the golden chersonese and the way thither-第60章

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surveying　wild　land；　and　rebuilding　and　draining　mining　towns；　are
being　carried　on　energetically。　It　has　been　found；　after　long　and
carefully…conducted　experiments；　that　the　lower　mountains　of　Perak　are
admirably　suited　for　the　growth　of　tea；　cinchona；　and　Arabian　coffee；
while　Liberian　coffee　grows　equally　well　on　the　lower　lands。　Coffee
appears　to　be　so　nearly　〃played　out〃　in　Ceylon；　that　many
coffee…planters　have　been　〃prospecting〃　in　Perak；　and　now　that　the
Government　of　India　has　consented　to　the　importation　of　Indian　coolie
labor　into　the　State；　under　certain　restrictions；　as　an　experimental
measure；　a　future　of　coffee　may　be　predicted　with　tolerable　certainty。
One　of　the　causes　for　satisfaction　in　connection　with　this　State　is
that　the　Malays　themselves　are　undoubtedly　contented　with　British　rule；
and　are　prospering　under　it。　Crime　of　any　kind　in　the　Malay　districts
is　very　rare。　The　〃village　system〃　works　well；　and　the　courts　of　law
conduct　their　business　with　an　efficiency　and　economy　which　compare
favorably　with　the　transactions　of　our　colonial　courts；　English　law　is
being　gradually　introduced　and　gives　general　satisfaction；　and　the
native　Rajahs　are　being　trained　to　administer　even…handed　justice
according　to　its　provisions；　and　at　the　same　time　without　trenching
upon　Malay　religion　and　custom。　　Slavery　and　debt　bondage；　which；　as
hitherto　practiced　in　Perak；　have　involved　evils　and　cruelties　which
are　unknown　to　any　but　those　who　have　actually　lived　in　the　State；
will；　it　is　hoped；　be　abolished　by　equitable　arrangement　in　1883。
Various　difficulties　remain　to　be　settled；　the　large　Chinese　element；
with　its　criminal　tendencies；　requires　great　firmness　of　dealing；　and
the　introduction　of　foreign　capital　and　an　additional　form　of　alien
labor　may　lead　to　new　perplexities；　but　on　the　whole　the　outlook　for
Perak　and　its　people　is　a　favorable　one；　especially　if　the　present
Resident；　Mr。　Hugh　Low；　is　able　to　remain　to　continue　his　task　of
developing　the　resources；　settling　the　difficulties；　and　consolidating
the　well…being　of　the　State。

Nothing　is　known　of　the　early　settlement　of　Perak。　It　was　formerly
tributary　to　the　Malay　sovereigns　of　Malacca；　and　afterward　to　those　of
Acheen；　to　whom　the　Perak　Sultans　sent　gold　and　silver　flowers　as
tribute。　Siam　has　also　at　different　times　asserted　sovereign　rights　and
demanded　tribute；　but　the　Siamese　were　expelled　in　1822　with　the　help
of　Rajah　Ibrahim；　the　warlike　chief　of　the　neighboring　State　of
Selangor。　The　Government　was　a　despotism；　administered　during　the　last
three　centuries　by　Sultans　who　were　connected　with　the　ruling　dynasties
of　Johore　and　Acheen。

Our　connection　with　Perak　began　in　1818　by　a　commercial　treaty　between
the　East　India　Company　and　the　Sultan；　the　chief　object　of　which　was　to
circumvent　the　Dutch　on　the　subject　of　tin。　By　another　treaty；　in　1826；
it　was　agreed　that　the　Sultan　should　govern　his　country　according　to
his　own　will；　that　no　force　should　be　sent　either　by　Siam　to　〃molest；
attack；　or　disturb〃　Perak；　and　while　it　was　stipulated　that　the　Siamese
should　not　attack　or　disturb　Selangor；　the　English　engaged　not　to　allow
Selangor　to　attack　or　disturb　Perak。

So　things　jogged　along　till　1871；　when　the　Sultan　died；　and　the　Rajahs；
passing　over　two　men　who　by　blood　were　nearest　to　the　throne；　elected
Ismail；　an　old　and　somewhat　inoffensive　man。　Three　years　of　intrigue
followed；　and　many　singular　complications；　which　would　be　quite
uninteresting　to　the　general　reader；　and　they　furnished　no　excuse　for
English　interference。

It　is　singular　that　the　fall　of　Perak　as　an　independent　State　was
brought　about　by　what　may　be　called　a　civil　war　among　the　Chinese；　who
in　1871　were　estimated　at　thirty　thousand；　and　were　principally　engaged
in　tin…mining　in　Larut。　These　Chinamen　were　divided　into　two
sectionsthe　Go　Kwans　and　the　Si　Kwans；　and　a　few　months　after　Sultan
Ismail　was　elected；　a　dispute　arose　between　the　factions。　　Both　parties
flew　to　arms；　and　were　aided　with　guns；　ammunition；　military　stores；
and　food　from　Pinang；　Pinang　Chinese　having　previously　supplied　the
capital　needed　for　working　the　mines。　The　settlement　was　kept　in
perpetual　hot　water；　its　trade　languished；　and　in　return　for　military
equipments　the　Chinese　of　Larut　sent　over　two　thousand　wounded　and
starving　men。　The　Mentri；　the　Malay　〃Governor〃　of　Larut；　although　aided
by　Captain　Speedy　and　a　force　of　well…drilled　troops　recruited　by　him
in　India；　and　possessing　four　Krupp　guns；　was　powerless　to　restore
order；　and　Larut　was　destroyed；　being　absolutely　turned　into　a
wilderness；　in　which　all　but　three　houses　had　been　burned；　and；　while
the　Malays　had　fled；　the　surviving　Si　Kwans　were　living　behind
stockades；　while　those　of　the　faction　opposed　to　that　with　which　the
Mentri　and　his　Commander…in…Chief；　Captain　Speedy；　had　allied
themselves；　were　living　on　the　products　of　orchards　from　which　their
owners　had　been　driven；　and　on　booty；　won　by　a　wholesale　system　of
piracy　and　murder；　practiced　not　only　on　the　Perak　waters　but　on　the
high　seas。

The　war　waged　between　the　two　parties　threatened　to　become　a　war　of
extermination；　horrible　atrocities　were　perpetrated　on　both　sides；　and
it　is　said　and　believed　that　as　many　as　three　thousand　belligerents
were　slain　on　one　day　early　in　the　disturbances。　If　the　course　of
prohibiting　the　export　of　munitions　of　war　had　been　persevered　the
strife　would　have　died　a　natural　death；　but　the　Mentri　made
representations　which　induced　the　authorities　of　the　Straits　to　accord
a　certain　degree　of　support　to　himself　and　the　Si　Kwans；　by　limiting
the　prohibition　to　his　enemies　the　Go　Kwans。　Things　at　last　became　so
intolerable　in　Larut；　and　as　a　consequence　in　Pinang；　that　the　Governor
of　the　Straits　Settlements；　Sir　A。　Clarke；　thought　it　was　time　to
interfere。　During　these　disturbances　in　Larut；　Lower　Perak　and　the
Malays　generally　were　living　peaceably　under　Ismail；　their　elected
Sultan。　Abdullah；　who　was　regarded　as　his　rival；　was　a　fugitive；　with
neither　followers；　money；　nor　credit。　He　had；　however；　friends　in
Singapore；　to　one　of　whom；　Kim　Cheng；　a　well…known　Chinaman；　he　had
promised　a　lucrative　appointment　if　he　would　prevail　on　the　Straits
authorities　to　recognize　him　as　Sultan。　Lord　Kimberley　had　previously
instructed　the　Governor　to　consider　the　expediency　of　introducing　the
〃Residential　system〃　into　〃any　of　the　Malay　States；〃　and　the　occasion
soon　presented　itself。

An　English　merchant　in　Singapore　and　Kim　Cheng　drafted　a　letter　to　the
Governor；　which　Abdullah　signed；　in　which　this　chief　expressed　his
desire　to　place　Perak　under　British　protection；*　and　〃to　have　a　man　of
sufficient　abilities　to　show　him　a　good　system　of　government。〃　Sir　A。
Clarke；　thus　appealed　to；　went　to　Pulo　Pangkor；　off　the　Perak　coast；
summoned　the　Chinese　head　men　and　the　Malay　chiefs　to　meet　him　there；
and　so　effectively　reconciled　the　former；　who　were　bound　over　to　keep
the　peace；　that　they　were　not　again　heard　of。　The　Governor　stated　to
the　Malay　chief　and　Abdullah　that　it　was　the　duty　of　England　to　take
care　that　the　proper　person　in　the　line　of　succession　was　chosen　for
the　throne。　He　inquired　if　there　were　any　objection　to　Abdullah；　and　on
none　being　made；　the　chiefs　signed　a　paper　dictated　by　Sir　A。　Clarke；
since　known　as　the　〃Pangkor　Treaty。〃　Its　articles　deposed　Ismail；
created　Abdullah　Sultan；　ceded　two　tracts　of　territory　to　England；　and
provided　that　the　new　ruler　should　receive　an　English　Resident　and
Assistant　Resident；　whose　salaries　and　expenses　should　be　the　first
charge　on　the　revenue　of　the　country；　whose　counsel　must　be　asked　and
〃acted　upon〃　on　all　questions　other　than　those　of　religion　and　custom；
and　under　whose　advice　the　collection　and　control　of　all　revenues　and
the　general　administration　should　be　regulated。　After　the　signing　of
this　treaty　piracy　ceased　in　the　Perak　waters；　and　Larut　was　repeopled
and　became　settled　and　prosperous。　　
＇*Abdullah　informs　〃our　friend〃　Sir　W。　Jervois；　that　his　position　and
that　of　Perak　are　〃in　a　most　deplorable　state；〃　that　there　are　two
Sultans　between　whom　no　arrangement　can　be　made；　that　the　revenues　are
badly　ra