RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1972 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gm80qf99h RAJA JAMES BROOKE AND SARAWAK 37 France, and in 1859 he "broke off" relations with Britain, upon which the Foreign Secretary, Lord Russell commented,12 Tell Brooke that the people of Sarawak are welcome to any independence they can achieve and maintain but that a British subject cannot throw off his allegiance at pleasure. And Spencer St. John noted13 that "the Raja's correspondence during this year with Her Majesty's Government was not pleasant, and ended, apparently, in complete estrangement”. Over the years Brooke had acquired a respectable following of supporters in Britain and Singapore, among whom were some influential figures such as Lord Grey, Bishop Wilberforce of Oxford, and the late Victorian philanthropist, Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts, later Baroness Burdett-Coutts. His friends now took up his cause and lobbied Whitehall from the Prime Minister's office down. Britain refused to extend a colonial or protectorate status to Sarawak on practical political grounds. Henry Layard, an under-secretary in the Foreign Office, wrote that a protectorate was declined because of the "inconvenience of such relations between this country and a foreign territory", because Sarawak “would not be of sufficient value politically and commercially", and because Brooke's title was not "sufficiently clear"14 Brooke's friends persuaded the Government to have another look at Sarawak, and in 1861 Lord Elgin, who was about to depart as the new viceroy of India, was instructed to investigate the prospects and potential of Sarawak. He delegated the task to Colonel Cavenagh, Governor of the Straits Settlements. In due course Cavenagh and Elgin provided an optimistic assessment of Raja Brooke's state and suggested making Sarawak a lieutenant-governorship under Singapore. "I am disposed to think", wrote Lord Elgin,15 that the acquisition of Saigon by the French and the persistent endeavor of the Dutch authorities to cripple British trade... give enhanced importance to the preservation of the independence of Sarawak as a matter affecting British interests.' 12 See correspondence between the Foreign Office and Raja Brooke between 26 November and 17 December 1859, FO12/35. 13 Spencer St. John, Life of Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, (Edinburgh, 1879) p. 327. 14 Layard memorandum to Lord Elgin, 2 January 1862, FO12/35. 15 Elgin to Russell, 8 January 1863, FO12/35. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1973 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8910rj06r 158 NOTES AND QUERIES 22. 1865 Oct. 24 SACRAMENTO W.H. Nelson San Francisco to Hong Kong: London & San Francisco Bank Ltd. to Augustine Heard & Co. 85 7 boxes refined silver bars weighing 14225 ounces Troy 23. 1866 Feb. 2 100 BENEFACTOR Gordon Berry New York to Hong Kong: W.H. Smith & Son to order 35 casks and 5 bbls merchandise 24. 1866 March 13 VALETTA Charles Cavanagh San Francisco to Foochow: Macondray & Co. to Augustine Heard & Co. 600 quarter sacks flour 50 twenty hoop barrels flour 50 Cases bread 20 boxes maccaroni 20 boxes vermacelli 25. 1866 April 18 LUBRA San Francisco to Hong Kong: Benjamin P. Howes Dibblee & Hyde to Augustine Heard & Co. One sealed box containing 800 Mexican dollars 26. 1866 April 25 JEANIE W.C. Dunham New-York to Hong Kong: L.M. Murray Co, to Augustine Heard & Co. 50 cases oysters 27. 1866 May 14 JEANIE W.C. Dunham New-York to Hong Kong: Jas. Nickerson & Co. to Thomas Hunt & Co. 150 barrels flour 28. 1866 May 14 JEANIE W.C. Dunham New York to Hongkong: M.C.G. With to order 29 cases merchandize "Contents unknown. Goods to be received at ship's tackle when ready... 29. 1866 May 30 SUWONADA Jayne Shanghae to Hong Kong: Russell & Co. to same 113 pkgs merchandise "Copy" ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1973 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8910rj06r 160 38. 1873 June 30 NOTES AND QUERIES CYPHRENES Samuel Stephen San Francisco to Hong Kong: Williams, Blanchard & Co. to Augustine Heard & Co. 12 cases Downers Oil 6 cases whiskey one keg butter one keg pigs feet 4 pkgs herrings one case carriage one case butter 5 kegs pork 5 kegs tongues 5 kegs salmon 10 kits mackerel INDEX TO MCMULLEN COLLECTION Names of ships in CAPITALS; names of ship's masters in italics. The numbers refer to item numbers in the Calendar. Alexander & Co. 3 CASSADOR 4, 12 Allen, W. 2 Cavanagh, C. 24 ANN 2 Clark, J.S. 17 Anfião de Malva* 4, 5, 12 Coleman, N. 20 Arcachande, Caramachande 12 CONDE DE RIO PARDO 11 ARIEL 13 Cotton 1, 31 Ashburner & Co. 21 CUMBERLAND 7 AUBURN Beef, Extra mess Begodin, A. 34, 36 Cumsingmoon* 13 Cutch* 6 16 CYPHRENES 38 32 BENEFACTOR 23 Damão 4, 5, 11, 12 Berry, G. 23 Dibblee & Hyde 25 Bombay 37 Dollars, Mexican 15, 25 see also Hooghly, River DOM MANUEL DE PORTUGAL 5 Boston 18 Brandy 19 Downers oil 38 Bread 24 Dundas, A. D. 21 Budroodeen (Abadeen) & Co. 37 Dunham, W. C. 16, 27, 28, 35 Bull, Purdon & Co. Burt, J. 32 13 Encarnacão, L. d' 11 Butter 38 Everett (T.B.) & Co. 18, 19 Byramjee, Cowasjee 2 FALCON 9 Calcutta 21 Flour 24, 27 Canton 1, 3, 7 Foochow 24 Carriage (presumably horsedrawn) 38 Fungus FUSI-YAMA 33 21 *See notes at end of index ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-2002 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mp4901278 19 from Pitt's India Act. The EIC accordingly found itself guaranteeing some states protection from attacks, or pledging to uphold boundary settlements. (Thio, supra, p xvi-xvii) There were cases of intervention for example, in Kedah, Perak and Selangor, brought about by Robert Fullerton, Burney, Anderson and James Low: When Robert Fullerton was governor of the Straits Settlements in 1824, he completely reversed the earlier British attitude of giving in to the claims of Siam, thus embarking on protection and expansion of British interests in the Malay Peninsula by checking Siamese attempts at extending their influence over the northern Malay states. Thus, when Ligor prepared to invade Perak and Selangor in 1825, he sent a Penang squadron to patrol the river mouths to prevent any attacks. (Mills L A, British Malaya 1824-1867, Chap 8 p 141; other examples of intervention included the following: Burney's Preliminary Treaty with Ligor in 1825. (Mills, Ibid, Chap 8 p 143-146); the Anderson Treaty (involving Selangor and Perak) in 1825. (Mills, Ibid, Chap 8, p 145-146; Purcell, supra, Chap 6, p 70) The Burney Treaty of 1826 saw British attempts to secure independence for Selangor and Perak (Newbold, British Settlements in the Straits of Malacca Vol. 2 p 26); and later, the Low Treaty of 1826 promised British assistance in maintaining Perak's independence. These two treaties had more effect on the Malay States than any other treaties, the greatest consequence being a marked ending of Siamese southward ambitions, and thus securing the British position in expanding further into the Malay States at a later stage. However, signing these treaties showed non-compliance with Pitt's India Act. Thus, where Low's Treaty was concerned, the Supreme Government continued for some time to condemn it as unauthorised and never really ratified it. In effect, the intervention in the Malay States was still somewhat restricted by the Government's policy. (Mills, Op Cit. Chap 8 p 162) Other examples include Fullerton's challenge of Ligor's claim to the Kurau District in 1826, and the Burney Treaty of 1826 after which the British ceased to intervene in Kedah. (Mills, Ibid. Chap 8 pp 160-161) Other examples of intervention included those in Naning and Sungei Ujong: The British fought the Naning War in 1831-2 to establish British right to collection of revenue in Naning. In Sungei Ujong, the British squadron was called in 1857 to destroy the village of Pengkalan Kempas, in order to punish the chiefs who had been extorting British subjects. And again in 1860, Governor Cavenagh ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-2002 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mp4901278 20 intervened to prevent the chiefs of Rembau and Sungei Ujong from levying illegal duties on British merchants. However, these cases of intervention were brought about by individuals such as Governor Cavenagh who deviated from the Government's non-intervention policy. In cases like the Naning War for instance, the Supreme Government did express their unwillingness to extend territory. (Mills, supra, Chap 7 p 127) Thus the Calcutta Government did play an inactive role in these cases which they disapproved of, and from these examples, it could be argued that the merchants had reasonable grounds for their complaint to the House of Commons. Further examples would include the British intervention in Pahang where a civil war had broken out between Wan Ahmad and Wan Mutahir. The Siamese intervened and later it was followed by Trengganu's involvement. This greatly disrupted the trade of British merchants there. Thus, this led to the bombardment of Trengganu by the British in 1862. The motives were partly to protect British trade, but the main reason was to check Siamese aggression. Even then the British bombardment was a violation of the Burney Treaty and the governor's action was highly condemned. (Mills, supra, pp 167 - 173) 55 Thio, supra, p xvi - xvii 56 for example, the disturbance of the Larut wars which continued into the 1870s and was further complicated with the succession disputes there. (Mills, supra, Chap 9, p 180) 57 Hall, supra, p 512 58 as compared to the period after 1874 59 In Selangor, the disturbances of the Klang war and frequent piracy along the coast led to British intervention in 1871. These cases of piracy later served as an excuse for the British to intervene officially in Selangor in 1874, (Mills, Ibid, p 241 - 242) 60 The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce, supra; Buckley, supra, p 756 61 this point should be read in the context of the chapter as a whole, because the problems discussed are associated heavily with this issue 62 Mills, supra, p 90 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-2002 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mp4901278 23 86 they were considered a bad influence by Sir Richard MacCulloch, Recorder of Singapore 1856-66, and merchants and Grand Juries made "vague accusations from time to time" (Turnbull, supra (on convicts), p 99) *for example, between 1830 and 1850, more than 1500 Thugs were sent to Singapore and Penang, and they played a prominent part in the Dusserah and Muharram festivals, turning them into the rowdy display of hooliganism they became by the middle of the century.' (Turnbull, supra (on convicts), p 100) 88 for example, transportation of convicts to the Straits Settlements were put to an end in 1860 (Annual retrospect for 1860 in SFP 10 Jan 1861) 89 for example, Governor Cavenagh took a personal interest in the convict administration, the health of the convicts improved, death rates fell with more attention paid to their diet; better supervision, incentive bonuses enhanced their efficiency 90 1857 riots "1 albeit that their fears were groundless in most instances BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources: Hansard Parliamentary Debates 3rd ser, cxlix, (986 - 996) Parliamentary Papers, 1862, xl (House of Commons) The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce Singapore Free Press CO273 series (Straits Settlements, Original Correspondence) Straits Settlements Records (Microfilm 139, 141, 142, 184) Treaties: Treaty of 6 February 1819 (Johore 1819) (Treaties with Native States, Part III) Treaty of Friendship and Alliance between the EIC and the Sultan of Johore (1824) (Treaties with Native States Part III) Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Alliance of 1800 (Treaties with Native States, Part I) Page 90 Page 91 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-2002 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mp4901278 25 225 Cady, John F, 1964, Southeast Asia: Its Historical Development, McGraw Hill, New York Cameron, J. (1865) 1965, Our Tropical Possessions in Malayan India, Kuala Lumpur Campbell, Persia Cranford, 1923, Chinese Coolie Emigration to Countries within the British Empire, PS King & Son, London Cavenagh, O, 1844, Reminiscences of an Indian Official, London Cavenagh, O, 1867, Report on the Progress of the Straits Settlements from 1859 - 60 to 1866 - 67, Singapore Chan, Helena H M, 1986, An Introduction to the Singapore Legal System, Malayan Law Journal Pte Ltd, Singapore Chiang Hai Ding, 1966, 'The Origins of the Malayan Currency System', JMBRAS, xxxix, no 1, 1-18 Collis, Maurice, 1966, Raffles, Faber and Faber, London Comber, Leon, 1961, The Traditional Mysteries of Chinese Secret Societies in Malaya, Eastern Universities Press, Singapore Coupland, Sir Reginald, 1946, Raffles of Singapore, Collins, London Cowan, 1950, 'Early Penang and the Rise of Singapore 1805 - 1832', JMBRAS, xxiii Coyajee, JC, 1930, The Indian Currency System, Madras Crawfurd, J, 1967, History of the Indian Archipelago, Cass, London Davidson, G F, 1846, Trade and Travel in the Far East, London Desai, Tripta, 1984, The East India Company, A Brief Survey from 1599 to 1857, Kanak Publications, New Delhi De Vere Allen, J, 1968, "The Colonial Office and the Malay States, 1867 - 73', JMBRAS, xxxvi, no 1, 1 – 36 ================================================================================