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ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO]

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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Lord Carnarvon would suggest for Mr. Secretary Hardy's consideration, whether the map might not now be amended and extended so far as these six maps give the means of doing so

His Lordship would also be glad to be informed whether and if so at what cost 1,800 copies could be supplied for publication as part of Parliamentary papers that will shortly be prepared and laid before Parliament.

In the event of Mr. Hardy acceding to this request, I am to suggest that this depart- ment should be furnished with a proof of the map when prepared.

- The Under Secretary of State,

for War.

SIB,

No. 126.

I have, &c. (Signed)

R. H. MEADE,

ADMIRALTY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Admiralty, January 29, 1876. WITH reference to previous correspondence respecting the proceedings of Her Majesty's ships in the Straits of Malacca, in connexion with disturbances in the Malay Peninsula; I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to send

you herewith, for the information of the Earl of Carnarvon, copy of a letter from Vice- Admiral Ryder dated 8th ultimo, at Hong Kong, together with printed copies of enclosures from the commanding officer of H.M.S." Thistle," showing the progress of events up to the 16th November last.

The Under Secretary of State,

SIR,

Colonial Office.

I am, &c.

(Signed) ROBERT HALL.

H.M.S. "Audacious" at Hong Kong, December 8, 1875.

I HAVE the honour to forward herewith, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, reports of proceedings addressed to me by Commander Francis Stirling. of H.M.B." Thistle," dated respectively the 12th and 16th November 1875, showing the progress of events up to the latter date.

2. In submitting these reports, I have the honour to draw their Lordships' attention to the position in which Sub-Lieutenant Thomas F. Abbott was placed on the 2nd and 3rd November, and the efficient way in which he anticipated and prevented the attacks of the Malays by fortifying the resistency at Banda Bahru, which probably discouraged the other tribes from joining in the aggressive movements of the murderers of Mr. Birch. I also wish to draw their Lordships" attention to the efficient services rendered by Com- manders Francis Stirling of H.M.S." Thistle," and John Bruce of H.M.S. "Fly," as well as the officers and men under their command.

The Secretary of the Admiralty.

SIR,

I have, &c.

(Signed) A. P. RYDER,

Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.

Enclosure 1. in No. 126.

The Residency, Banda Bahru, November 12, 1875.

I BEG to inform you that on the 10th inst. I brought the "Thistle" up the river as far as Durian Sebatanj (about 45 miles from the mouth of the river), and then came up to the Residency to put myself in communication with Major Dunlop, temporary Special Commissioner in Perak. On the 11th (yesterday I returned with Mr. Swetten- ham (Assistant Commissioner) to Durian Sabatang and moved the "Thistle" to a position more favourable for blockading the Upper Perak, and also for comminanding Durian Sebatanj, and we were also fortunate enough to secure the person of Hadji Alli, a native Chief on the enemy's side, by completely cutting off his retreat, when he surrendered. At the same time we secured a considerable amount of arms and ammunition destined for the interior.

I have stationed Captain Bruce at Durian Sabatang for the present, to superintend the transport of stores, &c., a work of some difficulty, owing to the extreme shallowness of the river.

An attack is being organised on the enemy's stockade at Passir Sala as soon suitable guns and boats arrive from Singapore, probably in a few days.

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I beg to enclose Sub-Lieutenant Abbott's report of events that have occurred here from the first of November, and would desire to bring strongly before your notice the great judgment and coolness be has displayed in circumstances of a most trying and difficult nature, and it is without doubt owing to his vigorous arrangements for the defence of the Residency (of which he was in charge after Mr. Birch's murder) that it was not attacked before the arrival of reinforcements. His excellency the Governor has also expressed to me his high appreciation of his conduct.

I have, &c. (Signed) F. STILLING,

Vice-Admiral Alfred P. Ryder,

SIR,

Commander-in-Chief, China Station.

Commander and Senior Officer, Straits of Malacca.

Sub-Enclosure 1. in Enclosure 1.

The Residency, Banda Bahru, Perak, November 6th, 1875. I HAVE the honour to report to you, for the information of his Excellency the Governor of the Straits Settlements, the following events that have occurred in Perak since the 1st of November inst. :—-

Mr. Birch desired me to accompany him in his mission up the Perak River, to post the recent proclamations of the Governor and the notices connected with the future adminis tration of the Government of Perak, and we left together; ourselves in the large boat, mounting a three-pounder brass gun, attended by a sampan panjanj with 10 sepoys of the Resident's guard armed with Snider rifles and a small mortar, and by another sampan panjanj fitted up as a cooking boat. At about 5.30 p.m. on the evening of the first of November, we stayed at Passir Panjanj, where we dined, and pushing upwards im- mediately after dinner, we moored our boats at Passir Sala, near the Maharajah Lela's house between 10 and 12 p.m., and slept there for the night.

A little after 6 o'clock on the following morning, I crossed over to the opposite bank (Camponj Gaga) to shoot there, everything being quiet when I left, and when, after about three hours' shooting I returned to the river bank, I observed the Datu Sagor beckoning to me in an excited manner, and when he approached me with a number of armed men, he said Mr. Birch was dead, several sepoys killed and others fled, and advised me to fly into the jungle. I, however, preferred to take to a saga, accompanied by two boys (Solomons and a boatman) and we pushed to the middle of the river. One bootmen soon deserted, and having only a pole and a paddle, we had great difficulty in managing the boat, a well directed tire being kept up from the right bank principally, for half way to' the Residence, which I reached, however, without accident about 10.30 a.m.

Here I found one of our boats had already arrived with the intelligence, having on board the body of Mr. Birch's interpreter, Arshad, who died on the way down, and nine sepoys (two of whom were severely and one slightly wounded), and "both Mr. Birch's private servants.

The big boat and one sampan panjang, containing the brass gun and mortar and ammunition, two blue ensigns, one union jack, several boxes of official records, 100 in money, and some of Mr. Birch's and my property, fell into the hands of the Passir Sala people.

I then proceeded to call together Captain Welner (of the colonial steamer "Pluto ") Mr. Bacon, Mr. Keyt, and Inspectors Warne and Lagis, to resolve upon the best measures to be adopted.

We decided to despatch the "Pluto "immediately to Penang to communicate with the Lieutenant-Governor; telegraph to Sir William Jervois and ask for assistance; to inform the Sultan Abdullah of what had occurred, and to send Mr. Warne back to Pangkore to be at his post, with orders (if necessary for their safety) to withdraw the police from the Bruas and Teluk Batu stations, and concentrate at the Dindings.

I then proceeded to fortify the island on which the Residency stands as the best defensive position, and there to concentrate all the sepoya and arms and ammunition.

I next examined what arme and ammunition we had in store, paraded the sepoys, gave them their orders, and kept a strict watsh throughout the night, as we had reason to expect an attack.

On the following morning our scouts, a few Chinese who volunteered to give us every assistance, brought us intelligence that armed parties had assembled at night upon both banks to attack us, within a very short distance above the Residency, but had changed their minds and returned.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICIL, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAFIC.

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