། ། ། །
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
سلنسنا
Reference :-
C.O.
882
3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Zacloru
1 and 2.
Jea.5.
284
in which the requirements of the Government of the Straits Settlements, as far as at present known, have thus been met.
I am to add that his Excellency hopes to furnish by the next opportunity a statement
T relating to the service for which the troops were required, and the mode in which they are to be employed. Two hundred of the 3rd Buffs arrived here on the 27th ultimo, a company of Madras sappers and miners on the following day, and the remainder of the force on the 3rd instant.
(No. 17.)
I am, &c.
(Signed) HENRY E. McCallum, R.E.,
Private Secretary, for Colonial Secretary.
No. 144.
GOVERNOR 'SIR W. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., to the EARL OF CARNARVON, (Received February 14, 1876.)
MY LORD,
Government House, Penang, January 14, 1876.
In my telegraphic despatch of the 7th instant, I informed your Lordship that a force under Brigadier-General Ross, C.B., proceeded on the 4th instant to disarin the village of Kota Lama, situated on both banks of the River Perak, about two miles above Qualla Kangsa; that the disarmament was effected without opposition on the right bank, but that on the left bank Brigadier-General Ross and staff, who had landed with a small escort only, were surprised and almost surrounded by a hostile body of Malays, who were eventually beaten off, but not without loss on our side.
2. I have now the honour to enclose, for your Lordship's information, copies of two reports on this affair, one from Major McNair to the Colonial Secretary, the other from Brigadier-General Ross, C.B., to Major-General Colborne, C.B.
Your Lordship will observe from these reports, that had it not been for the steadiness of the small body of sailors, of which the escort was mainly composed, it is highly probable that the whole party would have been cut off; as it was, considerable loss was experienced before the Malays were driven back.
3. I cannot sufficiently regret this.occurrence.
The village of Kota Lama, and especially that portion of it on the left bank, has long had the reputation of being the resort of the worst of characters, and it seems to me that better precautions might have been taken when landing at a village of this description,
boundaries. particularly as the jungle extends to its
very
4. Although a great part of the village was destroyed before Brigadier-General Ross withdrew the troops, it has not been deserted by the enemy. On the contrary, it is reported that stockades have since been erected, not only at the burnt village itself, but also further up the river.
On the 9th instant a body of some 40 armed men crossed to the right bank, and, after having been refused shelter by the inhabitants on this bank, proceeded to a small military post, called the Gapis stockade, at the entrance of the Bukit Barapit Pass, about 12 miles from Qualla Kangsa.
The same night a policeman and an officer's servant, who had been sent from the Gapis stockade to Campong Boia, and who were returning from thence, were murdered by this party of Malays, who returned to Kota Lama the following morning.
5. I myself attach no political meaning to these disturbances, regarding them simply as raids of lawless ruffians, who are opposed to order and quiet, and who, by our presence in their neighbourhood, find their illegal means of livelihood checked and prevented.
6. The circumstance of the presence of these marauding bands on our line of commu- nication, and the disquieting effect entailed thereby, were reported to me when recently passing the Laroot River, and returning to Penang from visiting the Perak River. I immediately proceeded to Matang, where I put myself in telegraphic communication with Brigadier-General Ross and Mr. Maxwell at Qualla Kangsa, and with Captain Speedy and the Mantri at Bukit Gantang.
7. After the movement on Kota Lama on the 4th instant, I instructed Mr. Maxwell that no movement should be made up the river, except under special circumstances, without a further cominunication from me. I have now formed an opinion, and the
• No. 106.
+
285
Brigadier-General and Mr. Maxwell have agreed with me, that it will be advisable to dislodge the hostile Malaya at Kota Lama (left bank) from the position they occupy as soon as the nature and position of the stockades can be ascertained, and to make an example of this village. I have, therefore, after consultation with Major-General Col. borne, requested that this may be done, and the Rajab Muda Yusuf (from whom the Enclosure 3. enclosed satisfactory letter has been received, and who remains very firm in his allegiance Jan. 9, to us) will co-operate with our force.
8. I also communicated with Captain Speedy and the Mantri upon the subject of keeping our line of communications open and free from marauding parties, and the Mantri has guaranteed to carry this out. I also gave instructions and offered a reward for the apprehension of those Malays concerned in the murder of the two messengers on the night of the 9th instant.
9. In paragraph 9 of my Despatch, No. 372, dated 29th December, I informed your Lordship that I had directed Major McNair to act as Commissioner with the forces, assisted by Mr. Swettenham and Mr. Maxwell as Deputies.
The country having, however, been occupied by our troops, I subsequently decided that two acting Commissioners only were necessary, and, as I considered it advisable for Major McNair to return to his post as head of the Public Works Department in this Colony, I have appointed Mr. Swettenham to act as Commissioner with the troops in the portion of the country from Bandar Bahru to Bhota and Kinta, and Mr. Maxwell to act in the same capacity with the troops in the portion of the country from Bhota upwards.
10. Posts having been occupied at various points on the Perak River, viz., at Bandar Babru, Passir Sala, Bhota, Blanja, and Qualla Kangsa, and it having been ascertained that the Chiefs who have acted in hostility against us have fled in a northerly direction from Kinta, I have considered it unnecessary to maintain the blockade of the coast, and
I have given orders, therefore, that it should be suspended.
1876.
11. Ex-Sultan Ismail, with the majority of the Chiefs who have acted in hostility against us, has been traced to a point near the source of the Perak River, on the borders of Quedah. He is reported to have some 200 followers with him. There is no certain intelligence, however, of the whereabouts of the Maharajah Lela and Datu Sagor, the information received respecting them being very contradictory. The evidence obtained mostly tends to the opinion that they are both either with Ismail or in his immediate vicinity. I have sent a strong party of police and friendly Malays to endeavour to effect the capture of Ismail and his supporters, but I do not yet know the result of this expedition.
12. I have also, in accordance with your Lordship's instruction, issued a proclamation (copy enclosed) offering rewards for the capture of the Maharajah Lela, Datu Sagor, and care. Pandak Indut (the actual perpetrator of the murder of Mr. Birch).
1 have thought it unadvisable to offer publicly a reward for the apprehension of Ismail, on account of the position which he has held as Sultan, and of the bad effect which I believe such a course would consequently have upon the Malays throughout the Peninsula.
13. In paragraph 7 of Despatch No. 372, dated 29th December, I stated that it was proposed to inflict chastisement on the village of Bhota, from which provision boats had been fired at. When two or three houses had been burnt, the Pungbulu, or head man of the village, surrendered the two men who had fired upon the boat, and these men now await their trial.
14. In paragraph 8 of the same Despatch, I mentioned that I had written to the Major-General Commanding, requesting that about 300 men should be removed from Perak to Malacca and its neighbourhood. Upon receipt of the intelligence, however, that the hostile Malays in the "Nine States" had fled at the advance of our troops, as reported in Despatch No. 18 of this date,† I no longer regarded this step as necessary.
I have, &c. (Signed)
The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,
&c.,
&c.,
&rc.
• No. 199.
WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
↑ No. 145.
Jan. 13, 1876.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 882
3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGILAPHIC
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH——NOT TO
Nn 3