PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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TITLE CO. 882
3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
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SI,
192
Enclosure 5. in No. 112.
COMMANDER TURTON, R.N., to CAPTain Buller, R.N.
(Letter of proceedings.)
H.M.S." Egeria," off Dindings Islands, December 2, 1875.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that in compliance with your orders to carry out a memorandum from Commander Singleton, on arriving off the mouth of the river Juro- Mas about 6 p.m., I cast off the boats of the "Modeste," having previously given the Sub-lieutenant in charge of them all the information in my power with regard to the rivers and adjacent coasts, &c., and proceeded towards the mouth of the Kurrow River, anchoring a little to the southward of it about 10.30 p.m.
On the following morning I weighed and steamed as close into the land as the depth of water would permit off the coast where the village of Tanjong Piandang was described to me as being situated, and then proceeded with the boats of H.M.S. "Egeria" to see if I could effect a landing in the vicinity; after some difficulty I succeeded in finding a Chinese town at the mouth of a small creek, which was dry at low water. Taking advantage of the flood tide I proceeded up this creek with the two gigs, leaving the cutters at the mouth and taking part of their crews up in native canoes.
The creek waS
so narrow that oars could not be used, and the boats had to be poled up a distance of about 2 miles, a most arduous task in a broiling sun. I then landed with about 20 men and marched up to the village of Tanjong Piandang, a distance of another 2 miles, and proceeded to search the houses for arms and ammunition. I found in one, six small brass guns, about 15 rifles and blunderbusses, amongst which were four Sniders, and two or three hundred rounds of Snider ammunition, besides a few krisses and spears. The guns I had no means at hand of destroying or carrying away, so I was obliged to leave them, but the arms and ammunition I brought on board the ship. Having to get down to the boats in time to save the tide, I was not able to make a thorough search of all the houses, as they were a long way apart and covered a great extent of ground, and therefore I think it highly probable that more arms and ammunition might have been found, had we had sufficient time for the purpose.
The next day I moved the ship a little further down the coast, and left with the boats about 9.30 a.m., proceeding to the mouth of the River Kurrow, where having obtained information at the police station that a quantity of arms had been collected at a village about 15 miles up the river, I proceeded there in search of them, and on arriving at the place in question I discovered eight guns and 52 stands of arms of various descriptions, besides krisses and spears, but no ammunition worth mentioning. The guns that were too heavy to move with the time and appliances at my disposal I ordered to be spiked, and the remainder with the small arms to be thrown into the river. The Chief of this village, who stated he had accumulated these guns and arms by orders of the Mantri of Larut, I thought it advisable to make a prisoner of, as if not guilty himself, his evidence might be useful if the fidelity of the Mantri of Larut was likely to be called in question. which I understood would probably be the case. The name of this Chief, who is also I believe Chief of the whole Kurrow district, is Datoh Mahomed Ali.
way
I have discharged him to the "Modeste " to await his trial, thinking it better that he should remain on the spot than proceed in the ship to Singapore. On the the river I searched another small village, but only found four or five more muskets, down which I likewise destroyed. I then returned to the ship, arriving on board at II p.m.
Though no resistance was offered to us on either of these occasions, owing probably to the unexpectedness and rapidity of our movements, still there were a great many obstacles in the way of carrying out this service, owing to imperfect knowledge of the country and the difficulties in getting to the different places, and I have great pleasure in testifying to the zeal and energy displayed by all the officers and men employed, and beg especially to bring to your notice the great assistance I received from Lieutenants Tottenham and Prater, and Mr. Ramsay, Paymaster, who also accompanied me on both expeditions.
At daylight this morning I left the anchorage near the Kurrow River, and having communicated with H.M,S,Fly" off Larut, and the "Modeste's" steam cutter off Juro Mas, proceeded for the Dindings, where I arrived at 6.30 this evening.
I purpose leaving for Singapore as early as possible to-morrow morning, and expect to arrive op evening of 4th instant.
Captain Alexander Buller,
Senior Naval Officer.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
R. L. TURTON, Commander.
SIB,
193
Enclosure 6. in No. 112.
GOVERNOR, Straits Settlements, to SENIOR NAVal Officer. In reference to my letter of the 18th ultimo to Commander Singleton, R.N., then
Penang, December 10, 1875. Senior Naval Officer on this Station, requesting that the necessary instructions should be given to one of Her Majesty's vessels of war to institute a strict blockade of the rivers and coast of the Malay Peninsula between the Laroot and the Bernam Rivers, I have now the houour to request that the blockade should be extended to the Krean River, and that therefore the rivers and coast of the peninsula should be blockaded from the Krean River to the Bernam River inclusive.
I have the bonour to suggest that in order to maintain a strict blockade of the rivers and coast, the vessel of war performing this duty should be provided with a steam launch.
I have, &c. (Signed) WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS,
The Senior Naval Officer,
Straits of Malacca.
(No. 353.)
No. 113.
GOVERNOR SIR W. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., to the EARL of carnaRVON, (Received January 17, 1876.)
MY LORD,
Government House, Penang, December 17, 1875.
In my Despatch, No. 334, of the 2nd instant, I gave your Lordship an account
of what had taken place in Perak and Larut up to that time.
2. In separate Despatch, No. 352,† I have given your Lordship a general account of the movement of troops up to this date.
3. I have the honour to forward herewith instructions given to Major McNair on his leaving me to join the forces in Larut.
4.
Ksclosure 1.
also forward herewith translation of a satisfactory letter addressed to Mr. Swet- Dus. 3, 1875. tenbam by Rajah Idris, and received by Mr. Swettenham on November 25th, also a copy of Mr. Swettenham's reply.
5. I also enclose translations of letters from ex-Sultan Ismail to me, dated 21st November, 30th November, 3rd December 1875, and to the Maharajah of Jobore, dated 21st November and 29th November, also copy of a letter from Captain Speedy, en- closing a letter to me from ex-Sultan Ismail, dated 6th December, a translation of which is also enclosed.
6. I also enclose translations of letters which I have received from Rajah Muda Yusuf and from the Rajab Bandahara,
Enclosure 2. Nov. 25, 1875.
Kaolosure 3. Nov. 35, 1875.
Enclosures
4, 5, 4. Enelosures
7 & 8.
Enclosure 9.
Deb. 8, 1875.
I Sub-Encl. Enclosures
10 & ti
7. I also enclose translations of a letter addressed by His Highness the Maharajah of Johore to ex-Sultan Ismail, and from the Datu Bintara of Johore (Secretary to the Nov, 15. Government of Johore) to Datu Sri Nara Diraja (the Tob Narah) of Perak.
Feclosure 12. Dee. 9, 1875.
8. I also enclose report from Major McNair, in which he states that he had only closure 18. received verbal messages in reply to letters which had been sent by me to Ismail and Deo. 8, 1876. other chiefs. Major McNair deemed this so unsatisfactory that he sent the messengers are 14. back for written answers. Major McNair reported that the verbal message received Dan. 8, 1875. from Ismail was that from the scarcity of rice he was unable to move from Blanja (his boatmen refusing to leave their families without rice), but that if he was supplied with provisions he was willing to come and meet Major McNair at Qualla Kangsa,
I did not consider the excuse a good one, but informed Major McNair that I had no doubt he would receive written replies; and with regard to ex-Sultan Ismail, if he still alleged want of food as a reason for not going to Qualla Kangsa, to send him a sufficient quantity so as to take from him that ground of excuse.
9. I have just received from Major McNair the replies he received from ex-Sultan Ismail, the Raja Mudda Yusuf, and the Rajah Bandahar, as also copies of letters from Major McNair to ex-Sultan Ismail, to Raja Mudda Yusuf, and the translation of a letter from ex-Sultan Ismail to Hadjee Aboobakar and Orang Kaya Abdubrahman.
Mariageres
15, 16, 17.
Dee. 10, 11, 12,
1078. Enslowares 10 & 10. Dec. 13, 1878.
slowers 30.
10. I have not from the commencement of this correspondence with Ismail considered his letters satisfactory. He has no where expressed himself sorry for the murder of Mr. Birch, nor has he exerted himself in any way whatever to arrest or punish those Dos. 19, 1973," concerned, although he himself in one of his letters admits that it was the act of one of his great men.
He has seemed to me all along to be holding out to us the bait of negotiations as an inducement to us to stop our troops from advancing into the country. These were the same tactics as were attempted by the King of Ashantee in the Ashantee
88867.
• No. 100.
Bb
† No. 118.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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