PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
דווו
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2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
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Bir Andrew Clarke has, so shortly after assuming the reins of Government, succeeded in putting an end to the state of anarchy which has hitherto existed in those countries, and for the last three years almost entirely checked a most important branch of our traile. It is therefore with feelings of profound satisfaction that we regard the political settle- ment made by his Excellency Sir A. Clarke, and trust your Lordship will be pleased to approve of same, and to encourage similar vigorous procedures in all future dealings with States similarly situated under weak Governments on the Malayan peninsula.
We have, &c.
(Signed) DAVID BROWN, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.
Penang, April 11, 1874.
P. C. PADDAY, Vice-Chairman.
257
the measures. you took for the punishment of the perpetrators of another flagrant act of piracy.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
No. 91.
CARNARVON.
No. 90.
The Earl of Carnarvon to' Governor Sir Andrew Clarke, K.C.M.G.
Downing Street, May 29, 1874.
(No. 64.) Sir,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches, noted in the margin, having reference to your proceedings with the Malay States which have reached me since I addressed to you my despatch of the 6th March No. 14.†
2. In that despatch I stated that so far as I was then able to judge from the information before me, I was of opinion that the measures which you had adopted were likely to put an end to the dissensions which have now for some time past distracted Perak and Laroot, and would promote peaceful trade.
3. Although the despatches which I now acknowledge were, as I have stated, received subsequently to mine of the 6th March, I'have deferred acting upon them in the expectation that I might before long receive from you further and more detailed
information.
4. But the question of our dealings with the Malay Chiefs having been brought before the House of Lords on the 19th instant, by Lord Stanley of Alderly' and commented upon by him in terms reflecting upon your conduct, I think it desirable that I should no longer delay referring to those despatches, so far as to ‘miske known to you the view I at present take of the measures which you have adopted for the pacification of the country, and the repression of piracy.
5. It in with satisfaction that I learn from your despatches that the heads of the different factions of the Chinese at Perak and Laroot, and more especially at the latter place, should have submitted to your arbitration their respective claims and disputes in reference to the tin mines at Laroot, and all the more that on your signifying your assent, they at once agreed to surrender their row-boats, and to remove their stockades.
G. I have no doubt that their readiness to do this has resulted from a feeling on their part that they could safely rely on your impartiality, and I am glad to express my approval of your course of action as far as it has come before me.
7. I shall hope shortly to hear that the report of the commission, which you appointed, has brought about a final and satisfactory settlement of these rival'claims for the acceptance of Both parties.
8. I ought not to conclude without briefly adverting to the important engagement into which you entered, with, the Chiefs of Perak, to the provisions of which you call further attention in your despatch No. 43 of the 24th February, and though I do not now propose to consider, in detail, its' soverat provisions, or to express on it more than a general approval, I will not delay the assurance that Her Majesty's Government appreciate the ability and energy which you have shown, in dealing with affairs so complicated and difficult. I need not, however, remind you that, though these difficulties are for the present happily disposed of, great prudence and watchfulness, and act, will still be needed to prevent their revival, possibly even in an aggravated form. I will only add that it was with great satisfaction that I learnt the success that attended the misaiɔn which you sent to Larout, by means of which many women who had been captured and held in slavery had been resonad and taken to Penang.
9. As regards your proceedings at Salangore, reported in your despatch No. 44, I am unable, until I hear further from you, to do more than express a general approval ot
+ No. 74.
* Nov. 76, 77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, and 89.
Governor Sir Andrew Clarke, K.C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received June 23.) (Na. 142.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that I have this day returned in Her
Government House, Singapore, May 8, 1874. Majesty's ship "Charybdis” from a visit to the Lingie River, on which, at Bukit Tiga, some four miles from the territory above Sempang, piratical stockades had been created, and the passing traffic between our Settlements in Malaces and the adjoining friendly native State of Sungie Ujong had been for some time subject to outrage and plunder.
2. These stockades having been erected under the alleged authority of the Datu Perba, now the de facto Ruler of Rumbow, at the time when he was contending with another Chief, Hadji Mustapha, for the supremacy of Rumbow, there seems to have been some hesitation on the part of this Government to intervene otherwise than by reman- strances ;* but Datu Perba having recently announced that he had overcome his rival, and having requested me to recognize him as Chief of Rumbow, I consider it advisable before doing so (the somewhat precipitate recognition in 1871 of the Raja Ismail Bandahara sa Sultan of Perak having to a very great extent been the cause of the disturbances that so long distracted Laroot), and in order to avoid being made a party to an irregular succes- sion, to institute a careful inquiry into the affairs of Rumbow, and if satisfied that the claims of the Datu Parba were legitimate and authentic to make our assent to them part of a Convention or agreement more clearly defining the relations of Rumbow to us under the Treaty of the 30th November, 1881, the conditions of which had of late years been constantly evaded and broken.
3. With this object Captain Shaw, the Lieutenant-Governor of Malacca, knowing my wishes, took advantage of the presence in Malacca of the Datu Perba and his headman to bring about a meeting between that Chief and the Klana or Chief of Sungie Ujong, who has considerable property in Malacca and frequently resides there.
4. At this meeting certain matters were discussed and the preliminaries of a final settlement were arranged, one of which was an undertaking on the part of the Datu Perba that he would at once have the stockades on the Lingie River removed, and would suppress the exactions made by his alleged followers on passing tradera.
6. Subsequently to this, and in the interval which elapsed before a more formal meeting could take place, at which I proposed to be present, for the consideration and ratification of these arrangements, the occupants of the stockades, not only at Bukit Tiga, but also higher up the river where the stream is open only to navigation by "sampana" (the very light boats of the country), continned with increased audacity their pirational attacks on passing traffic, even going to the length of firing on a canoe or sampan, manned by three of our police letter written by Captain Shaw to the Shabandar or Chief of Lingie, informing him of the Malmoca, who were on their return from delivering a proposed meeting. The policemen saved themselves by jumping into the water and escaping into the opposite jungle, but the sampan and some property, including 600 dollars, which had been entrusted to them for safe custody to Malacca, was captured.
6. I am of opinion that it was rather the prospect of so rich a booty than any hostile feeling towards the police themselves that prompted the attack; but the fact that Malays having ventured to fire upon them, even with so great a temptation in view, is signifiosat as showing the degree of amacity to which these free-booters had attained, for the police of these settlements are thoroughly well known to be the messengers of our Governinent, and, as such, traverse without let or hindrance the wildest parts of the Malay States.
7. Hearing in the meantime that although personally willing, and indeed most anxious, to settle and tranquilize his country, the Datu Perba was restrained by certain of the petty Chiefs who had assisted him in his struggle with his rival, some of whom, being from Sumatra, could have no interest in Rumbow, and who well knew that their occupa tion as free-booters and marauders would cease on the restoration of peace, and who consequently opposed any settlement whatever.
8. I arranged with Captain Smith to proceed to the Lingie River in Her Majesty's
• Bir H. Ord's despatek, No. 183, July 10, 1873.
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