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the Chiefs all called together, and asked to reconsider their choice, they would probably with the exception of two, side with Ismail.

Abdullah bas made himself most unpopular within the last two or three months, and shows every day increasing duplicity and a desire to break all his engagements at l'angkore.

No real result can follow from these machinations of his, as no one pays the least attention to them, and the country remains quite quiet.

-I am not at all sure, however, that Toh Bandar may not put up the Malays near Kotastis to attack it, and try to rob the chest there, and I have taken steps to reinforce it by 13 Sepoys. This is the only thing, I believe, likely to occur, and it will then be put down by the Raja and Toh Bandar to mere robbers. I think it very desirable that Cheng Tee should be advised to return as soon as possible, or what is as good, send back Nasodah Trang, since l'have reason to believe that a desire exists on the part of the Sultan and Toh Bandar now to break faith with Cheng Tee as regards his farm, and that they wish to farm it to certain Si Quan Chinese in Penang, who now offer to advance them money, and to whom they did let the farma in June last for 24,000 dollars, but it never came into operation, and they then let it in August to Cheng Tee.

Nothing is to be feared from operations on the part of the Ulu Chiefs or people at present.

If Abdullah would only show himself worthy of his position, and capable of main- taining it, I have no doubt that matters might ere long be made all smooth with Ismael; but at present Abdullah, who never rises till 1 or 2 p.m., employs himself solely in considering how he may work against the Treaty, and yet he has no person of influence with him but Toh Bandar. He has no followers, and has the greatest difficulty in getting men even to man his boats when he moves.

I am very badly off for Snider arms for my guard and police, and I beg that a few may be borrowed from the military authorities till the supply ordered for us arrives.

A murder of two Javanese traders has been reported to me from Qualla Kangsa, and I have sent to inquire into it.

The Secretary for Native States,

Singapore,

I have, &c. (Signed)

Enclosure 3, in No. 48.

J. W. W. BIRCH.

1. November 5th." I then spoke to him about the agreement with Ching-Tee, "and he said that he had made none with him, but I said the Shahbandar has "his chief adviser. "Yes, I could not help it; I was short of money and this seemed a way of getting it. I explained to him that the Governor was not pleased that he had done "this, when he had asked him not to do so, and he said he was sorry, but he had no

money. I told him he should have asked our Government to help him."

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2. November 7th." I never fail to drive into his head that we intend to keep the "clauses of the Treaty one by one, and to disabuse him of the idea that has evidently deep root at present, that his funds are inexhaustible, and that he can do what he "likes. He is, moreover, I see every day, an evident coward."

November 8th." The more I have to say to the Sultan, the more I feel the magni- "tude of the task I have offered to undertake with such a man. He is eminently silly " and foolish. Opium, too, has become his bane again, and he is good for very little. "He has been evidently giving himself up to a good deal of indulgence since. I saw him "in May. He has no house of his own, but is surrounded by his so-called doctor, a #blackguard, who smokes opium with him, and fights his cocks, and gambles, and looks a thorough debauchee, and two or three others, and lots of women, and all of whom "are alayes, and most of them prostitutes."

"

November 24th." I shall have a hard task yet with the baby down at Batarabit. He "really and truly is only fit for a doll, or for one of those figures at a tailor's shop to "show off coats, &c,"

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"God help a country left to a men like that, unadvised by sound councillors. I very "often despair when I think of him."

• Abdullah, through the Shahbandar, had let the oplum and other farms at the mouth of the Perak River to a Chinaman, çailed Cheng-Tee, before Mr. Birch's arrival, and had received the sum of 98,000 dollars in Advance,

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November 28th.-"What I have to complain of principally is his extreme childishness, "and his habit of never attending to what you are saying to him, but breaking off to "ask frivolous questions of all sorts, and in some way or other affecting his dress, his "possessions, or above all his clothes and rings.”

November 29th.-"The Laxamana tells me,-what, however, I knew before--that all my trouble will be with the Sultan in teaching him to give up his present habits. He " asked very pertinently how a man can govern a country if his Chiefs cannot see him, no matter how far they come, till 2 or 3 of an afternoon. He says even he is often

喝腊

kept waiting while the Sultan is smoking opium with his one or two associates, and giving opium to his game cocks."

December 13th.-" I was made very angry by a man named Hagi Mahomed Bedin, "who came to me to say that the Sultan had sent him with a letter to the Che Karim, " to send him as much taxes as he could.”

"I asked him to dinner with "the Shahbandar, and spoke very seriously to him on the subject of course; he denied

having ever given this Hagi any authority to collect taxes."

"However,

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I have a letter from Mr. Hewick telling me what he told Che Karrim, and I have "another from Che Karrim on the same subject. I gave it to the Haji, and told him f “advised him not to show his face again at Salama.”

急得

December 25th.-" Christmas day; an odd way to be spending Christmas, but what "My patience is tried

can one do when duty of this sort is before one.”

"to the very utmost by this man. I have often been told that I was a good-tempered "man, but never was able to accept the compliment, for I knew I was not, but I begin now to believe that I must be to put up with the vagaries of this man. However, 1 am determined, if I can, to carry through what Sir Andrew Clarke has begun, and if "patience can do it, patience shall."

January 16th." I wish, for my own sake and for the peace of the country, that "Abdullab was not such a vain little idiot. I cannot help calling him this, for he really "is one."

January 20th." Abdullah has a belief that greatness is judged of by the people from "the fine clothes you wear, and the number of followers you have.

Abdullah

" has the most wonderful mixture of followers I ever sAW,

calling everybody to follow him."

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He has a positive mania for

February 5th.-"I have not much hopes of ever making Ismail and Abdullah real “friends; I doubt the ability of the latter to make friends really and substantially. He ** is too selfish and too hollow. I have had too many instances of headstrong acting "since I have been here without a word to me. He merely cares about money, and if "he can get that and spend it, you could keep him quiet."

March 20th." He has been doing several things while I was away. He has let a "small chandoo and gambling farm at Bandar, and given it to Rajah Ngah. It is said "he desired Musab to kill Yusuf, and he has taken over this Kinte farm from the Rajab Nacota, or from the Bandahara, though he knew that I proposed to abolish all these "double inland tares."

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March 23rd." Laxamana says he can make nothing of the Su'tan He has such a "mania for doing odd things without thinking-anything that any fool about him

"suggests. Laxamana says he is very afraid of making me angry, but is now under the

impression that I am so, and he does not know what to do."

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April 16th." He asked me to forgive all his sins, large or small, and if he had dotre

or ever did any fault to correct him like a child, and he showed himself a veritable one,

"for he broke off and began to try on my old cut slippers, my boots and gaiters, and

管理

caps and hats; brush his hair and oil it, and all sorts of eccentricities. He assured me "of his desire to do whatever I wished."

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April 24th." He said that all were helping to get him into scrapes now, and I explained to hin that this was not the case, and that all the scrapes he got into, and all "the Governor had advised him about in his letter, were brought about by himself. The "Kinta taxes; the Batang Padang taxes; Rajah Musa killing Yusuf; Haji Musa's estate ; "and several other instances, in which I had spoken to him

May 10th. "Every day Abdullah is doing some foolish thing or saying some "foolish thing, and people begin to distrust bim, even those who hold bis quassas, and "have served him from time to time."

June 8th." In the evening the Sultan came and dined with me, and Dris and "Shahbandar came after inner. We then had a very long talk on the revenue question, "on the Pangkor Treaty, and on all their obligations under it. I told the Sultan before "these two Chiefs that he would take no advice and would do nothing.

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That a revenue must be raised for the country, and that the Shahbandar, the Mata-Mata, and

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"he could not be allowed to go on squeezing as they were doing, and levying the only "taxes in the country, but that they must follow the Pangkor Treaty, and would be held "responsible for it."

July 22nd." He has kept Mr. Kim Ching now here for 10 days while he remained "at Qualla Kinta, where he is taking taxes he has no business to take, squeezing under

pretence of fines, and cock-fighting with Syed Masabore."

C

Enclosure 4. in No. 48.

REPORT OF HER BRITANNIC Majesty's Resident at Perak, dated PENANG, April 2, 1875. [See Eastern No. 15, page 120.]

Enclosure 5. in No. 48.

Par. 10. ABDULLAH is always influenced by the Chiefs around him, and the four mentioned in this paragraph are the most respectable of his advisers. He generally listens to the counsel of a set of scamps, who fight his cocks and smoke opium with him. Amongst these I may mention Haji Hussain, Syed Mashahoor, Haji Mahomed Syed, and Che Amin.

Rajah Dris has succeeded in giving up the habit of opium-smoking, and is now one of the most intelligent of the Chief, and has been made Chief Hakim or Judge.

Pars. 11 and 12.-Even if Abdullah did give up the use of opium, which seems to have become a fixed habit with him, it is very doubtful whether he could do anything that was required of him, for his inordinate vanity and self-conceit would always be called into play in opposing the wishes of the Resident.

A house has been built for him at Bandar Bahru, near the Resident's own house, but he will not come to live there.

Par. 13. Rajah Yusuf, who has never agreed to the Pangore Engagement, bas, as stated in my despatch, recently written to ask the British Government to take over the Government of Perak.

Rajah Dris has also signed the paper.

Par. 14. Although there can be no doubt that Ismail is still recognised as Sultan by the greater part of the Chiefs and people of the Ulu (that is, the country up the River Perak), still he takes but very amall interest in the affairs of the country. He leads a retired life at Kinta, in which place he has four tin mines.

Par. 15. Of the Chiefs living above Blanja, Yusuf is the only one of any importance. The Bandahara is extremely week in intellect; the Tumonggong is but a tool in the hands of the Mantri, who lives in Laroot, and who is the most scheming man in Perak. The others have little or no influence.

Par. 16. The Ryota are no doubt eager for the British Government to take over the country, for they see that the Rajahe, from whom they expect oppression and exaction, are, to a certain extent, held in check by the presence of a British officer. It is one of the most difficult tasks that the Residents have been called upon to take in hand-this keeping in check the petty Rajahs, who swarm about the country and oppress the Ryots immediately under their control. When the Resident remonstrates with one of them, he says that the money which he is wringing from the Ryot is only a loan; but at the same time, he has not the slightest intention of ever repaying it.

On

Pars. 17 and 18.-Mr. Birch's anticipations have not been realised in this case. my recent tour, a bad account was given me of the doings of the people at Kota Lama, and I gave injunctions to two of the Chief's to keep them in order.

Par, 19,-It must not be supposed by this paragraph that the Sultan has been living honestly, and upon his just dues, since the month of August, 1874, for he has been constantly attempting to exact illegal taxes by means of unprincipled agents.

Par. 20.-This is one example of the Sultan obtaining money through the agency of one of the Chiefs. Mr. Cheng Tee was allowed to hold the farm till last August, and it has now been let to the same gentleman and his partner for 84,000 dollars a year, instead of 26,000 dollars. The small farms mentioned in paragraphs 21 and 22 have been abolished with the new let of the Perak farms.

Par, 29.-The Sultan will not appoint proper magistrates and officers to administer justice, so that the imposition of these small fines sull bears very hardly on the people, and leads to constant miscarriage of justice,

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Par. 31.-The statement that the Chiefs are most ready to meet the Resident half way is scarcely borne out by the assertion in the following paragraphs--that the Chief are not yet satisfied with the presence of a British officer. From other sources it appears that the greatest difficulty has been experienced in dealing with many of these Chiefs.

Par. 32. The Sultan has thrown every opposition in the system of arranging a proper system of revenue, and until after my recent visit, has refused to put his chop to any notices or decrees on the subject. A proper scheme of taxation, now about to be adopted, will put an end to the plans which he adopts for illegally squeezing the people, and he consequently is opposed at heart to any such scheme.

Par. 34.-l'he jealousy and suspicion of the Chiefs, one of another, has been one of the great drawbacks to progress, and will never disappear except under British rule.

Pare. 35 and 36.-It is generally admitted that the regalia will not be surrendered by Ismail to Abdullah, and that a new regalia would not be regarded as a symbol of sovereignty by Malays.

This is a difficulty which has to be dealt with, and I propose, without now discussing the matter with Sultan or Chiefs, to take a fitting opportunity for dealing with it.

Par. 45.--The prosperity of Perak depends upon a settled Government, which it has not enjoyed for many years. Immigrants have not come in, and capital has not been devoted to enterprise in Perak, owing to the unsettled state of the affairs of the country, and consequent absence of any security.

October 16, 1875.

Enclosure 6. in No. 48.

W. F. D. J.

Tais Agreement, made on the 20th April 1875, between Paduka Sri Maharajah bin Jaffar Orang Kaya, Mantri of Perak, and who is berein-after called the Mantri of Perak, of the one part, and the several other persons, creditors of the Mantri of Perak, who by themselves or their agents have subscribed their names, and who are herein-after referred to as the creditors, of the other part: Whereas the Mantri of Perak is largely indebted to the said creditors, and as it is desirable to remove all cause of disquiet and irritation which may tend to retard the peace and prosperity of Perak, his Excellency Sir Andrew Clarke, Governor of the Straits Settlements, in order to more fully carry out the provisions of the Treaty of Pangkor, dated 20th January 1874, has expressed to the Mantri of Perak his willingness to assist him in making arrangements with his creditors for the payment out of the revenues of Perak of his said debts and of claims made upon him for compensation for his unperformed contracts and engagements with them, provided the amount of such debts and claims be first settled, determined, and ascertained in manner herein-after mentioned.

It is hereby agreed by and between the Mantri of l'erak and the said creditors to refer all accounts, claims, debts, and demands against the Mantri of Perak, as well in his official as in his private capacity, and all matters of set-off which the Mantri of Perak has gainst any such debts or claims, and also all matters in difference between the Mantri of Perak and the said creditors, to the award, order, and final determination of the Honour- able Colonel Archibald Edward Harbord Anson, Lieutenant-Governor of Penang; James Wheeler Woodford Birch, Her Majesty's Resident at Perak ; and Daniel Logan, Solicitor- General of the Straits Settlements, Arbitrators appointed by his Excellency the Governor of the Straits Settlements, with the assent of the Sultan of Perak and the Mantri of Perak, and with the approval of the said creditors, so as the said Arbitrators, or any of them, shall determine and ascertain what debts, if any, are due and owing, and what compensation by way of damages, if any, should be paid in satisfaction of the said claims by the Mantri of Perak to each of the said creditors respectively, or in case two or more of such creditors be partners to such partnership respectively, and shall make and publish their award and determination in writing, signed by them or any two of them, of and concerning the matters referred, ready to be delivered to his Excellency Sir Andrew Clarke, or his successor or successors in the office of Governor of the Straits Settlements, and to the several parties hereto, or any or either of them; or if they or any of them shall be dead before the making or publication of the award and determination as afore- said to their respective personal representatives, who shall require the same on or before the 31st day of December next, or on or before any other day to which the Arbitrators shall by any writing signed by them, indorsed on this submission from time to time, enlarge on the time for making their award and determination,

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