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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

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C.O. 882

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

3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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occupied and destroyed the village. He then returned to Enggar and reached Qualla Kangsa the same afternoon.

Brigadier-General Ross reports that these operations have led to the entire dispersal of this band of lawless marauders and murderers, who have long been the terror of the upper part of the State of Perak.

6. As stated in paragraph 5 of my Despatch, No. 17 of 14th January, I attach no political significance to the disturbances which have been made by these Kota Lama Malays.

I have, &c.

(Signed) WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,

SIB,

&c.

&c.

&c.

Qualla Kangsa, January 23, 1876.

I HAVE the honour to furnish the following account of the operations against Kota Lama on the 20th instant, which I briefly reported to his Excellency the Governor by telegram on that date.

I have purposely delayed the present report in order to be able to fully inform his Excellency as to the loss of the enemy and the general result of the expedition.

On the morning of the 20th instant a party of troops, consisting of 120 men, H.M.'s 3rd Regiment ("the Buffs") and 20 men, 1st Goorkhas, under the command of Major Morley. "The Buffe" crossed the river at Sayong before daylight.

I accompanied this party with a few Malays, one of them a guide whom I obtained through the Raja Muda.

Brigadier-General Ross proceeded to Kota Lama (right bank) with 50 men "the He was accompanied by Captain Buffs," and 20 men Royal Artillery, with two guns. Speedy, Assistant Resident, Larut.

Fire was opened with the guns from the right bank of the river, upon the temporary encampment which has been occupied by the Kota Lama Malays since the 5th instant.

This was the signal for firing to commence from the boats of the Naval Brigade, under Captain Garforth, R.N., and from the camp at Qualla Kangsa.

As soon as the fire ceased, the party on the left bank of the river under Major Morley, At one place four began to march northwards from Sayong, keeping well inland. or five armed Malays were seen running away, and one of them (Ngah Hassan) was No others were encountered, though three or four times in the course of the march a shot was fired from the jungle on the rear guard, showing that some of the enemy were not far off. All the houses met with were burned, with the exception of three or four

shot.

at Kandang, the owners of which have joined the Rajah Muda.

The enemy were found to have made their huts close to the spot where they made their attack on the 4th instant. These were surrounded by a strong palisade. The place was destroyed, and the party then returned to camp, which was reached by the middle of the day.

The boats which had been used by the enemy in their repeated marauding expeditions across the river were brought away with the exception of one which was burnt by Captain Garforth's party.

As yet, I have only heard of one man being killed by the artillery fire (Si Aujang bin Bilal Dongun), but it is not easy to get accurate information from Malays regarding their casualties.

As far as I can learn the moral effect of the attack has been excellent. The Malays, who were not prepared to find the range of our guns so great, are moving higher up the river and breaking up into small parties. There are not many of them who are really anxious to carry on a hopeless contest, and I have had several hints within the last few days that some would be willing to surrender themselves if they were not afraid of being put to death.

The names of those most deeply concerned in the recent murders on the Larut Road have been furnished to me, and I propose to endeavour to get them through the instru- mentality of some of the less guilty.

I have circulated notices offering the following rewards for the members of the gang recently assembled at Kota Lama under Toh Sri Lela. For leaders, $200; for headmen, $100; for others, $50 each.

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If no surrender is made, I would propose to use native auxiliaries (the Rajah Muda's men, Captain Speedy's Menanghabow Malays, and my own men) to follow them up to their retreats at Prek, Pariang, Enggar, Jerow, and elsewhere.

The Honourable The Colonial Secretary.

I have, &c.

(Signed) W. E. MAXWELL, Deputy Commissioner.

P.S.-A stockade has been commenced at Kota Lama (right bank) which, when finished, will be occupied by Police and Larut Malays. A gang of 25 Chinese are now at work on it.

W. E. M.

(Signed)

COPY of a LETTER, No. 303, dated Qualla Kangsa, February 6, 1876, from Brigadier- General Ross, C.B., Commanding Larut Field Force, to Major-General COLBORNE, C.B., Commanding Forces, Straits Settlements.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to submit the following report of operations against the Malays on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th February 1876.

The people of Kota Lama on the left bank of the River Perak having for some time past and continuing to give much annoyance, on the arrival of the 1st Goorkhas I determined on the following operations.

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I was further induced to carry out these movements, as although the village of Kota Lama, on the left bank, the head-quarters of these people, had been destroyed, they had moved their fighting men a little further up the river occupying the villages" Kladang' and "Enggar" whilst their families had been sent to "Prek" about two miles inland from Enggar." From "Enggar" and "Kiadang" they crossed the Perak river and continued to keep the country on this side in a disturbed state whilst they interfered with my line of communications between this and Bukit Gantang, small gangs of them hanging about the road, attacking and murdering individuals and small detached parties, and I was aware that I could not expect the country to settle down or my communications to remain uninterrupted so long as "Toh Sri Lela" and his men held together at the villages of " Enggar" and "Prek," which last was their main stronghold.

On Wednesday the 2nd February some 100 followers of Raja Muda and Bendahara were to cross the Perak river at " Seyong" and proceed well inshore up the right bank to Chiga Qualla, they were there to reoross the river and make for the village of "Sawa" belonging to Syed Abbas. It was expected they would reach this village on the 3rd February, on which date I had arranged that 100 men of the 1st Goorkhas under Colonel Hill should proceed from the village of "Seyong" by a path across the hills to the village of "Prek."

At the same time another detachment of 50 men of the 1st Goorkhas under Captain Barnett should proceed up the left bank of the Perak river to "Enggar," where their instructions were, after destroying "Enggar," to stand fast until joined by Colonel Hill from "Prek."

To co-operate with these columns the Naval Brigade were to go up the river on the left flank of Captain Barnett's detachment, with their gun and 24-pounder rocket boats. Another column of the Buffs of 100 men under Colonel Cox with a detachment of Royal Artillery and one gun and a 9-pounder rocket trough, to push up the right bank of the Perak river parallel to Captain Barnett.

Some 60 men of the Raja Muda's crossed on the 2nd instant and proceeded as arranged, and 30 or 40 others late in the evening proceeded in three boats up the river. These men poled up as far as Kota Lama, which was destroyed the other day, when they were hailed from the left bank and one boat proceeded in. They were told by these men (Kota Lama men, supposed to be some 70 or 80 in number) that they intended fighting, and if they proceeded they would be fired on. Rajah Muda's people in the boats being unwilling

to hasten matters, without orders from Mr. Maxwell, accordingly returned to Qualla Kangsa the same evening and reported matters. They were ordered to proceed up and if necessary force their way up the following morning. This they did and were not molested and to give them time I put off till the 4th the movement of the different columns above notified.

;

About 2 p.m. on the 3rd a messenger came over from Seyong from Raja Muda saying that "Toh Sri Lela" with 40 armed men had come down to his stockade, demanded admittance and an interview with Raja Muda, that he was willing to surrender.

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