9
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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LICO. 882
4PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
From Point Buntar to Kwala Salama is two days' journey by boat with good polers, and the return journey with the stream takes little more than half a day.
I found Che Karrim waiting for me at Gedong on the left bank of the Krian, a short distance below Kwala Selamah. There is still a considerable number of people in this place (about 300), mostly Rawas, but since the outcome of tin has fallen so low the population has become considerably reduced, especially in Chinese.
The duty paid on tin raised in Salamah was in 1874 and 1875 about $16,000, whilst last year it was about $500.
I visited the mines, which are half an hour's walk from Gedong. The workings were all drowned out, the pumps and machinery swimming in the mines. This, I was told, is the result of two seasons almost continuous rain.
The Chinese have no machinery to enable them to clear the mines of water, except the endless pump, which is, at best, a clumsy and feeble contrivance, worked by an over- shot water-wheel, for which a considerable water-power is needed.
In this case the water-power was supplied by a conduit some seven miles long, con structed at great expense, and now completely, destroyed by the constant rains and floods. Che Karrim pointed out four large mines which he declared had been cleared just down to the tin-heaving stratum when the rains came on, and which would yield large quantities of tin if his mines could only be cleared.
To accomplish this object, his idea is to get a powerful English steam pump, and he says the Straits Settlements or the Perak Government owe him sufficient money (for over- paid taxes) to do this. I am not sure, however, that either statement is correct, for if no tin has yet been raised from the mines he pointed out to me, I am at a loss to know where he obtained the large quantities on which he paid duty to the Penang Treasury.
I fancy, too, he is mistaken about the amount of money owing to him.
At present there are only about 100 Malays and Chinese working at the mines, not at any one mine, but each washing for what he can get.
next visited Che Karrim's Kampong, which is situated on the strip of land between the junction of the Selama and Krían rivers, and lies therefore on territory claimed by both Kedah and Perak.
As far as I have been able to ascertain, the boundary claimed by Perak, i.e., the Krian River to its source, has been in the possession and under the Government of Perak for the last 30 or 40 years, but before that time it appears to have been Kedah territory.
Valuable information on this subject will be found in an article by Mr. J. R. Logan, at page 63 of the Volume V. of the Journal of the Indian Archipelago.
Salamah.
Che Karrim's Kampong is built on a strip of high land which stretches away to Ulu The people are numerous, about 600, all Rawas, and they seem well to do and contented. There are a very large number of children here, who all go to school, both boys and girls, and the majority of them have already learnt to read and write Malay, and have read the Koran.
Che Karrim deserves great credit for his endeavours to educate the children of his village. This village and the surrounding district were jungle five years ago, and now there are between two and three thousand Rawas settled there, engaged in various occupations. From Che Karrim's Kampong I walked to Ulu Salama, about 12 miles along
d jungle path, thence I went by elephants to Ijob, a long distance, more than 20 miles over a terrible road, and thence again to Wan Teh Sepiah's house on the Sungei Arah, and from there by Changkat Serdang to Kamunting and Taipeng.
go
It rained almost without ceasing for the last four days of my journey, and the jungle paths were in a terrible state, so bad that between Changkat, Serdang, and Kamunting it took good elephants 1 hours to get over of a mile of what had once been a road over which I had travelled in a gharry, but which now is a wide deep river.
What I saw and heard in these places bore almost wholly on matters of local interest, and I placed the Resident in possession of all the information I had obtained.
Here I need only say that the cultivation of paddy in these districts is a considerable and increasing industry, and the labour of those engaged in it has this year been rewarded by excepèionally fine crops.
I have little more to remark: the appearance of the country generally is not yet greatly altered, nor can any very perceptible change be reasonably expected for some years to come, but in the one or two places where British officers have been stationed, there are evidences of improvement.
The people, that is the Malay people, show but few signs of wealth, and indeed, after a year of exceptional distress, the failure of the rice crop, and a murrain which destroyed nearly all the buffaloes in the country, to say nothing of a constant visitation of small- pox in one district or another, it is wonderful that an indolent and improvident people
like the Malays do not show signs of real distress, nor would it be surprising that, with their superstitions, they should attribute these misfortunes to the presence amongst them of a foreign element in the direction of affairs. That such, however, is not the case The people must be plain to any one who knew Perak three years ago and sees it now. grumble but little, and then usually of each other; they are unarmed, a wonderful change to the days when every man carried four or five weapons.
They appear to respect the British officers, and have complete confidence in their advice and judgments, and, best sign of all, there is no longer an appearance of sulky indifference or resistance on their faces, but rather of some measure of contentment.
These gratifying changes are due, I believe, first, to the military expedition in 1875, and, second, to the removal of nearly all the obstructive Chiefs, and the recent decided and adverse replies to petitions in favour of the return of two of them,-petitions in one case sent in the name of the person interested, and in the other got up by the Chiefs' own agents.
These events furnished the ground-work of a new departure in the affairs of Perak, but these or any other original proceedings would have availed nothing unless immediately acted upon, and made by care and discretion the basis of other, perhaps more important, though less startling measures.
Two years' consistent labour under very great difficulties have effected for Perak more than any except those cognizant of the every-day life of the State, its past and present condition, can well understand.
When it is remembered how many years our own colony was a burden on the revenues of India, how all its principal roads and buildings were constructed for it, how every- thing was done without opposition from or the need to consult a poor Native population with all kinds of prejudices, and an instinctive suspicion of anything like change, the present financial and political state of Perak should be cause for congratulation.
The resources of the country are great, and, with such careful management as it now enjoys, there can be little doubt that the future of Perak will be prosperous.
STATE OF PERAK.
COMPARATIVE TABLE of Estimated and Actual RevenUE and EXPENDITURE for the Year from 1st January to 31st December 1877.
Kwals Kanges.
REVENUE.
Larut.
Lower Perk.
Duty on imports
Duty on exports - Farms
Internal revenno Judicial fines and fees
Total
Public works Guola- Hospitals
Marine
Postal contingencies Transport
Police expenses
Arms and ammunition
Krien and Total
Kur
Actual.
Total
Excoen.
Dedcit.
Estimated.
Dolls. cts. Dolls. cts. Dolls. eta. Dolls. ets. Dolls. cta. 84,572 81 18,341 40
467 91 58,289 12|| 144,160 271 27,667 50
5,149 02186,985 80 27,559 04 4,103 24 12,812 44 2,428 58 477 03 4,239 73 223,343 30 69,917 754|| 9,006 854; 28,110 51 | 814,878 49
Dolls, ots. Dolls. eta. Dolls, ats.
294,845 00 15,429 98
88,576 00
671 96 677 75 657 14
19,988 96 6,09-0 81 .468 79
46,273 20 23,009 592 5,827 69
7,697 20 6,560 00 15,449 89} 5,800 00 527 60
275,381 00 89,097 42
Total excess of actual revenue for the your as against estimates $89,097 49.
3,000 00
1,096 18
873 47 3,000 00
EXPENDITUKO.
Establishments
Allowances to Chiefs
106,091 38 27,138 64 780 00 25,057 00
88,051 6019,967 14
4,988 88 6,500 84 9,343 81
185,184 10 38,177 84
48,949 55
Saving.
149,616 00 14,481 90 1,011 50 35,200 00 58,729 00 10,459 45
Excess.
9,817 10
799 84
145 57
1,761 01
762-01
1,595 68
481 84
105 00
1,181 09
1,740 00
219 03
5,575 88
1,779 78
1 44
7,356 60
10,068 00
2,711 40
2,478 40
36.00
40 $0
2,355 50
2,655 50
4,711 88
1,057 88
1,768 17
$7,987 43
3,600 00
5,597 43
5,600 76
989 71
319 70
6,896 18
5,800 on
6,899 67
122 80
6,682 47
4,950 00
3,000 00
8,000 00
578 39
135 00
698 29
698 39
1,017 50
1,017 60
1,170 00
189 50
1,218 71 $2,401 36
11 87 2,442 63
48 44 1,649 78
1,371 59
| 219,544 81
49,514 93 17,190 63
6,361 27
6,361 27 292,711 64
26,574 76 6,861 27
1,000 00 11,090 00
798 48
14,056 74 6,301 27
#87,486 00 80,506 39 85,783 08
Total excuse on the estimated expenditure for the year $5,295 64.
Reward for arrest of Mr.
Birch's murderers.
-
Trial of political prisoners Horse allowanOC Office contingencies – Miscellaneo
Krian and Kuras district -
Total
1
E
L 726.