1898.] on Sir Stamford Baffles and the Malay States. 761 



importance under the British flag. On 29th February,* 1819, he 

 hoisted the Union Jack at Singapore, and in the nearly eighty years 

 that have since elapsed, the evidence as to the value and importance 

 of what Sir Stamford Raffles acquired for us has been steadily 

 increasing, and with every prospect of further development. We can 

 see with our own eyes by its geographical position the magnitude of 

 its trade, the prosperity of its settlers, of what momentous import- 

 ance Singapore is to the British Empire. Survey the ring of 

 British stations that girdle the globe, and I doubt if there is one 

 more indispensable for our security. But Baffles saw these things 

 in anticipation. Singapore was a barren spot with few inhabitants 

 and one small block-house erected in haste, when he wrote, "it 

 has been my good fortune to establish this station in a position 

 combining every possible advantage, geographical and local," and 

 again, " you will be happy to hear that the station of Singapore con- 

 tains every advantage — geographical and local — that we can desire, 

 an excellent harbour which I was the first to discover, capital facilities 

 for defence to shipping if necessary, and the port in the direct track 

 of the China trade; we have a flag at St. John's, and every ship 

 passing through the Straits must go within half-a-mile of it." These 

 expressions of opinion, written within a few days of the hoisting of 

 the British flag at Singapore, will show what its founder thought of 

 its future. It will suffice for me to say that all, and more than all, he 

 foretold has been fully realised. 



That is how we obtained Singapore. Let me tell you in a few 

 words how nearly we lost it. You have seen how quickly Raffles 

 acted. Within seven weeks of his sailing from the Ganges he had 

 planted the Union Jack at Singapore. Those were the days of slow 

 sailing ships. Three weeks were taken in the voyage to Penang, 

 another three weeks were passed at Penang, and less than a week 

 sufficed for this energetic man to visit and reject the Carimonos and 

 to occupy Singapore by treaty with the Sultan of Johore. It was 

 well that Raffles acted with this promptitude, for on the receipt of a 

 despatch from Lord. Hastings to the effect that he intended to employ 

 Raffles on a special mission to the Straits, the Secret Committee sent 

 out a furious despatch forbidding his employment, and declaring that 

 "any difference with the Dutch will be created by Sir Stamford 

 Raffles' intemperance of conduct and language." These official 

 attacks so far influenced Lord Hastings that on 20th February, 1819, 

 he sent orders to Raffles to give up the plan of founding a port and 

 to return to Bencoolen. Fortunately before that despatch was even 

 penned the matter had been settled, and Lord Hastings supported 

 the fait accompli. The Dutch protested and indulged in a paper 

 war, which, as Raffles throughout predicted, was all they could do. 

 The arguments and facts were against them ; but, if there had been 

 telegraphs or even steamers in those days, Raffles would never 



♦ The anniversary is now kept on the 6th February. 



