CO882-(3-4) — Page 138

PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

3

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

A

1st Buth tember

502 October

50

The next day we went and examined the bahlie that was being put up; Pungulu Mat Ahkib complained that Datu Sagor had interfered with him, and prevented him from carrying a white pole to the top of the bill. The Datoh said he had prevented it because Raja Ismail had threatened to tine him $300 if he allowed it.

We then went up to Blanja, where Ismail promised to meet us, and on the way up we met Mr. Robinson coming down the river from Qualla Kangsa to audit the accounts, and Mr. Birch took him up with him to Blanja.

When we arrived at Blanja we found that Ismail was at Kinta, and Mr. Birch sent a letter to him by Kaja Hadjee Yahah and Inche Ismail, and after remaining there two days we came down the river again, arriving at Bandar Bahru about the 28th August 1875. A few days after returning from Blanja, Mr. Birch started for Lookoot to meet the Governor, leaving word with me to go up the river to meet the Governor at Qualla Kangsa. I started up the river on the 2nd September, and was present at the great meeting held by the Governor at Blanja on the 12 or 13th September. After the meeting broke up the Governor told me to remain behind with Mat Arshad, in order to see whether Ismail would put his chop to a paper written in Malay, which was given to me by Mr. Birch. The same day the Governor went down the river; I remained until the morning of the 15th, taking back with me the paper which Ismail refused to sign. It appeared to me that the Mantri used the greatest influence of all the other head men to prevent Ismail from signing the paper.

On the morning of the 15th September, I started down the river, and arrived at 9 p.m. the same evening at Bandar Bahru, and heard that the Governor had left with Mr. Birch about half an hour previously.

The same night Mr. Birch returned from Durian Sebatang after seeing the governor off along with Mr. Abbet and Ladgis.

For some days he was very busy drawing out papers relating to taxes, &c., &c., and appointing paid pungulus to collect the revenue.

+1

Mr. Birch wanted particularly "Syed Mashor as a pungulu for Batang Padang, and hearing that he was staying with Sultan Abdullah at Kampong Gaja, he went up one evening there along with Arshat, Inche Ismail, Nacodah Oolong, and Raja Oondut, the same night they returned, saying they were roughly received by Abdullah's men.

A few days after this Mr. Birch went up with Mr. Swettenham to Passir Panjang, and Arshad told me that Mr. Birch had had a long talk with Sultan Abdullah, conversing about the manner of raising taxes, and the propriety of the Sultan empowering him to rule the Government by himself.

One evening Hadjee Hussain, Cowloop Mahrouse, and Mahomed Amin, and two others, came and paid me a visit, and brought me a letter from Sultan Abdullah stating that Mr. Birch had asked him to sign a paper transferring the whole government to him as a Commissioner. I talked to them for some time, and recommended them to give the power to Mr. Birch, as it was very hard for two men to navigate one ship. As soon as they had gone away I gave Mr. Birch the letter.

On the 2nd October Mr. Swettenham went up to Passir Panjang with Ma Arshad and obtained the chop of the Sultan to the proclamation, dated that day.

On the 4th October Mr. Swettenham started in the Pluto" for Singapore to get the proclamation printed.

"

Mr. Birch accompanied him to Kota Stiak, where the "Pluto" waited all night, and took him on to Pangore, dropping him there, and he returned in the steamer "Quedah on the 8th October 1875.

While Mr. Birch was away, three slave women, Sahawak, Sameelah, and Sateeka, the latter a favourite of Toh Banlar, ran away from Sultan Abdullah's boat at Passir Panjang to Bandar Bahru for protection, and the day after Mr. Birch's arrival the Toh Bandar came looking for the women, and for three successive days until Mr. Birch started on the 13th October down the river along with Captain Bowers for a trip to the Bernam River in the "Quedah," taking the three women with him in disguise in his own boat towed behind. A day or two afterwards I heard that Sultan Abdullah and his party had gone down the river also.

On the 18th October Mr. Birch returned from the Bernam River with a sprained ankle, and remained at the Kesidency until the 26th October, when Mr. Swettenham arrived with a number of printed proclamations under eleven or twelve distinct heads.

On the 27th October 1875, Mr. Birch, M. Abbott, and Mr. Swettenham, went up the Kinta River, and pulled down a house and some states which had been put across the river by some of the Bandahara's men for the purpose of collecting black mail.

51

On the 29th October Mr. Birch went down the river in the "Pluto to Kotah Stiah, and returned on the 30th, having been warned by the serjeant there that Abdullah, the Laxamana, the Toh Bandar, and others, had plotted to kill him.

On the 1st November 1875, about 5 p.m., Mr. Birch went up the river, leaving directions with me to go up the Kinta River as far as Bukit Pakam, to arrest some of the Bandahara's men who were levying black mail there.

tive

I started the next morning, 2nd November 1875, about 10 a.m., along with Ladgis, peons, and ten sepoys, and when I go about 800 yards from the Residency I saw one of the Sampan Panjang belonging to Mr. Birch's party in a distressed state; the people in the boat hailed us, and we stopped, and asked them what was the matter, and they informed us that Krance Mat Arshad was killed, and that very probably Mr. Birch had been killed also, with two or three other men. They said they run away down the river because there were numbers of men firing upon them from both banks of the river; on this I returned back to the Residency.

Taken before us this 16th May 1876.

(Signed) (Signed)

talking, p.m.

C. B. PLUNKET. W. F. B. PAUL.

No. 2.

(Signed)

E. BACON.

Bandar Babru, May 18, 1876.

DYANG ISMAIL. states:-I live at Kota Setcah. I was formerly as a partner in the revenue farin there. I am a native of Pontianak, and came over to Perak from Singapore, together with Chen Tee and Goh Sew Sew. After settling there and building a house, I went to Singapore and Bletong, and returned to Perak again, and visited Sultan Abdulla and many other persons and places to see how the business carried on. I remained a day and a night at Sultan Abdulla's house. I had a conversation about diamonds and about making decorations. He asked me to go to Penang in order to get a star made. I declined going as I had other work to attend to. About 8 .m. I remarked a great many chiefs or great men coming. When they began was told to go outside. Among the chiefs were Laxamana, Toh Bandar, Raja Makotu, Orang Kyah, Mat Arsat, and Raja Driss. I remained outside along with Hadjee Hoosein.

heard Sultan Abdulla say, my heart is not satisfied with Mr. Birch living here; I very much regret he is living here. The Laxamana replied, let us find some means. The others said, very good we will find out some means. Sultan Abdulla replied, I know of no other means. The Laxamana said, there is one way, by poison. The Toh Bandar said, there is the way of stabbing, and I know a man who is ready to do it. Sultan Abdulla said, who is the man? Toh Bandar replied, nobody else except the men of Passen Salah, the Maha Raja Lelah. That is all I heard, and I went to sleep. This was at Battu Rabbeit at Sultan Abdulla's house. I do not know the exact date, but it was in the month of Rajab.

Cross-examined.-Maha Raja Lelah was not present. I heard people say that he had gone to Passen Salah. Hadjee Hoosein was along with me, and must have heard the conversation. He said to me what is the use of listening to other people's business, let us go to sleep. The next morning Hadjee Hussein wanted to go to Penang, and I went with him to Kota Seteah.

After five days I went up the river again, and stopped at the Residency at Bandar Bahru, and spoke to Serjeant Hadjee, and said, inform your master that people are going to poison him. At night Mr. Birch sent for me, and thanked me for the information.

As I was going away Mr. Birch offered me a cigar, and he took his seat at the landing-place. Nacoda Wha Trang, a partner with Chen Tee in the revenue farm, was there also. The boy brought us some coffee. I told Mr. Birch "that Nacoda Wha Trang was going up to Qualla Kangsor in order to get married to Che Medah, the divorced wife of the Laxainana.

Mr. Birch said he was going to Blanja, and we better go together. I remained some five days af the Residency.

Before we started Mr. Birch lent twelve muskets and one hundred cartridges to Nacoda Wha Trang. We went up together. There were my boat, Nacoda Wha Trang's boat, Mr. Birch's boat, Mr. Bacon's boat, and about two other boats of Mr. Birch's.

[Here follows a long statement of what took place between this and the Governor's visit to Blanja, in which there is nothing relating to Abdulla.

G 2

**15