CO882-(3-4) — Page 141

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO. 882

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

sat 6th of without getting the money and went down the river. The same day Mr. Birch came up

Sept

• Bacon's atement.

9th Oct.

Sergeant

or Syed's

stement

the river along with Inche Ismail and Nacodah Oolong, Toh Bandar said, there is Mr. Birch, perhaps the lawyer has lodged a complaint with him that he could not get this money, and Mr. Birch is coming up here to apprehend Abdulla, somebody else said that Nacoda Oolong was going to Amok in Abdulla's boat, and Inche Ismail was to take possession of everything in the boat.

Opon this alarm Abdulla ordered all his men to get ready, and Abdulla gave orders to the Datoh Bandar and all the chiefs, that as soon as Mr. Birch put his foot in the boat or on shore they were to stab him.

Mr. Birch arrived with two boats. The boat that Inche Ismail was in was in advance. He went on shore and heard what was going on, and then got into his boat, and went back to Mr. Birch, and both boats went down the river.

Some days after we all went down the river to Passeir Panjang, and remained there some five days, when the two women named Seemela and Sehawah, who had run away previously and been given back by the Governor, run away again to Bandar Baliru accompanied by another slave called Seteka, who was entrusted with the keys of

Abdulla's wardrobe.

Abdulla was very angry that Seteka should run away, and said, I treated her more as one of my own children than a slave, he then sent off Kuloop Mah Rouse to Bandar Bahru with a letter, but he returned without the women, and about two or three days after, we all went down the river, and stopped on the opposite of Bandar Bahru.

About 3 p.m. the Sultan, Toh Bandar, and about ten others went ashore to see Mr. Birch, remained on the opposite shore.

After two hours they all returned to their boats, and I heard Abdulla say, if I do not get Seteka back, I will send Mahrouse with a letter to the Governor about it.

We went down the river shortly after, stopping some days at each of the following places, Sunghy, Mati, Bandar Lamah, Passeir Reneik, until we got to Batta Rabbeit. There I remained some days on shore. After which I went to Kota Seteah, and made a report of the conspiracy to which I was a witness at Passier Panjang at Campong Gaja.

The day after the Pluto arrived with Mr. Birch at Kota Seteah, I went on board along with the sergeant and made my report. Mr. Birch said he was an old man, and did not care for the Perak people.

A few days after this I heard that Mr. Birch was murdered.

Taken before us, this 21st May 1876.

to one

No. 4.

The signature of INDOOT.

Bandar Babru, May 25, 1876. "LONG MAHNOONI states:-I am a native of Campong Gaja Perak. I was married "See Uha Gantee" of Passeir Panjang; he was employed as a drini beater of Sultan Abdulla, and I had four children by him. He died six years ago, and the Sultan took me and four of my children as slaves. My youngest child was at the breast at the time, and he employed me at first as a wet nurse to one of his children, and I have been continually in attendance with him ever since. For the last year I have been employed as his cook.

I was at Batta Rabbeit when the Pankor Treaty was signed. I did not accompany Sultan Abdulla to Blanja when he went to meet Ismail.

At first he seemed pleased with the Pankor Treaty. The Laxamana, Toh Bandar, and Raja Makota seemed indifferent. I did not see the Toh Mintri nor the other chiefs. The first time I ever heard the Sultan grumble against Mr. Birch, was when he stopped the Toh Bandar from collecting taxes at Kota Seteah.-(About commencement of June. See Diary 4th June). I heard him say that the white people take all revenue from the big and small rivers, and only give us alms,this was in his own house at Batta Rabbeit. The Toh Bandar was present.

The Toh Bandar said this is the beginning, they have taken away from us the collection of taxes, the next thing they will do is to take away our country. The Sultan then replied, very likely it will be as you say.

I accompanied Sultan Abdulla up to Passeir Panjang when he went there to meet the Governor. I was in the cooking boat, and was as the head manager, There were three other women cooks under me in the boat.

I was kept at the time by a man named "Indoot," and he accompanied me.

"

"Mein Manoorone

A short time before going up the river, Sultan Abdulla had a Huntoo in bis house for three days.

The first night the ceremonies were performed to cure Abdulla of a pain in his belly. The second night when the ceremonies were nearly over, Sultan Abdulla ordered Raja Ahinat (the son of Raja Che Muda of Passeir Panjang, the uncle of Abdulla), who was performing the ceremonies, to look up the river and see if they could drive away the white-eyed man, meaning Mr. Birch. Raja Amat replied, if

you will pay me, I will set

to work; the Sultan said do the work properly and I will recompense you properly. Raja Amat said, to-night all I can do is to look to the interior and see whether the white man will retire or not; to-morrow night we will go into the matter thoroughly. The Sultan said, I ask you to do all that you can, because I cannot stand all this botheration, seeing that I cannot govern l'erak on account of this white man.

Next night fresh ceremonies were performed by Raja Amat over five pots of water with lighted candles, and he declared that he saw two evil spirits or devils, and after that he performed fresh ceremonies, and he blew out all the lighted candles except one, and said now the principal spirit is coming, the other two spirits are gone. He then asked for some raw rice, "bertai," (parched rice), a knife, and a piece of white cloth, and spread the cloth in front of the lighted candle, and made the figure of a man with the “bertai and rice, and then knocked it with a fan, he then collected all together again, and made another figure of a man, and then cut the head off with a knife. He then collected all

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the rice in his hands, said some prayers, and threw it in the air towards the (Ooloo) up the river; I then saw a butterfly flying about, and all the people crowded round. not see what happened. I heard Raja Amat say, "by the help of God, the white man I could will leave Bandar Bahru. After that he said to Sultan Abdulla, don't forget to pay me properly; he said don't you be afraid, as soon as the white man is gone, I will pay you properly. After that Abdulla got up, and had the five pots of water poured over him.

There were present Raja Keechee Muda, Raja Mat, Raja Driss, Toh Bandar, Chee Ahmin, Kooloop Mahrouse, Samah, See Panjang, Mat Cassim, and Oondoot, besides the chiefs; there were also Abdulla's wives, viz., Chee Sedah, See Allang, Teepah, See Etam, See Asah, See Raseeah, also the slaves, viz., See Anjang, See Andak, Seeteka, See Long Ahnoom, See Saipah, See Sereepah, See Brunas, See Hawah, See Semelah, See Tay, See Maroopah, See Koosom, and Toh Kamala Sree.

Some time after this we went up the river to Passeir Panjang, and while there, two of Sultan Abdulla's slaves, Sameiah and Sehawah, ran away to Bandar Bahru and were sent back again after a time.

Subsequently they ran away again along with Seteeka, a favourite of the Toh Bandar; he tried to get them back again, but Mr. Birch would not give them up, and he was very much ashamed.

Taken before us this 25th day of May 1876.

"SEEKYE

No. 5.

The mark of SEE LONG AHNOOM,

Bandar Bahru, May 25, 1876.

states:-I am the wife of "Seekootom," who was executed the other day, and lived at Passir Salah. I saw Mr. Birch on two or three occasions when he went to bathe at the floating bath of Lebby Bendeik. I did not see Mr. Birch murdered, but I was informed of it by some children.

About three days before the murder I saw a number of people collected, some on the ground, some in the bahlie; it was in the morning. Amongst the people present I saw Pandak Oondot, he is the brother-in-law of Maha Raja Lelab, Kooloop Allee, the nephew of Maha Raja Lelah, Enha Amat, the son-in-law (under sentence in the lock-up), See Gondah (under sentence in the lock-up), See Tuah, a slave of Maha Raja Lelah, Seekootoom, my husband, See Labam, the uncle of Maha Raja Lelah, See Makam, the uncle of Maha Raja Lelah, See Kooloop Bahteing, Enha Jabar, the brother of Maha Raja Lelah, Datoh Sayor, Maha Raja Seeramah, Toh Lelah Petrah, an old man a friend of the Toh Bandar, whose name I do not know, Raja Dein Moorwah of Salat Pulow,

Lelah and many others whom I do not know.

Rajwas passing on my way to the paddy field of Maha Raja Lelah, I stopped at the

side of the bahlie, I saw Pandah Oondoot reading a paper, Maha Raja Lelah had another

in his hand. paper

The Maha Raja Lelah saw me and threatened to break my head, so I went to my

work.

40235.

H