PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTIC.O. 882
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3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Jugth.
Selangoro.
Bermuro.
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the ship in the gig. Captain Wiseman then sent Sub-Lieutenant Murray to take charge of the launch and to visit Langat by way of Jugra.
He was also to report whether there was room for Her Majesty's ship to swing. 23rd February. The launch returned at 8 A.M. next morning, when we went back to the Jugra and anchored about three miles off. It was not thought advisable to take the ship up the Langat. Went up the river in the Captain's gig, and reached the landing place that leads to the Sultan's house at the foot of Bukit Jugra at 4 P.M., and made our way over felled timber and stumps to the village. At the head of the road met the Sultan and his party. Introduced myself and Captain Wiseman. He requested us to go on to his house about half a mile off, where we should find Tunku Alang, and we did so; only remained a few minutes. The road is a new one, but there has long been a village here. On our return to the gig we were amused to find the Sultan cutting the timber down himself for the new road.
We then continued up the river to Mr. Swettenham's house, and reached it at about 6 P.M. The tide was high and it would have been easy for the ship to turn.
Dined with Mr. Swettenham in his new quarters. He has only one room, and does not seem very comfortable. The mosquitoes were most formidable. The house is built without timber, of Bertam sides, nibong floor, and attap roof.
Left with the falling tide, taking Mr. Swettenham's launch in tow for repairs. On the way down both the tow ropes (his own) gave way, and his launch was nearly wrecked. Tide of 4 knots. Fortunately, the Assistant Engineer of Her Majesty's ship was in charge, and after spinning helplessly past one or two snags he managed to get up steam just in time for the worst corner, and brought her safely out.
The channel, forced by the action of strong tides through the mangrove swamps between the Langat and Jugra, has been so recently formed, that trees and stumps are still standing in the middle of the stream, and it was as much as we could do to steer clear ourselves. When the worst was over we anchored and waited till the other launch appeared. It is certainly the most difficult river to navigate, and its currents the most extraordinary of all we saw.
We got on board Her Majesty's ship again at 12 P.M.
As we had been informed at the fort in the mouth of the Klang that Mr. Davidson and Tunku Koodin were both at Salangore, we went straight on and reached there at 4 P.M. (24th February). The launch went to sound the channel. On the following morning (25th February) the ship got safely in and anchored near the landing place on the south bank. Mr. Davidson came on board in a few minutes, and about 10 A.M. Captain Wiseman and I went with him, and to call on Tunku Koodin, who was living in a temporary shed in the fort on the hill..
The place is still almost deserted. A few Chinese have settled on this side, but Mr. Davidson wishes to move them across the river, where he has laid out a plan for the future town, which will have more room to expand on the north side. The Tunku lunched on board with Captain Wiseman, and after he left, I landed on the north bank with Mr. Davidson. I was surprised to find the old Campongs entirely deserted. When the "Rinaldo's" men marched three miles up (July 1871), houses and gardens lined almost the whole length of the path. The whole of this has now disappeared. Mr. David- son is trying to bring these people back again by a reassuring Proclamation in the joint names of Sultan, Viceroy, and Resident.
The tin-mining is in the same condition. No revenue is being collected at present, but among Syed Masahoor's papers, when the Fort was taken by the "Rinaldo," were some Malay accounts showing that royalty had been collected on 153 pikuls during two days only, in May 1871. The Tunku said he believed there would soon be as much tin here as in Klang, if they went on as quietly as at present.
We left the river at 5 P.M., and proceeded to Bernam.
This river was almost unknown before Mr. Birch's visit last year. It proves to be the largest or at any rate navigable for the greatest distance-of any of the rivers on this side of the Peninsula. On the charts it is put down as if it were a small stream, about one-tenth of the size of the River Perak. Our pilot knew nothing about it; but there was no difficulty in taking the launch in; there was only one sounding of less than two fathoms all the way, and inside the bar the water was very deep right up to Rajah Itam's place (25 miles). Mr. Swettenham, who has just returned from Ulu Bernam, informed us that a steam launch could go more than 100 miles up this river, twice as far as in the Perak.
Except a few huts used by fishermen at the mouth, there was not a single house visible until we neared Rajah Itam's place.
We found him less cordial than most of the other Rajaha, and I think he is rather
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anxious about his position, occupying as he does both banks of the river. Mr. Birch invited him to attend the great meeting of the Perak Chiefs the other day, but his Imam, who did all the talking for him, stated that he was unwell at the time. His own house is on the Salangore side, but his brothers live on the Perak side, and he says all his ancestors are buried there. He said the question of the boundary was never mooted until the late Governor wrote to him. He certainly considers himself a Salangore rather than a Perak man, and affirms that South Rengkop has always been considered the boundary. This is supported by the statements of Newbold in 1839, and J. R. Logan in 1850. He also unburdened himself on the subject of Mahdi's partisans, with whom Rajah Itam was said to sympathise. He said they had never stayed at Bernam, but had merely passed through on their way to Perak.
It is a good sized village, but it does not go far back any distance from the river; there appears to be no path to Kwala Salangore. It is easy to see how important a place this would be, in a political sense, in the event of disturbances either in Perak or Salangore.
On the way back the tide was against us, and we did not reach the ship till past Perak, midnight.
is an
Next day, 27th February, at 4 P.M., Captain Wiseman attempted to take the ship into Perak river at half tide, but did not succeed, so we waited till 5 A.M. the following morning. Reached Kota Stia on the north bank in the launch at 8:30 AM. The Dutch had a factory, Governor, &c., on the south bank for more than twenty years (1640-1660), Kota Stia but there appears to be no trace of them now, but the name "Kota blanda."
entirely new place, which does credit to the energy of Mr. Birch, and Cheng Tee, his customs farmer. A landing place, a police station, and three Kongsee houses are finished. In the centre of the new Settlement is a much more substantial house which is to serve various purposes; amongst others a rest house for visitors. It is very nearly finished. A Mr. D. Éville informed us that Mr. Birch had not yet returned from Penang, though expected daily. He was recently appointed to collect information about the Customs, and to improve the nature of its collection. The current months collections (27 days; by his accounts were roughly, exports 1,550 dollars, imports 450 dollars; so the farm may be expected to sell for more than 2,166 dollars, when next put up.
We did not reach Baturabit, the Sultan's present residence, till 3 P.M. It was raining very hard, and perhaps it may look better on a sunny day, but we thought it anything but a nice place. The Sultan received us very cordially, and appeared to me much improved since the Pangkor meeting both in manner and appearance. He was full of the new house near Bandar, and seemed to take an intelligent interest in all that is being done. He was about to start for Bandar to see how things were getting on, and to meet Mr. Birch on his way down from Kangsor. He seemed well aware of the Resident's plans and movements.
We found a guard of Sikhs here, and left with their officers, letters and parcels for Mr. Birch. The Sultan said that nothing had occurred since Mr. Birch's absence, and seemed tolerably confident of the future, though evidently still a little nervous about his position. On the way back we had to stop some time to sweep tubes, and did not reach the ship till 8 A.M.
The Dindings
The following day, March lat, visited the Dindings, Island and River. "Lapwing" draws over 10 feet, and comes under the new order prohibiting Her Majesty's ships of that draught to enter the channel. So we left the ship to anchor off the river Bruas, our intention being to visit that river as well as the Dindings before returning to her. But we had reckoned without our launch, which again got out of order; and we had only time to touch at the Island, and at the Sumatra Chief Nakoda Mat Aris' place in T. Sumpit, a branch of South Dinding.
Everything was quiet here. At the police station, the old Pungulu was in charge, the European sergeant having gone to Penang. There were ten constables, armed with rifles, living down on the shore in the same quarters they were in last year, which look very close and uncomfortable. Altogether, the place has not gone ahead much, except in the north bay, where there are more huts, and where a good deal of timber has been cut, which, again, is perhaps a doubtful advantage; the hills round the police station are already beginning to look bare. The wood-cutting has been farmed out to a Penang Chinaman for 200 dollars a-month, and there are further revenues from lime-kilns (8 dollars) and fishing-stakes (5 dollars), so that the place is far from being a burden on the Penang Treasury. In fact, the Settlement will soon deserve to have an officer of superior rank to a police sergeant in charge, and then there can be little doubt it will develop much more rapidly.
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
11.TT C.O. 882
3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO