TIN MINING IN PERAK, 9 
“The government of the country was at this time in the hands of the 
present Mantri, Nga Ibrahim (son of the above-mentioned Che Long 
Jaffar), and it was in great measure owing to the weakness and vaccilla- 
tion shown by him in siding alternately with each faction, together with 
the inability of his police force to render effectual assistance to either, 
that he lost the confidence of both parties, at this time comprising nearly 
four-fifths of the entire population of Larut. 
‘So complete was the ruin brought about by this most disastrous 
warfare, that the country became almost depopulated—villages were 
demolished wholesale, thousands of people were massacred, the des- 
truction to property was enormous, the land was laid waste, and not 
only did Larut itself thus suffer, but the returns of the value of im- 
ports at Penang during the years 1872 and 1873 showed a decrease of 
nearly 1,000,000 dollars, owing to the cessation of the importation of tin 
to that island from Larut. . 
“This distressing state of affairs continued to exist until the 
beginning of the year under review (1874), when it was most happily 
ended by the judicious policy of His Excellency [Colonel Sir Andrew 
Clarke, the ther Governor of the Straits Settlements], whereby peace 
and prosperity were once more established.” 
This requires a little explanation. Captain T. C.S. Speedy, formerly 
of H.M. 18th Regiment, and during the Abyssinian Expedition of 1867 
interpreter to our forces on Lord Napier’s staff, and subsequently Com- 
missioner of Police in Penang, resigned the latter appointment in July, 
1873, and made an agreement with the Mantri of Larut to help him 
regain command of the district and stop the faction fighting amongst 
the Chinese, in return for a salary of $500 a month and a tenth of all the 
revenues of the country, for a period of ten years. In pursuance of this 
agreement, Captain Speedy proceeded to India in August, 1873, to 
engage men to form a police force, and brought back one hundred men 
in the end of September of the same year. 
The state of affairs existing in Larut is so vividly portrayed in a 
petition made by some of the Chinese miners, in May of that year, to 
the Governor of the Straits Settlements, that it will perhaps be as well 
to give this document 7x extenso. 
‘THE HUMBLE PETITION OF AH YEU, UNG KENG SIN, SOH AH 
PANG, SU AH FOOED, AND OTHERS. 
“That your Petitioners, the Headmen of a Kongsee named See Yip 
Long, engaged in tin-mining at Larut, and others connected with that 
Kongsee, beg to be permitted to lay before Your Excellency some 
matters relating to the country called Larut, and to ask for them Your 
Excellency’s kind attention and consideration. 
‘1. That about seven years ago, namely, on the fifth moon of the 
fourth year Hong Chee, a mining Kongsee at Larut named Tan Siang 
had a quarrel and commenced fighting with another mining Kongsee at 
the same place, named Fee Chew, which was defeated. 
‘2, The Governor, or Mantri, of Larut did not attempt to arrange 
this quarrel, and instead of doing so, joined the victorious Kongsee, 
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