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No. 28.
PARAPHRASE of TELEGRAM from GOVERNOR SIR W. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., to the EARL OF CARNARVON.
March 24, 1876. Darso should wish 10th relieved. If head-quarters not stationed here, 500 men would suthice, but the number available for duty would be insufficient if head-quarters here.
No. 29.
GOVERNOR SIR W. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., to the EARL OF CARNARVON. (Received March 24, 1876.)
PARAPHRASE OF TELEGRAM.
THE Government of India having consented. I have detained, as was absolutely neces- sary, the battery of Artillery.
Before the Indian battery can return there will be required a battery about 75 strong, with four 7-pounder rifled guns and two rocket tubes.
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TRANSLATION.
From Sultan AHMAD TAJUDDIN of Kedah to his Excellency the GOVERNOR.
Date
17th January, 1876. [21st Dolhadji, 1292.
After Compliments.
Be it known to our Friend that our Friend's letter of the 28th December has safely arrived and we have noted all its contents.
With regard to troubles at Perak, we know a little about it as we have been informed. We learnt that the Chiefs of Perak had done unlawfully and committed badness to Her Majesty's Officers, it is very proper for our Friend to punish the disobedient`men according to their crimes to show an example to other persons of different countries. As it is the intention of our Friend that we should inform him about the ex-Sultan Ismail and the Chiefs of Perak who have fled and those names are mentioned in our Friend's letter.
Now we are making inquiry where they have run away and where they are living and hiding themselves. If we get any intelligence about them, we will inform our Friend or to our Friend's officer. We have kept watch in the frontier of our boundary which is near Perak. We will not allow any of those men who committed the crimes to enter into our jurisdiction, and if they privately enter we will arrest and send them to our Friend or we will send word to our Friend.
No. 30.
GOVERNOR SIR W. JERVOIS, K.C.M G., C.B., to the EARL OF CARNARVON. (Received March 25, 1876.)
(No. 64)
MY LORD,
Government House, Singapore, February 11, 1876.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge with thanks your Lordship's Despatch, No. 218, of the 10th December last,* transmitting a copy of a letter from Sir George Balfour to Mr. Lowther, respecting various questions connected with the affairs of the Malay peninsula.
&c.
I have, &c.
(Signed) W. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,
&c. Colonial Office
&c.
TRANSLATION.
From Sultan AHMAD TAJUDDIN of Kedah to his Excellency the GOVERNOR, S.S. Date [17th January, 1876.
21st Dolhaji, 1292.
After Compliments.
Be it known unto our Friend that as regards our Friend's letter addressed us dated 31st December, it has safely reached us, and the contents of it we fully understand.
In respect to our Friend's three letters sent to us with a request to forward the same to
the Sultan of Tringanu, Raja Klautau, and Raja Patani, we have ordered our men to convey those letters to the said Rajahs as early as possible.
This is what we have to inform.
1.
No. 31.
GOVERNOR SIR W. F. JERVOIS, K CM G., C.B., to the EARL OF CARNARVON. (Received March 25, 1876.)
No RU. MY LORD,
Government House, Singapore, February 23, 1876.
Is reference to paragraph 10 of my Despatch No. 372 of the 29th December last, t in which I stated that I had written to the Chiefs of the States adjacent to that of Perak requesting them not to haroour the Maharaja Lela and others Implicated in the recent outrages in Perak, I have the honcur to enclose, for your Lordship's information, copies of letters which I have received from the Rajah of Kedah describing the measures which he had taken to render us assistance in the matter.
I enclose also copy of a letter which I have received from H.B.M.'s Consul-General at Bangkok, whom, as stated in the paragraph just referred to, I had requested to move the Siamese Government on the subject.
I addressed, at the same time a representation to the Bandahars of Pahang, a State which is not under the protection of Siam, but from this Chief, I have not as yet received
reply to my letter.
ย
I have, &c.
(Signed) WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Colonial Office.
• No 73 of Confidential Paper, " Eastern, No. 17."
No. 179 of same l'aper.
SIR,
H.B.M.'s Consul-General BANGKOK, to the GOVERNOR.
British Agency, Bangkok,
January 25, 1876.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch dated Penang, December 30th, 1875.
In reply I have to state that I have made the following arrangements with the Siamese Government.
That they shall send a gunboat to Singora with as little delay as possible, that a Siamese Commissioner will be sent in her, who will proceed to Patani and take charge
of any of the Perak Rajahs who may be found in that or the neighbouring Siamese Provinces.
That when found they are to be brought here.
Such of them as there are fair grounds for believing were implicated in the murder of the late Mr. Birch will be made over to me in order that they may be handed over to the British Government.
Those not implicated in the murder will remain under surveillance until it is decided what shall ultimately be done with them.
I will therefore feel much obliged if your Excellency will furnish me with copies of depositions sufficient to make a fair prima facie case against any of those whose rendition you may require, in order that I may lay them before this Government.
I shall also be glad to be made acquainted with your wishes in regard to those who, though not implicated in the murder above alluded to, still may have given just cause of offence, or be likely to prove troublesome in the future.
As we have no extradition treaty with Siam and the question as to the rendition of these Rajahs is, as far as I know, without precedent, for the offence with which they are charged was not committed in British territory, and therefore our right to demand their
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34
extradition might be questioned; I have endeavoured to arrange the matter without in any way wounding the just susceptibilities of this Government.
I trust, however, that you find the above arrangements satisfactory,
To his Excellency
Sir W. F. Drummond Jervois, K.C.M.G.,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief
The Straits Settlements.
No. 32.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
THOMAS GEORGE KNOI.
GOVERNOR SIR W. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., to the EARL OF CARNARVON. (Received March 25, 1876.)
(No. 82.) Mr LORD.
Government House, Singapore, February 23, 1876.
In reference to the postscript to my Despatch, No. 26, of the 24th January last, in which I stated that I had not then received the official report of Mr. Hewick's expedition against ex-Sultan Ismail and his followers, I now have the honour to enclose for your Lordship's information a report from that officer on the subject.
2. I
may
add that I find Mr. Hewick is incorrect in his statement that Pandak Indut (one of the murderers of Mr. Birch) was killed at Batu Badinding. From trustworthy information I have since received, it appears certain that Pandak Indut and others impli- cated in the murder, are hiding in the jungle at no great distance from Passir Şala.
3. To the names of the Maharaja Lela, Datu Sagor, and Pandak Indut, for the capture of whom I offered rewards by proclamation (Enclosure 4 of No. 17, of January 14th 1876), I added those of Seputüm and Tuah, who, it has been ascertained, were also concerned in the perpetration of the murder.
4. I have informed your Lordship by telegraph of the capture of Sepütüm. I have not at present received the official report of this circumstance, but it would appear that he was captured at Lambob, on the Perak river. Another man named Gundak, also stated to have been concerned in the murder, was captured at Durian Sabatang after some resistance. A third man named Ngah Hamed, who is also stated to have taken an active part in the outrage, has been captured by Syed Masahore, and several other Malays have been arrested on suspicion.
5. The prisoners will be tried by a Malay court assisted by two British assessors. Sultan Abdullah has appointed Raja Dris as the head of this Malay court. I have appointed Mr. Davidson, Resident of Salangore, as Chief Assessor, and he will be aided by Mr. Swettenham, now Acting Deputy Commissioner in Perak. I enclose for your Lordship's information copy of a letter which has been addressed to Mr. Davidson on the subject.
I have, &c.
(Signed) W. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,
&c.
&c. Colonial Office.
SIB,
&c.
Office of Assistant Superintendent of Police,
Province Wellesley, January 19, 1876,
I HAVE the honour to report that in accordance with instructions I received from his Excellency the Governor, I proceeded from Butterworth on Wednesday the 5th in- stant, with 29 police and 24 Malays to place myself in communication with Inche Karrim, at Salamah, from thence to proceed to Jarnai in Perak, and endeavour to capture Sultan Ismail and the various chiefs with him said to be in that place.
me.
I arrived at Salamah on Friday the 7th instant, and delivered his Excellency's letter to Inche Karrim, who gave directions to his Datus to get ready 300 men as requested by On Saturday the Karrim started with 28 men, and I on mustering the Rawabs who were to go with me found only 20 were to be had. I determined with this number to proceed, leaving orders that the remaining 260 should follow, with arms, ammunition, and food. We arrived at Blah on Saturday, and on Sunday proceeded to Hijow, the
* No. 144 of Confidential Paper, “ Eastern, No. 17."
35
track followed, owing to recent rains, was very heavy, mud and slush up to, and often over, the knees. I determined to rest a day at Hijow, especially as no rice was to be had there. I had been led to believe that in the Campong there would be abundance of food, and on finding none, I was obliged to arrange for the husking of paddy to obtain sufficient rice to proceed. On Monday I sent out scouts (my informer and a Patani Pungulhu I had brought with me), as I received information to the effect that Ismail had been greatly reinforced; on Tuesday I sent forward an advance guard of 30 Rawahs with instructions to remain posted at a place called Bukit Kooboo, Stockade Hill, which is the key to the road to and from Perak over the 33 bills (Bukit Tigah Pulloh Tigah) Karrim sent a letter by my direction to Ismail, dated from Salamah, to the effect that he was desirous of assisting Ismail if he would allow him to have an interview. This was done to cover the advance, as a report had been spread, by whom I cannot say, some time before, that I was advancing with a large force, via Hijow. On Wednesday at 4 a.m. I proceeded with the remainder of my men, 90 in number (although short of ammunition and provisions, in fact, deficient in every way), towards Perak, with the intention of making a dash at Ismail's Campong, for herein I felt sure my only chance of any success lay. Forcing my march, I crossed the Bukit Tigah Puloh Tigah by 4.30 p.m. and reached the valley close to the Perak River, advancing with the whole force consisting of 64 police and Malays from the province, 60 Rawas, and 18 Mandiling men under Rajah Dessah, one of Captain Speedy's men. On reaching the valley, I received information
་
from a Patani that Seedeekah Rajah and some followers were in a Campong where I had arranged to encamp about a mile from the bank of the Perak River, and that this man had been impressing Patanies (they being in his jurisdiction and greatly afraid of him) also that there were 300 men (Patanies) in the vicinity wavering in their allegiance to Perak, but ready to follow whoever was strongest, After a short consultation with Karrim, notwithstanding the exhausted condition of the men, we determined to advance and endeavour to capture Seedeekah Rajah; and the force was arranged in two divisions, an advance of 80, and the remainder as one column. The advance received instructions not to fire a shot if possible so as not to alarm Ismail who was on the other bank of the Perak River. This unfortunately could not be done, for on advancing to the Campong, Seedeekah Rajah seized a gun and pointed it at the leading men, calling on the Patanis to resist. His gun missed fire, and the advance guard rushing in shot him as he was prepar- ing to throw himself on them. Three others ran into the paddy, were pursued, and cut down, and one man shot by the side of Seedeekah Rajah. By this time the whole force had reached the Campong, which was speedily occupied. I found three dead bodies, and two wounded men. The former were recognized as Seedeekah Rajab, Pandak Indut, and Tengah, an elephant driver of Ismail, the latter one named Allang, a slave of Sedeekah Rajah. The name of the other I was unable to ascertain. As dusk was approaching, and the appearance of the few Patanis about threatening, I determined to stockade the Campong which the men proceeded to do as best they could. I received information of an intended attack from the cross roads near Stockade Hill, and as in that case the whole of my force would inevitably have been annihilated, I determined to proceed there, and keep in check the Patania, causing reports to be spread that a large force of Europeans was advancing in the rear. I took with me Karrim and 40 men, leaving the remainder at the Campong, which is called "Batu Badinding with instructions to endeavour to get boats (which I had not been able to get) and cross to the river to Ismail's encampment, during the night, if possible. The march to Stockade Hill was accomplished under great difficulties, the inen had been marching without food for 13 hours, and it was about 11 p.m. before the spot was reached, I placed guards and waited, expecting every moment an attack on the part of the enemy, but fortunately the reports 1 had caused to be spread had the desired effect, and whatever the enemy had intended in the way of attack was stopped. At 11 a.m. the next day, bearing that Ismail had fled some two hours after the occupation of Batu Badinding Campong, I returned to Hijow leaving a force of 80 men at Stockade Hill. The men I had left at Batu Badinding on Thursday obtained a small boat and crossed to Ismail's now deserted encampment, shot one man who endeavoured to spear a Rawah, captured three men and three women who had not been able to escape, and then burnt the houses, three in number, which Ismail had recently erected, and then returned to Batu Badinding. The Patanis now deserted by Ismail and without the reach of Seedeekah Rajah's influence became alarmed, believing that the sons of the deceased Data would return from Kota Lama with Orang Kaya Besar (Syed Mahomed) and Toh Sagor (who it was reported were resisting the British) burn their Campongs. they sent to me asking me to leave them some protection. In order then to complete their isolation from Perak, I determined to leave a force of Rawahs "at Batu Badinding with
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