34 Life of Sir Stamford Raffles. 



furnished by his competitors, so complete as far as accessible 

 sources could supply materials, so well adapted in its plans to 

 existing circumstances, and so masterly in political views, that the 

 arrangements recommended by its author were adopted by the 

 Government, with little or no variation. Pursuant to the scheme 

 of action now determined upon, Mr. R. was appointed Agent of 

 the Governor-General to the Malay States ; and he proceeded to 

 Malacca, where the proposed expedition for the conquest of the 

 Dutch settlements was to rendezvous, on its route to Jav^a. 



The Armament was fitted out in the various ports of India, by 

 the command of the Governor-General ; it consisted, in vessels of 

 all descriptions, both European and Native, of ninety sail ; and it 

 arrived in the straits of Malacca in the month of June, 1811. A 

 diflference of opinion existed as to the best course to be pursued : 

 it was ultimately determined to follow that pointed out by Mr. 

 RafBes, and the result was that the entire expedition reached the 

 shores of Java without a casualty. Mr. R. proceeded thither 

 with Lord Minto, in the official capacity above named, and also 

 as his private secretary ; together with Dr. Leyden, who having 

 accompanied the Earl from Calcutta, was busied in the translation 

 of the letters that had been received from the different Malay 

 rajahs, and in dictating proclamations to send forward in the Native 

 languages of the countries they were approaching. Early in Au- 

 gust, the expedition appeared before the city of Batavia, the chief 

 settlement of the Dutch in Java. On the 4th, the army landed at 

 a village six miles to the eastward of Batavia, aud in four days 

 afterwards they entered the city, without meeting any resistance. 



This epoch, however, though so propitious to Mr. Raffles in the 

 complete success of the plan he had suggested for the reduction of 

 the Dutch settlements, was yet marked as one of melancholy im- 

 port to him. His friend Dr. Leyden, the promoter and associate 

 of his early studies, the kindred genius whose congenial mind 

 had united with his own to pursue the objects in which they were 

 both so deeply interested, was seized with a violent fever, shortly 

 after the landing of the troops. An illness of three days fol- 

 lowed, and he expired in the arms of Mr. Raffles, on the 28th of 

 August, at the early age of thirty-six ; a victim to excessive exer- 



