CO882-(2-3) — Page 491

Sir,

28

No. 7.

The Earl of Carnarvon to Governor Sir A. Clarke, K.C.M.G., C.B.

Downing Street, December 17, 1874.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 4th of November last, and to convey to you my approval of the Proclamation dated the 2nd of November, which you have issued to the native Chiefs throughout the Malayan Peninsula.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

CARNARVON.

No. 8.

Sir,

20

No. 9.

The Earl of Carnarvon to Governor Sir A. Clarke, K.C.M.G., C.B.

Downing Street, December 31, 1874. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 7th* of November last, inclosing a copy of a letter addressed to you by His Highness the Sultan of Salangore, and I am glad to learn that His Highness has readily expressed his willingness to receive a British Resident in his States upon the terms mentioned by

I have, &c. (Signed) CARNARVON.

you.

No. 10.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O. 882

3

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Governor Sir A. Clarke, K.C.M,G., C.B., to the Earl of Carnarvon.-(Received

My Lord,

December, 19, 1874.)

Government House, Singapore, November 7, 1874. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith translation of a communication, dated the 3rd October last, from his Highness the Sultan of Salangore.

2. The letter speaks for itself, and I cannot but regard as most satisfactory the Sultan's voluntary offer to pay 1,000 dollars a month to defray the expenses of a British officer resident with him, and his Highness' assent to the regulation by that officer of the import and export duties, as being the only means of preventing the irregular exactions which have so frequently led to acts of pillage and piracy by petty Chiefs using the name of the Sultan.

(Translation.)

Inclosure in No. 8.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

A. CLARKE.

Sultan Abdussamad of Salangore to his Excellency the Governor.

21 Shaban, 1291 (October 3, 1874). WE beg to inform the letter of our friend which was brought by Mr. Swettenham has safely reached us, and we understand its contents. With regard to the money, 1,000 dollars, we will pay the same by monthly (instalment) to Mr. Swettenham, and shall feel very glad if our friend will enter it into the account of our country. As regards our friend's intention of having us enter into an engagement so that our friend will collect the revenue of our country, we feel very glad of it, provided our friend will put to right our country and collect the revenue. This letter, with our seal attached thereto, will be a sign that we trust to the assistance that will be afforded to us by our friend, and we leave every thing regarding the opening of our country and the collecting its revenue in the hands of our friend, because from this day we have become good friends, and we trust our friend will render us every assistance in this matter. From this day our country is free from disturbances, and to our friend only we look that our country may be in perfect peace.

Furthermore, we beg to acquaint our friend that after the expiration of Ramlan (the present month of abstinence) we wish to make a tour in the provinces of our country, together with Mr. Swettenham, with a view to see the condition of our

country.

Moreover, with regard to Mr. Swettenham, the officer of our friend, we have already reported in our last to our friend. At present we are building a house for the This is all we have residence of that gentleman, so that he may live comfortably with us. to inform our friend, with our compliments.

• No. 5.

Governor Sir A. Clarke, K.C.M G., C.B., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received January 30, 1875.)

My Lord,

Government House, Singapore, December 23, 1874. I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that on the 4th of October last I received a telegram from Penang reporting that serious riots were on the point of breaking out in the tin mines on the Salama River, a tributary of the Krean.

2. Being aware that this neighbourhood had for some time been infested by gangs of robbers, who, under pretence of collecting taxes for one of the old pretenders to the Throne of Perak, were really extorting black mail on all the produce of the country, I was apprehensive that any open riots might result in the pillaging of the villages in the neigh- bourhood, more especially as it was known that a very large quantity of tin had accumu lated in the mines, the owners being afraid to send it down to the coast for fear of its being illegally taxed on its way down the river, or indeed seized altogether. I accordingly directed Mr. J. W. Birch to proceed to this locality without delay, and take measures for maintaining tranquillity and securing the free navigation of the river, and instructions were issued to Captain Speedy, Her Majesty's Acting Resident in Larut, to co-operate with Mr. Birch if necessary.

3. On Mr. Birch's arrival at Penang, the rumours were not more reassuring. It was said that the gang was headed by one Rajah Mat Saman, a notoriously lawless character, and was determined to resent by armed force any intervention on the part of the British Government.

4. Mr. Birch, accompanied by a small escort of police, arrived at Salama on the 9th of October, and Captain Speedy, with his own native guard, on the 13th of October; and the pirates, although they vaunted up to the last moment that they would fight, escaped into the jungle, where they were hotly pursued by the native police, and sixty were captured and forwarded to the Bultan of Perak for punishment.

5. After a few days, Mr. Birch, having seen the country was tranquil and that the miners had returned to their work, was enabled to return to Penang on the 22nd of October.

No. 11.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

A. CLARKE.

Governor Sir A. Clarke, K.C.M.G., C.B., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received January 30, 1875.)

My Lord,

Government House, Singapore, December 24, 1874. WITH reference to my despatch of the 20th instant, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that on Mr. Birch's return to Penang from Salama, I deemed it expedient that that officer should proceed to Perak, as the Boundary Commissioner appointed under clause XII of the " Engagement entered into by the Chiefs of Perak," on the 20th January last, in order to settle the question of the Kreean Boundary, and also to arrange definitely the other clauses of that Engagement, and bring them into active operation.

2. I am glad to be able to inform your Lordship that Mr. Birch's mission has been

↑ Not printed.

• No 8.

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