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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference—

TTC.O. 882

2

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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deceased Sultan cannot properly be buried without the presence of his successor, who should be waited on by the great men of the kingdom, and conducted to the place where the body is lying.

91. It is said in this case, on one side, that the Raja Muda was not properly treated by the great men, who did not wait upon him in the proper way; and, on the other side, it is alleged, that the great men did their duty; but the Raja Mudah from shame about his wife who had run away from him, or for some other cause, did not chose to go to attend the funeral, and in consequence, Ismail was chosen to represent him temporarily in the performance of the funeral service. It is clear, however, that Ismail, whose sole title to honour is his having married into the royal family, he not being a member of the Perak royal family, nor indeed of any royal family, cannot, according to Malayan rules, be Sultan of Perak. He was Bandahara under the two preceeding reigns, and doubtless was a man of influence, and from this and his great age, a proper person to be selected for a temporary purpose. When once installed it is conceivable that some of the great men, notably the Mantri, would prefer to have him as Sultan (he living a retired life, a long way up the Perak river, and never interfering in the affairs of the Government of the country) to such an alert and determined person as the Raja Muda. Hence the intrigue to keep Ismail on the throne as Sultan. Under his rule, the Mantri might well speculate on an independent rule over Larut, which he cannot expect under the Raja Muda. It seemed to be made quite clear that the Raja Muda was fit to govern, and acceptable to the chiefs aud people; and this being so, it followed that he, as the rightful heir, according to the custom of the country, was the proper person to be recognized by the Government as Sultan of Perak.

92. The Mantri remained on board after the others left, when the conference was broken up; and later in the evening, had an interview with the Governor when expla- nations were given, but nothing of importance was done.

Sunday, January 18.

93. The next day, Sunday the 18th January, no business was transacted.

Monday, January 19.

94. On Monday, the 19th January, the several articles of a Treaty were drawn up and prepared ready for discussion at the conference to be held for the purpose of settling the terms of the Treaty.

Boats Disarmed.

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95. At 8 AM. Her Majesty's ship "Avoo" and the "Johore" returned from their expedition to Larut. The "Avon" brought two row-boats, the only boats found at Silensing, and the "Johore" brought two small junks and five armed boats from Larut.

Reports of the result of the expedition were soon after submitted.

96. The junks and boats were disarmed during the course of the day, and 27 guns (one a Krupp guo) and a large quantity of ammunition taken from them. The men went In fact it was observed on shore, and mixed with the other Chinese on friendly terms. generally that, as soon as the Chinese were brought within the direct influence of Govern-

all outward signs of animosity disappeared. ment,

Discussion of Treaty,

97. At 1 o'clock, the time fixed for the consideration of the detailed Articles of the Treaty, the Deputies appointed for this purpose on Saturday, came on board, accompanied by the saine nobles and chiefs as before.

98. The Articles of the Treaty were read over in the English and Malay languages, one by one, and discussed in detail.

99. The Article XII was first discussed. The Governor pointed out the reasons which induced him to ask for a rectification of the southern boundary of Province Wellesley, the difficulties which existed in our police and revenue administration in having a navigable river as the boundary. It appeared that three persons were interested, the Sultan to whom the general revenue arising from the district properly belonged; the Mantri, who claimed the district as part of the territory granted to him by the late Sultan; and the Laxamana, who claimed rights of collection under the Sultan. The Sultan had levied a poll-tax amounting to about 6,000 dollars a-year, the Laxamana had 600 dollars a-year out of this, and the Mantri had a farm of opium, spirits, and gambling, which brought him in 2,000 dollars a-year, and the tenths of rice produced. It was this farm

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which had caused so much damage to our revenue, by facilities for smuggling, and to the peace of the south of Province Wellesley, by enticing our people over the river to gamble, and when they lost their money, to take to robbery.

100. The meaning of the word "watershed" was much discussed at first, but when it was known that Government did not wish to take land higher up the river than the line of boundary on the Quedah side, and that the width would not be more than three or four miles, so as to make our boundary march with the Larut district about the Kurrow river, the Article was agreed to by all as it stands, leaving the exact boundaries to be settled by Commissioners, and leaving questions of compensation for loss of revenue to be settled by the Sultan.

101. Article XI was next discussed. The Treaty of 1826 was referred to, and it was pointed out that what was now asked, was merely to ascertain the limits of the territory on the Dinding side ceded by that Treaty.

ment.

102. The Governor explained the reasons which made it necessary, now that the British Government was taking an active part in settling the disturbances in Perak, and restoring the country to peace, that the land in question should be held by that Govern- It was situated just opposite the island of Pangkor, midway between the Perak and Larut rivers, the two great outlets by which the whole of the valuable tin trade passed. It was intersected by small rivers and creeks affording shelter and concealment for pirates, who in the late disturbances had been enabled to evade, and set at defiance the ships and boats of Her Majesty, by running in-shore and hiding in the creeks. On some occasions lately, the pirates, after commiting atrocious acts of piracy, within sight of the inen-of-war, had escaped through the net-work of intersecting creeks and rivers in this district; to enable Her Majesty's Government, therefore, effectually to protect the trade of Perak against these pirates, it was necessary that Government should now take over the territory ceded in 1826.

103. The Governor proposed to take a strip of land extending from the river Juro Mas, from a point 10 miles inland, running down to the mouth of the Perak river; and after full consideration, the boundary was fixed as proposed.

104. Article IV was then discussed relating to the position of the Mantri.

The Raja Muda asked to have the meaning intended to be applied to the word "powers" explained. The Governor replied that the powers originally conferred on him by Sultan Jaffar were intended, on which the Raja Muda remarked that he had made another arrangement with the Mantri. The Article being read again was agreed to.

105. The other Articles were then read, one by one, and agreed to without much discussion, their principles having been'settled at the previous Conference.

106. The sireh-box and tea were handed round, and the Conference broke up, it having been arranged to meet the following day, when the Treaty should be formally signed, and a salute fired by Her Majesty's ship "Avon " in honour of the Sultan elect.

Tuesday, January 20.

Dinding Boundary Question reconsidered.

107. Tuesday, the 20th January.-Before the time fixed for the signing of the Treaty, the Raja Muda came on board the "Pluto," and requested the Governor to re-consider the boundaries of the territory at the Dindings fixed by Article XI.

108. The Raja Muda suggested that the boundary should be from the Bruas river, along the coast to Pulo Katta, and extending inland five miles, as sufficient to include all that was required by the British Government, without taking too much of the Perak lands. The Governor objected that this new proposal would fix an inconvenient boundary, and would shut us out from the territory necessary to be held, and suggested that it might be sufficient if the inland boundary, instead of being taken from ten miles inland, at the Bruas river in the north to the mouth of the Perak river, should be taken from the same point in the north to Pulo Katta; and it was finally arranged that the boundary should be as in Article Xl it now stands.

Chinese Agreement executed.

109. At 11:30 the Chinese head men came on board, to the number of twenty-seven of both sides, and executed the bond previously agreed on. After which they were each presented to the Governor, and severally expressed their deep gratitude for his inter- vention, and promised that they would all set to work again at the mines. They said that there would be no more disturbances among them; as, in future, through the