British Government, to take steps at once to put it down with a strong hand, and to drive out such persons as Rajas Mahdi and Mahmud, whom he had already acknowledged to be the ruin of his country. The evidence at the trial, though we did not give much weight to the unsupported statement of Daga, convinced us that Raja Yacub was implicated in the piracy, but there being no direct. evidence against him except that of Daga, and the Court having expressed in their verdict that there was no evidence to connect him with the offence, we did not deem it our duty to do more than administer the caution already mentioned.
13. In accordance with our instructions we then proceeded down the coast to a village called Tumboh which was reported to be piratical. Tunku Dia Udin landed here with a number of his followers, accompanied by ourselves, and Captain Woollcombe with au armed party from his ship. The people appeared to be chiefly fishermen, and for the most part Malacca-born Malays, and there was no indication that they were connected with pirates. Many of them afterwards came on board, and they were informed by