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274

At present a party of 80 Ghoorkas occupy the post, and the enemy are in great force about seven miles further off, at a place called Bukit Pootoos.

Peyton volunteered, a few days ago, to reconnoitre the place with a few Arabs along with Daly, and had a very narrow escape, as he was fired on and pursued for

miles.

Colonel Anson writes to say the troops are to be removed on at once from Rassa to the Klana's house, so I suppose we shall soon have news from the front.

Kindly excuse the great hurry this is written in,

His Excellency Sir Wm. Jervois,

Penang.

Enclosure 5. in No. 130.

Yours very truly, (Signed)

C. B. PLUNEST.

TRANSLATION of a LETTER to CAPTAIN MURRAY from the Yang de Pertuan of JELLABU.

(After compliments.)

REGARDING the people electing a Raja, I know nothing, and the fighting on the part of those men I know nothing about, but at the present day I am living quietly and do not, my elder brother, listen to what people say about me. 14 Dalkaidah 1292 (12th December 1875).

N.B. The daughter of the writer of the above is engaged to be married to the son of the Datu Klana of Sungie Ujong.

A. E. H. ANBON, Colonel.

(Signed)

Enclosure 6, in No. 130.

[Sketch Map of Native States adjoining Malacca, British Possession, and Sunghie Ujong.]

Enclosure 7. in No. 130.

MR. PLUNKET to GOVERNOR SIR W. JERVOIS.

DEAR SIR WM. JERVOIS,

Malacca, Sunday, December 12, 1875.

I RECEIVED your private letter, dated 6th December, on Friday morning last at the Residency, Sungie Ujong, together with your official despatches to me, dated respectively 2nd, 5th, and 6th December.

These letters were forwarded to me by Colonel Anson with a note from him, dated the 9th instant, on board the S.S." Malda," off Lookoot, asking me to meet him there.

The same mail brought me a letter from the Colonial Secretary, dated 7th instant, approving of my having gone to Sungie Ujong, but urging me to return to Malacca ai soon as possible.

On receipt of these letters I at once started for Lookoot and reached there a little after dark. When I went on board the "Malda" and saw Colonel Anson who showed me your private letter to him.

I soon put Colonel Anson in possession of all the information I possessed, and strongly recommended him that with the forces which were being sent to Sungie Ujong the troops should follow up at once the enemy and drive them out of Sungie Ujong territory altogether, when he might await further instructions as to what should next be done.

The next day was spent in disembarking the remainder of the Goorkhas and in visiting Qualla Lingey, and Sempang, where we found everything quiet. About 2 a.m. this morning I started for Malacca in the steamer "Louisa," and arrived about 7 a.m.

Here I found everything quiet, 100 Goorkhas comfortably lodged in the new market. Captain Vaughton, who had been acting for me in my absence, read me out a con- fidential report he was sending to the Colonial Secretary regarding great preparations that were said to be making in the native States to sustain the Sungie Ujong war, and possibly attacking Malacca, but I attach very little weight to these rumours, which I believe are kept up by interested parties to forward their own plans.

275

From Mr. Hayward and others, on the other hand, I hear that many Rumbow and Johole men have left our territory, having been recalled to their own country on the ples that the English are going to attack the Malay States.

It is satisfactory, however, to know that the Datoh of Rumbow, as recognised by us, has sent assurances both to Captain Murray and myself of his strict loyalty, which Í have no reason to doubt.

Hadjee Mustapha, of Rumbow, who also styles himself Datoh Lelah Maharajah, has written much in the same way to me, but he is a man in whom I have no confidence whatever.

Unless some great disaster were to happen to our forces in Sungie Ujong I cannot conceive the possibility of an attack being made on Malacca by any of the surrounding States, and have every confidence that the force now stationed at that Residency will give the enemy such a lesson as will effectually satisfy other native States of our supremacy.

I do not at present propose adopting any particular line of action towards the States bordering on Malacca, further than to disabuse the minds of the several Datohs of the idea that the Government meditate any invasion of their territories, while I shall point out to them, at the same time, that their conduct will be strictly watched in the present crisis.

Having been away for more than a week from Malacca, and the mail being on the point of closing, I am unable to go into further details at present, but will write again by the next opportunity.

I consider it in every point of view to have been a good measure reinforcing the troops here, but especially as tranquilising the public now which seems to have been greatly disturbed by a number of floating rumours of disturbances for which I can find no foundation as yet.

With regard to the Sungie Ujong war Captain Murray and myself are quite agreed on the expediency of following up quick on the enemy and dislodging them from their present position at Bukit Pootoos. There is a good road all the way, and with the mountain guns and rocket party there should be little difficulty in doing so.

When better information as to how far this is a general movement on the part of all the States or confined to a few, and as to what Datohs are really friendly or hostile, your Excellency will be able to decide what further steps it may be desirable to take.

I trust that the course I adopted in taking up the first relief of 22 men of the 10th to Sungie Ujong has met your approval.

That relief, together with the second relief of Arabs under Mr. Fontaine, enabled us to drive back the enemy to a safe distance, and must have given them a very severe lesson. As Captains Murray and Hinxman have each made an official report of the engagement I shall not attempt to do so.

As, however, in a former despatch your Excellency seemed to question the expediency of sending the Arab force to Sungie Ujong, I wish to state that they proved themselves on this last occasion a most valuable contingent in the field, and have up to the present conducted themselves most orderly in camp.

His Excellency

Sir Wm. F. Drummond Jervois,

&c.,

&c.,

(After compliments.)

&c., Penang.

Enclosure 8, in No. 130.

I have, &c.

(Signed) C. B. PLUNKET.

TO CHIEF of SREE MENANTEE.

Sungie Ujong, December 17, 1875.

I INFORM Tuanku Antar that I have been sent to Sungie Ujong by the Great Gover nor of the three Settlements to inquire into the cause of the disturbances in the territory of the Datu Klana, which have proceeded from the invasion of his territories by a num- ber of bad characters from the neighbouring States who, having combined, have passed through the territory of Datu Muar and taken up a threatening position in the country of the Datoh Klana, and have attacked and fired upon the troops of Her Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain, who were sent to protect and assist him against them.

I am informed by the officer who, at the request and with the consent of the Datab Klana, has been appointed by the British Government to reside in Sungie Ujong, that Mn 2

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