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(2.) That he has the support of the Rajah of Quedah to the north, and that he will be prepared to give his support to Tunku Dia Udia on the south, bota of whom are assured supporters of the views of the Government.

(3.) That I believe that the Rajah Bandahara in almost all matters will be a mere lay figure in the hands of the Tunku Mantri, of whose honesty I feel a most thorough distrust, aud who, up to the time that the shelling of Salangore started the whole Peninsula into becoming behaviour, was I believe almost as troublesome, and almost as insolent as Rajah Mahdi himself.

(4.) That in regard to the only question in which he is likely to have an independent policy, viz., in regard to the affairs of Salangore, to which country his place of residence at Guntar is in close proximity, he has been, and is likely to be hostile to the Government of Tunku Dia Udin, and favourable to the views of Rajah Mahdi, Rajah Mahmoud, Syed Mashore, and others, who, while they were in power, turned the Salangore river into a depôt for pirates, barboured and refused to give up convicts and criminals fleeing from Malacca, and filled up the measure of their offences by the attack on the "Rinaldo's” men at Salangore.

38. At the same time I think it right to say that I feel a little apprehension that the Rajah Muda may perhaps prove scarcely strong enough for the part proposed to be assigned to him. I know that he smokes opium, and he appears to be a man of feeble constitution. At the same time I must not forget that when I last saw him he was suffering terribly from sickness, (in fact could almost have believed that his health had been tampered with by some unfair means, so great was the change in his appearance after the short interval between my two interviews with him). The point is one upon which the Governor will have an opportunity of forming his own opinion when, as I believe is contemplated, his Excellency visits the Qualla Perak towards the end of this month.

(Signed)

C. J. IRVING.

Penang Hill, July 24, 1872.

(Confidential.)

Inclosure 3 in No. 83.

(C.)

Correspondence between the Governor of the Straits Settlements and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, relative to the Affairs of Perak and Laroot.

(No. 77.) Sir,

Downing Street, May 5, 1869. I TRANSMIT to you a copy of a letter* I have received from the Honourable Henry Stanley, in which it is stated that the Local Government of the Straits Settlements is not only claiming from the Chief of Perak the cession of the Island of Pulo Dindings ceded in 1826, but also a hill inland named Pangkor Darat, and further an alluvial plain beyond Pangkor Darat, and perhaps some hills beyond which contain tin.

As I have not received any report from you I am unable to make any answer to Mr. Stanley on the subject, and I have, therefore, to request that you will enable me to do so.

Governor Sir H. Ord, C.B.,

&c.

&c.

Dear Lord Granville,

&c.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

GRANVILLE.

40, Dover Street, April 26, 1869.

I inclose a newspaper containing an Act of Cession made in 1826 by the Government of Perak to the Government of the Straits Settlements for the cession of some islands belonging to Perak for the purpose of suppressing pirates which used to haunt them. This cession never had any result till now that the Singapore Government is claiming, not only the island Pulo Dinding ceded in 1826, but also a hill inland named Pangkor Darat, on the ground that at high tide this hill is surrounded by water which flows into a channel or rivulet, the Straits Government is also trying to get from Perak an alluvial plain beyond Pangkor Darat, and perhaps some hills beyond which contain tin. Two objections are made to this scheme of Sir H. Ord: one is that the acquisition would be costly to the Colony, for Malacca does not pay its cost, and Penang did not do so under the Indian Government. If Pulo Dinding is occupied, there will be the certain expence of police,

• April 28, 1869.

159

troops, magistrates, roads, buildings, &c., and the profit on tin, rice, and sugar is uncertain, whilst the place is worthless for trade and commerce, also the neighbourhood of Malays who have been encroached upon, might lead to petty wars, brigandage, and bloodshed.

The only effect of this encroachment would be to throw the Malay still more into the hands of the Siamese, and to raise suspicion of the intention and good faith of the British Government, even supposing Pulo Dinding were au acquisition worth making, the right to do so cannot well be made out, for it is said that the Treaty under which it is claimed is a dead letter, for a Treaty was made at the same time as the cession, and the Treaty was rejected by the Government of India, whilst the cession was never acted upon. The cession is in Malay, and it made over Pulo Dinding Pangkor, which is translated in English "the Puto Dinding and the Island of Pangkor," but this really means the Island of Pangkor of the River Dinding, or the Island of Pangkor called Dinding by Europeans, for its real name is Pangkor, but it has been put down in European charts as Pulo Dinding after the River Dinding at the mouth of which it is situated.

It is suspected in the Straits that the object of this acquisition is to please a wealthy planter, who wants this plain for sugar or rice, and those who object to these proceedings say that he might as well apply directly to the Government of Perak, instead of involving the Straits Government in this complication.

When I was in those parts, several of the Malay States, such as Quedah, Kalantan, Tringanu, and others were very friendly to the British Government, and suspicious of Siam, but the bombardment of Tringanu, after the rejection of unjustifiable demands made upon that state, entirely altered those feelings, and made the Malay States draw close to Siam. Sir Charles Wood disapproved of the course taken by Colonel Cavenagh against Tringanu, but the mischief was done, and only last year a British ship-of-war paid a visit to Tringanu, and the Sultan gave a good reception to the commanding officer, but he received him sitting on a pile of balls and shella with which our ships had bombarded his town about eight years before.

Believe me, &c. (Signed)

The Right Hon. the Earl Granville,

&c.

(No. 157.) My Lord,

&c.

&c.

H. STANLEY.

Government House, Singapore, July 14, 1869. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's despatch of 5th May, 1869, transmitting the copy of a letter received from the Honourable Henry Stanley, in which it is stated that the local Government of the Straits Settlements is not only claiming from the Chief of Perak the cession of the Island of Pulo Dinding ceded in 1826, but also

a hill inland, named Pangkor Darah, and further an alluvial plain beyond Pangkor Darah, and perhaps some hills beyond, which contain tin.

2. Your Lordship states that, not having received any report from me, you are unable to make any answer to Mr. Stanley on the subject, and request me to furnish your Lordship with the means of doing so.

3. In reply, I have the honour to state that the actual facts of the case to which no doubt Mr. Stanley refers, are as follows:--

On the 18th October, 1826, a Treaty was concluded between the Straits Government and that of Perak, by which the latter ceded to the former, "the Pulo Dinding and the Islands of Pangkor together with all and every one of the islands which belonged of old, and until this period, to the Kings of Perak, because the said islands afford safe abode to the pirates and robbers, who plunder and molest the traders on the coast, and inhabitants of the mainland, and as the King of Perak has not the power or means to drive those pirates, &c."

4. It is probable that the power which Government thus obtained to pass freely through the channels dividing these islands, was sufficient to cause the retirement of the pirates from this neighbourhood, but it does not appear that the British Government ever occupied, or took formal possession of them.

5. Some years since, Colonel Man, then Resident Councillor at Penang, pointed out to the local Government that it would be to the interest of the Settlements to occupy these islands, and he was authorized to visit them in the Colonial steamer, with the view of ascertaining what steps it was advisable to take. Colonel Man's views of the advantages which would result from the occupations of these islands were fully confirmed by his visit, but he found it very difficult to ascertain what was the territory actually coded by the Treaty, and the prospect of the approaching transfer of the Settlements to the Colonial Administration, put a stop to all further action in this, and many other matters; except