CO882-(3-4) — Page 318

Abdullah postpones putting

about revenue until the deputa- tion returns.

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and that he had sent to me to say he was coming, but he should not go, but should not go to Battak Rabbit and say he could not see me. I shall write to him to say I am coming to Battak Rabbit to see him."

14th May." Pulled up in my boat to Durian Sebatang, and bis chop to the proclamations had a very friendly meeting with Sultan Abdullah. I reiterated all my old advice to him. He tells me he has sent Rajah Driss with a letter to the Governor to know how far he may govern. He wishes to delay putting his chop to the change of the taxes till Laxamana returns.

Mat Rouse, Mr. Bacon.

Mr. Birch meets the deputs- tion on its return to Penang.

"

་

17th May." Got to Battak Rabbit at half-past three. He kept me waiting an hour.”

28th May. (At Penang,) "I saw Laxamana and Rajah Driss who came up in the same steamer as Sir A. Clarke, and they gave me a correct account of their interview with Sir A. Clarke and also with Sir W. Jervois."

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8. That on or about the 6th November 1875, you sent for the use of the Maharajah Lela three boats containing 500 gantangs of rice, knowing at the time that he had just previously taken an active part in the murder of Mr. Birch, and was then preparing to attack the Residency.

9. That on or about the 10th day of November 1875, you took from Batts Rabit to Durian Sabatang a large number of arms and ammunition for the purpose of assisting the Maharajah Lela in resisting the British officers, and in attacking the Residency at Bandar Bahru.

10. That after the murder of the said Mr. Birch, you received and protected the Datu Sagor, and on or about the 10th March 1876, advised him to hide himself in the jungle, well knowing that he had taken-an active part in the murder of the said Mr. Birch.

The foregoing acts have been set out for the purpose of giving you an opportunity of denying and explaining them, and of explaining your connexion with the various persons who perpetrated the murder of Mr. Birch, and the outrage therewith

connected.

I am directed to inform you that his Excellency the Governor expects you to furnish me with a full answer and explanation in writing before the 7th day of October

next.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference:

TILTIC.O. 882

4PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

Enclosure 6.

COLONIAL Secretary to Sultan Abdullah.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Singapore, September 16, 1876.

SIR,

I AM directed by his Excellency the Governor to inform you that the evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the circumstances connected with the murder of Mr. Birch, late Her Britannic Majesty's Resident, Perak, shows that for some time before the deed was committed you were conspiring with certain chiefs of Perak and other persons to effect that murder, and to drive Mr. Birch's staff out of Perak, and that the murder of the British Resident and the other outrages therewith connected were actually committed under your authority and with your assistance. Further, that after the said murder was committed, you assisted and protected some of the perpetrators thereof.

The following are some of the overt acts alleged against you, viz. :--

1. That on or about the 22nd day of July 1875 you were present at Durian Sabatang at a meeting of various chiefs of Perak convened by you, when it was resolved to murder Mr. Birch; and you approved of the resolution, and discussed at the said meeting different suggestions for carrying it out; and at the same meeting you delivered papers to several of the chiefs authorising to murder Mr. Birch. 2. That shortly after the meeting mentioned in the preceding paragraph you sent one Nakadah Kekak to Penang to purchase 10 cases of muskets and 20 piculs of gunpowder, and such muskets and gunpowder were purchased, and by your directions distributed among certain chiefs of Perak for the purpose of carrying out the resolution before mentioned, and for the further purpose of driving the staff of the British Resident out of Perak,

3. That some time in the month of August 1875 you held meetings of Perak chiefs and others on three consecutive nights in your house at Batta Rabit, when mein berhantu was performed, and you and the said chiefs and others then discussed various plans for effecting the murder of the said Mr. Birch.

"

4. That on or about the 5th day of October 1875, at Passir Panjang, you delivered to the Maharajah Lela a written paper under your chop authorising him to kill the said Mr. Birch.

5. That on or about the 27th day of October 1875 you were present at Durian Sabatang at a meeting of the chief and other people of Perak convened by you, at which meeting it was resolved, that the said Mr. Birch should be killed at Passir Sallab, and at the same meeting you supplied arms and provisions to the Maharajah Lela, Datu Sagor, and Dyang Murrawah, for the purpose of enabling them to kill Mr. Birch.

6. That the said Mr. Birch was murdered at Passir Salak on the 2nd day of November

1875, and that this was done with your knowledge and under your authority.

7. That after the murder of the said Mr. Birch you were in friendly communication

with the Maharajah Lela, one of the murderers, and on or about the 5th day of November 1875, sent Along Nor and Wan Hussain to inform him that, though you could not then assist him openly, you would do so with money and pro- visions.

His Highness

SIB,

Sultan Abdullah Mahomed Shah,

Sultan of Perak.

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. DOUGLAS.

Enclosure 7.

SECRETARY.

SULTAN ABDULLAH to COLONIAL

Singapore, October 6, 1876. We forward for the information of his Excellency the Governor, the following answers to the charges preferred against us (in connexion with the murder of Mr. Birch) in your letter of the 16th September 1876.

I. In the month of July 1875, we were residing at Quallah Kintah. On or about the 18th July, we left Quallah Kintah for Kota Stea in order to meet Mr. Birch and Captain Kim Cheng, to make arrangements for the collection of the revenue, and to settle the annual sums to be paid to the different chiefs. On our way to Kota Stea it was necessary for us to pass Durian Sabatang. We anchored at that place outside in the anchorage for one or two hours, as the tide was running strongly up the river. We did not land there, we attended no meeting of chiefs there; nor did we receive any chiefs on board our boat. Mr. Birch's boat, the “ Quedah," on board which he went to Kota Stea, was anchored there at the same time. We weighed anchor about an hour before sunset, and Mr. Birch's steamer followed and passed us. We arrived at Kota Stes on or about the 20th July, and remained there four or five days. From Kota Stes we went to Batta Rabbit. We never either at Durian Sabatang or elsewhere delivered any papers to any chiefs authorising them to murder Mr. Birch, nor did we ever hold or attend any meeting at which his murder was discussed or resolved upon.

2. Since the date of the treaty of Pangkore, we have never sent Nacodah Kekah (Ketek ?) or any one else to Penang, to purchase muskets and ammunition, nor since that date have such been purchased with our knowledge or by our authority.

3. We never held at Bata Rabbit or elsewhere any meeting of Perak chiefs and others during the mouth of August 1875, to discuss plans for the murder of Mr. Birch. We had been informed during that month, or shortly before, that his Excellency the Governor intended visiting our country, and we consulted and prepared measures for his reception with our principal officers, the Datu Laxamana, the Duta Shahbandar, and Rajah Makotah. In the month of June 1875, one of our children was sick at Batta Rabbit, and on that occasion according to our customs "Meinbabantu " took place, but between that occasion and the death of Mr. Birch no such performance took place.

"4. We never at any time delivered to the Maharajah Lela a written paper under our chop authorising him to murder Mr. Birch, nor have we ever written or caused to be written to him any paper respecting Mr. Birch.

Some papers with forged chops of ours have, as we believe his Excellency is aware, been found in Perak, three of which we delivered to Mr. Davidson. knowledge that some considerable time ago one of our subjects, Hajee Mahomed Syed,

F 2

It came to our