Mss Eur D199

Pieces relative to the Malay Peninsula.

1, pp. 1˗53: Mr Light regarding Queda. 1786. These

pages are really a separate volume bound in. Inside the

cover is the bookplate of Sir T. Stamford Raffles. The first

25 pages are occupied by copies of Letters to and from

Francis Light˗˗the rest being blank. Francis Light (1740˗

1794) became a trader at Junk Ceylon; took possession of

Pulo Penang on 11th August 1786 and was Superintendent

thereof till his death in 1794.[See A.F. Stewart’s A short sketch of the lives of Francis and William Light, the founder of Penang and Adelaide…. London, 1901] The present small collection

of copies of letters pertaining to Light consists of˗˗

(a) Five business letters of 1783 and 1784. These

relate to chartering vessels, insuring them, the purchase

of goods, &c. Light writes from Madras in August 1783,

to William Duff at Madepottam. The last of these letters

is from Alex Cutherbert to Cland Russell and says,

“I have sold to Captain Francis Light and James Glass

the value of Forty six thousand current Rupees of the

cloth provide by you.”

(b) pp. 9˗19: The following documents, relating to

Kedah, Salengore and Pulo Penang, belong to 1786 :˗˗

(i) p. 9: From the King of Queda. Recd 6 Feby

1786. “Whereas Captain Light Deva Raja came

here and informed us that our Friend requested

Pooloo Pinang, we have instantly given to our

Vakeel Captain Deva Raja to plant the Honble

Companys Royal English Flag upon Pooloo Pinang

a Place for Trade, and to repair your ships of War,

and for Refreshments wood & water ... 20 day

of the Moon Shaval in the year 1199 year Ha.”

(ii) p. 10: From the King of Salengore. Recd

Feby 6, 86. “Let our Friend send Captain Light

or Captain Forrest or Captn Scott or any other

Captain to Salengore that we may consult & fix

upon some means of Trading with the Buggesses,

and also that we may enter in alliance with our

Friend . . . also we request an English Flag

... done on the 22 day of the Moon Shabun 1199.”

(iii) pp. 11˗19: (? Francis Light) to the Honble

Governor General & Council. [n.d. and no signature.]

“Agreeable to the request of the G. Gen. at my

departure in the month of December 84, I made all

possible inquiries and procured every intelligence

relating to the Countrys to the Eastward.... (The

French) have obtained permission to make a settle-

ment in Cochin China.... The Revd Divine

visited Siam laid the Plan of a rebellion.... In

Novr 84 the Priest & Officers died suddenly at

Natoy 16 miles from Junksalang. On my arrival

there in Jany 85 the Letters & Musters were

delivered to me ... the French last July sent an

Ambassador to Ava . . . the king of Ava has

assembled a large Army to attack Siam. . . . At

the conclusion of the last war in 83 the Dutch sent

all their Force to attack the King of Rhio. . . .

The Dutch ... Wrote to the kings of Tringano

and Queda for assistance. The former joined them,

the latter declined. . .. There is no Part left for

You to choose but the small Kingdoms of Junk-

salang, Acheen & Queda. , .. The King of Queda

who now solicits Your Friendship and alliance and

has sent by me a Grant of the Island Pinang ....”

(c) pp. 23˗25: Four more copies letters to or from

Francis Light, of March 1786.

(i) Secretary Gen. Dep. to Capt. Francis Light.

Council Chamber, 13 March 1786. “The Hoñble

the Governor-General and Council having accepted

of Capt John Ritchie’s resignation of the Command

of the Hoñble Company’s Snow Eliza and appointed

you thereto. ...”

(ii) John Ritchie to Capt Francis Light. Calcutta,

14 Mch 1786. List of the Eliza’s stores.

(iii) (? Francis Light) to Capt Wm Lindesay.

Calcutta, 18 Mch 1786. “... make the best of

your way to Junksalang and deliver to Capt Scott

the accompanying letter, his goods and the two

Siamese. . .. When your business at Junksalang

is finished proceed to Queda. . .. If any accident

happen to me you will follow the orders of Capt Glass

joint owner ....”

(iv) F. L(ight) to his Excellency Lieut.-General

Sloper. Calcutta, 21 March ’86. “Understanding

that the Honble Companys Seapoys are unwilling

to go on board Ship ... I beg leave to offer the

following expedient. From the discharged Golanders

a Company of Volunteers may he picked. . .

Mr Gray an Officer in his Majesty’s Navy has

expressed an inclination for this service.”

2, pp. 57˗86: The Governor-General and Council to ...

Baron Van der Capellen. . .. Fort William, 26th June 1819.

“We have had the honor of receiving your Excellency’s

Dispatch of the 25th February, relating to the occupation

of a Post at Singapore by a British Detachment acting

under the Orders of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. . . .

After the designs of the Netherlandish Authorities had

become unambiguously manifest, we were desirous of forming

precautionary engagements with the independent Govern-

ments of Rhio, Lingin and Johor . . . we had issued

instructions to Sir T. S. Raffles directing him, if our Orders

should arrive in time, to desist from every attempt to form

a British Establishment in the Eastern Archipelago....

The proceedings of the Netherlandish Authorities have

created a strong impression on our minds that their pro-

ceedings have been actuated by a spirit of ambition, by

views of boundless aggrandizement, and especially by a

desire to obtain the power of monopolizing the Commerce

of the Eastern Archipelago, and of excluding us. . .. The

expediency of mutual forbearance until we receive the Orders

which our respective Governments in Europe may be expected

to transmit ....” [Copy.]

3, pp. 89˗105: Wm Farquhar to ... Sir T. S. Raffles ....

Singapore, 7th November 1822. “I ... transmit a Malay

Letter and Translation . . . accompanied with the Deposition

of Rajah Hadjie relative to a forcible seizure of the Regalia.

of Johore by the Dutch Authorities at Rhio about the 13th

Ultimo. . . .”

(a) Translation of a Malay letter recounting the

seizure of the Regalia by Mr Adrian Kock and others.

(b) Deposition of Raja Haji, giving similar information.

4, pp. 109˗116: (Baron) van der Capellan to ... Governor

General, &c., Calcutta. Batavia, 6 May 1823. He refers to

the letter of 26th June 1819 (No. 2 above). “It was reserved

for Sir Stamford Raffles, the author of so many difficulties

again to disturb the tranquillity. . .. A British Flag was

hoisted at Djohor . . . some portions of land have been sold

by Auction (at Singapore) ....”[Translation.]

5, pp. 117˗184: Observations on Article 7 in the 45th

number of the Edinburgh Review, professing to be a Review

of the Grammar and Dictionary of the Malayan language by

William Marsden, F.R s.; and entitled “History and Languages

of the Indian Islands.” This article is signed

“Jambulus” and dated “Java, 1st January 18l5.” There

is another copy in 242, 7.

The author writes, “I read with avidity, but to my

astonishment I found as I proceeded error upon error, con-

clusions without any facts to support them, and general views

laid down without Rhyme or reason. . .. If the limits of

this essay would admit, we should not hesitate to go through

the different specimens of Eastern Languages exhibited by

the Reviewers, and to prove how very superficial their

acquaintance with any of the Languages noticed, must

be ....” See Blagden’s Mack. MSS. Pr. 85, l.

6, pp. 189˗284: Considerations on the commerce and

policy in the Indian Archipelago. n.d W.M. 1817. (This

title is in pencil.) Begins, “The necessity of adopting a

more uniform and consistent plan for the security and super-

intendence of our Interests to the Eastward is generally

admitted; and as recent events at Penang & Bencoolen have

called for the immediate interposition of Superior Authorities,

the following suggestions on the subject are respectfully

submitted for consideration.” Ends, “Thus her capital would

be employed to open new channels of trade, to encourage

industry, and by diffusing wealth and exciting enterprize,

tend to promote the best interests of mankind, and would

resemble those sea-born clouds, which descending in showers

on her Indian Mountains, return in a thousand fertilising

streams to the source from whence they rose.”

The topics dealt with are: Failure of former establish-

ments; Penang, Ava, Siam, Cambodia, Cochin China,

Sumatra, Acheen, Bencoolen, Borneo: Celebes, Java, the

Moluccas, Phillippines, Chinese; Nature and objects of our

intercourse; Review of trade; Objects and policy; Principles

of reform; Plan proposed (as at Singapore); &c. Printed as

an Appendix to Lady Raffles’ Memoir.

7, pp. 285˗299: English, Matawai, Nias and Bugguese

vocabulary. About 350 words are given.

8, pp. 301˗387: Report of a Journey to the interior of the

Island of Sumatra 'b y Thos Barnes.

Begins, “Received instructions at Fort Marlbro’ dated 26th

August 1818 ... to cross the Island of Sumatra from Moco

Moco to Indragiri & Jambi Rivers. 29th August, A.M.

embarked at Mulbro, and on the 3d September arrived at

Moco Moco. . .. the 6th Mr Brockhuyzen, Assistant, who

had been directed to proceed with rne, arrived ....” Owing

to opposition, desertions from the escort, trouble with the

coolies and sickness they had to return from Pengkalan

Jambi and arrived back at Moko Moko on 16th December

1818.

The report gives topographical details, and some infor-

mation about the people; but is chiefly occupied with the

difficulties encountered. There are two coloured sketches

and a rough map of the part traversed.

The first part of the report is said to be printed in

Malayan Miscellanies, Vol. II. [“Account of a Journey from Moco-moco to Pengkalan Jambi,

through Korinchi, in 1818.” Malayan Miscellanies, II, vi. The

printed account goes up to 19th October only, i.e. to the arrival at

Pengkalan Jambi.] The second part consists of

a “Journal from Pengkalan Jambee towards Korinchi &

Moco Moco,” which is a brief itinerary with a few remarks.