Reminiscences of the Straits Seitlements. 163 
actions. Of faults they have many—what nation has not? They are lazy 
according tu Enropean estimate and vindictive if convinced of a real wrong ; 
they are given to piracy, if sea Malays, and an opportunity offers, but taking 
them as a whole they are amongst nature’s gentry ana always earned my 
respect. 
No better instance of their appreciation of the British can be given than the 
distinctive name of which they designated our race. Of all nationalities we 
were the “ Orang Putch ” or white man. The Dutch are called “ Blanda,” a 
corruption of “ Hollander.” French, “Faransay.’ and so on. Tuey also 
recognised with a quiet hnmour the way in which we deal with them when we 
take into our heads that a bit of their tervitorv ought to be ours. [ was once 
sent to hoist the British flag in a new place. When I arrived at the spot, 
after a weary walk over miles of swampy lan: and across interminable paddy 
fieds I found tiie headman waiting with a crowd of followers. I had about 
half a dozen men with me. After a short talk I invested the headman with a 
badge of authority, raised a pole, hoisted the flag anda fired a few de jore. The 
whole thing at the last was over ina few minutes and the “ Pungulhu ” said to 
me: “ ‘Tuam,’ you are funny people, you Orang Putch. Youcome here and talk 
to us and we join you ana you put our land under your flag. How is it the 
* Blanda cannot doit? They were 17 years conqueriig the ‘Rawahs.’ How 
long they will be in subduing the Achinese, who can tell.” This was in 1874. 
The Achinese war had been going on for two or three years and the conquest 
of the country is not yet accomplished! What a mistake it was for us to give 
up Achin. But then the Malay Peninsula and the adjoining islands were un- 
known to and uncared for by our statesmen although our history contains re- 
cords of the conquest of Java (which we restored to the Dutch), ard plenty of 
references to the Archipelago. So far as managing Asiatics 1s concerned 
throughout the Far East we might take a few lessons from the Dutch and it 
has therefore always been a surprise to me to note the feeling of the Malays in 
the Peninsula towards them. The shade of Siz Stamford Ruffles must rejoice 
at our preponderance in Malay. He recognisec its value to us and at last so 
have those at the head of the nations’ affairs. 
To men like Sir Andrew Clarke and Sir William Jervoise (Governors under 
whom I served) ; Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, who as Governor put the finishing 
touches to the policy of his predecessors ; Sir Hugh Low, Sir Frederick Weld, 
(first Resident in Perak), Sir Frank Swettenham, Sir William Maxwell! (c n- 
temporaries of mine) and their successors, Sir Edwara Birch (the murder of 
whose father was the cause of the Perak War), Sir Hugh Cuifford ana the rest 
of the energetic and efficient Residents who have kept up the traditions of the 
“Orang Putch,” our success in the Far East is due. I only hope the 
“ Magnificent Province ” which has lain dormant for so many vears will wake 
up at last and open up also like the Malay States its vast resources and 
prove itself to be in reality what it has been in fable a veritable Eldorado. 
(Applause.) 
A VorE of THANKS. 
ean Sloman, in proposing a vote of thanks to His Honour, said to most of 
them, the Far Kast was a subject of great fascination. It contained the nations 
