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(G.)-—From PRESIDENT, Calcutta, to GOVERNOR, Singapore, dated 12th November 1875. "Troops here are armed with Sniders; does Colonial Secretary's request for Martini-Henri ammuni- tien hold good."

(H.)-From MILITARY, Calcutta, to COLONIAL SECRETARY, Singapore, dated 13th November 1875.

"According to instructions from England no despatch of troops is to take place until further orders. Meanwhile please telegraph suggestions as to equipment of force; should tents be taken and doolie bearers; what amount of provisions should be shipped, &c. It is presumed that no land transport in needed; should we send a commissariat officer."

Hong Kong.

Enclosure 59. in No. 100. Telegrami sent.

From COLONIAL Secretary, Singapore, to Major-General COLBORNE, Hong Kong. Troops at Perak have sustained reverse, 13 officers and men killed and wounded. Governor says pray send 300 men at once. I will telegraph home. Wait command from here. They think Indian troops more convenient.

From COLONIAL SECRETARY, Singapore, to COLONIAL Secretary, Hong Kong. Please say where H.M.S. "Modeste" is likely to be at present. Disturbances in Perak. Ship urgently wanted.

From COLONIAL SECRETARY, Singapure, to Major-General COLBORNE, Hong Kong. Telegram received. We shall expect three companies by mail steamer.

Hong Kong.

Enclosure 60. in No. 100. Telegrams received.

(A.)—From GENERAL, Hong Kong, to GOVERNOR, Singapore, dated 9th November 1875. "Three companies, eightieth, will be sent by P. and O. on Thursday 11th unless I receive orders to contrary."

(B.)—From COLONIAL SECRETARY, Hong Kong, to COLONIAL Secretary, Singapore, dated 9th November 1875.

***Modeste' left 31 ultimo for Manila, Labuan, Singapore. Commodore' hastens her movements. 'Ringdove' despatched to-day to Singapore. 'Egeria' hourly expected will be despatched on arrival."

(C.)—From GENERAL, Hong Kong, to GOVERNOR, Singapore, dated 11th November 1876. "General Colborne and 300 men left for Singapore this day in mail steamer ́ Kashgar.””

(D.)—From GENERAL, Hong Kong, to Governor, Singapore, dated 8th November 1875. "Three companies will be ready, but I am instructed not to despatch without orders from Secretary of War. I beg information of circumstances and probability of troops being required."

Caylon.

Enclosure 61. in No. 100.

Telegram sent.

From GOVERNOR, Singapore, to General CommandinNG, Colombo. Military operations undertaken. Two control officers urgently wanted. Pray send to Penang forth- with.

t

Ceylon.

Enclosure 62. in No. 100. Telegram received.

From GENERAL, Colombo, to Govzanoz, Singapore, dated 12th November 1875. “Will send two Control Officers, Pensog, by French steamer,”

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Enclosure 65. in No. 100,

At 1 am. on Thursday 4th instant.

I received a note from Mr. Plunket saying that the Lieutenant-Governor desired me to proceed to Perak as interpreter on board the "Plato," which was to leave at 5 o'clock that morning. I accordingly went over to Penang at 5 o'clock, and on the jetty met Captain Innes and the other ofcers who were to accompany him. Soon after 7 we got under weigh, having the steam launch “ Mata Mata” and a Kling boat in tow. On board were Captain Innes who had been appointed to take temporary charge of the Residency and act as Assistant British Commissioner in Perak, Lieutenant Booth, in command of a detachment of 60 men of Her Majesty's 10th Regiment, Lieu- tenant Elliott, Mr. Plunket, Corporal Stanley, and 30 police, an apothecary, and myself. The tide and wind were against us and we made slow progress, arriving at Palo Pangkor Boon after dark. The Kling boat was detached off Larat and sent with despatches to Captain Speedy. At Pangkor Inspector Warne and the Punghalee cafe on board, but could give us no intelligence from Perak. The police from Bruas had been withdrawn and stationed at Pangkor. Inspector Warne was laid up with a bad foot, so Captain Innes advised him to go to Penang by the first opportunity, giving him a letter to the Lieutenant-Governor, stating that H.M.S. "Thistle," which we hoped to find at the Dindings, had not arrived, that everything was quiet, and that he had left a copy of his instructions. for Captain Sterling,

The "Quedah" was lying at Pangkor, having returned from Laroot, reporting that Captain Speedy had despatched an armed party overland to Qualla Kangsah on Wednesday night, hoping to save Mr. Swettenham who had gone up the river with the proclamations, and for whose safety great fears were entertained. Captain Innes left a letter for Captain Sterling, stating that he intended first to communicate with Lieutenant Abbott who was left in charge of the Residency. Captain Innes hoped that he would see fit to come direct to the Residency if he considered that Mr. Davidson could do without assistance at Klang; leaving Pangkor, we proceeded to the mouth of the Perak River, the "Quedah" going ahead of us as a pilot over the bar, which we crossed about 10 p.m. About 4.30 am. on Friday we anchored off Kota Stia, where there is a police station, custom-house, and other buildings. Nakhoda Trang came on board and gave me a considerable amount of information about the country generally and the different Chiefs. He is no friend of Sultan Abdullah's, and of course his information can only be partly relied upon, but I was favourably impressed with him, and certain things which he told me have since been confirmed. Discussing the question of how far the various Chiefs were con- cerned in the attack on Mr. Birch, he stated that a meeting was held at the Sultan's place during the bulan puasa (fasting month), October, at which it was agreed to make an attack on the Residency on the second day of the Raya (festival days after the fast). In this, Sultan Abdullah, the Laksamana, Maharajah Lela, the Bandahara, To Bandar, Unka Dein (a Bugis relation of Abdullah's) and Syed Mashahor were concerned; the Laksamana and To Nara inciting Abdullah, and the Mantri of Laroot arging the Bandahara to action. Rajab Undut (related to Mashahor) told Mr. Birch that Abdullah and Mashahor intended to attack him, but he would not believe it or take any precaution. The dis- trict on the left bank above Kota Stia the Nakhode pointed out as belonging to the followers of the Laksamana, Kandah Mat Hashim (elder brother of Abdullah and related to the Laksamana) and Raja Ugah. The jungle is cleared for a mile or two along the bank, and there seemed to be a good many houses, most of them deserted. The place is Beninbang Panjang, and Nakhoda Trang estimated the population (men) at 700. Two months ago an official report was made to Mr. Birch that the Laks- amana had sent a supply of rifles to Rajah Ugah, and that he was urged by the Laksamana to join in the attack on Bandar Babru The Bandahara had told Nakhoda Trang when his Excellency Sir William Jervois was expected, that he did not mean to take Mr. Birch's orders, but look to the Mantri for instructions The Bandahars, he said, had incited Ismail to resist the new order of things. We found all quiet at Kota Stia. There were 20 police at the station, and the sergeant said he was pre- pared to hold the place in case of an attack. There seemed to be a good number of Chinese there, The ryota in the district, fearing an attack by the Maharajah Lela, have many of them fled from the Campongs bordering the river, or else sent away their families.

Mr. Birch commenced a direct road from Kota Stia to Bandas Bahru, the distance being about eight miles across, while by river it must be nearly 50. cleared, and that the road was very fair. The Maharajah Lela had threatened to kill the men employed I was informed that four miles had been in cutting the road. Some miles above Kota Stia, on the same side, is Sunghy Dedap, by which com- munication can be kept up with Passir Sala, as the river runs nearly the whole way, and there is a jungle path from that point, it is important that hoats should be prevented from going up this river to the enemy. Just above it is a smaller river (Sunghy Rabana), but I cannot say if this joins the Dedap higher up.

We went on to Batu Rabit, the Sultan's residence, without getting any satisfactory intelligence from the natives. Two or three boats were overhauled, one full of Chinamen leaving Batu Rabit for Kota Stia, with all their moveables, afraid of being plundered by Malays; another, containing Malays, which, on seeing us, tried to escape, but was brought in tow by the "Mata Mata," one or two of the men having got away into the jungle. A rifle and some krises found on board were taken from them, but as we could get nothing out of them, and could not tow their boat, they were

released.

At Batu Rabit, the Sultan's Mantri, Inche Arnim, came on board, bringing a letter from theSultan, stating that he had gone up to Durien Sabatang, to consult with his people and the Laksamana, with a view to assisting Lieut. Abbott at the Residency, as he had been asked to do. Inche Arnim could not, or rather chose not, to give us any information, feigning ignorance of affairs in the Ula. He said that Abdullah left two days before our arrival, at 4 pm, after receiving a letter from Lieut, Abbott, taking his wives for safety to Durian Sabatang. Nakhoda Trang had told me that the Laksamana's son, Orang Marassat, had got together about 300 men (chiefly Orang Mendiling, who had been driven out of Klägn and Salangor by Tunku Kaidin), and set up a stockade at Banda Lama, above Kota Lumat, X ?

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