312 On the Government and History of [June, 



of any thing imparting invulnerability and irresistability to the -wearer. 

 Secret enemies are detected, by their involuntarily trembling in the 

 august presence of the weapon. The silk bdjd, it is believed, will fit 

 none but the Panghulu or the person destined to become his succes- 

 sor. And to thisday.it is firmly credited by many of the Malays, that 

 the elder brother of Abdul Sayad was rejected from the Panghuluship 

 solely on account of his inability to get his head through the neck of 

 the vest, which is represented to be so small, as scarcely to admit of 

 the insertion of two fingers. 



The truth of the matter is, that he was set aside by the Ampat 

 Suku, on account of his unfitness, and unpopularity. How the ex- 

 Panghulu contrived to slip his large head through the silken vest 

 must still remain matter of conjecture to the learned. 



In 1795, the English took possession of Malacca and Naning ; 

 of the latter, under the same terms as the Dutch had held possession. 

 In 1802, Colonel Taylor, the Resident at Malacca, made treaty with 

 the ex-Panghiilti and the Ampat Siiku. Among other stipulations, it 

 was agreed on that the Panghulu chiefs, Menangkabowes or Malays 

 of Naning, do pay one-tenth of the produce of the soil to the East 

 India Company ; but in consideration of their poverty, it is resolved, 

 that instead of paying the tenth, the Panghulu come in person an- 

 nually to Malacca, and present 400 gantams of paddy to Government. 

 And further, that " the PanghuM and chiefs promise, in the name of 

 the said community of Naning, that whenever the chief rulers happen 

 to resign the Government, or any misfortune befal them, they shall 

 in such case propose one of the nearest and most qualified of his 

 family to the Governor of Malacca, for his successor ; but it is not 

 expected that such a proposal must always meet the Governor's ap- 

 probation ; on the contrary, it is optional with him, whom he thinks 

 proper to appoint." 



Colonel Farquhar became Resident of Malacca in 1803, and in 

 1809, reserved to the British Government, the power of inflicting 

 capital punishment on criminals in Naning. The duty of onecrusadoe, 

 on boats coming down from Naning, was withdrawn. 



In 1810, the Dutch again assumed possession of Malacca. In 

 1822, Governor Timmerman Thyssen, had caused a statement of 

 the land's produce of Naning to be drawn out, and transmitted it to 

 the Netherlands Government at Batavia, with the ulterior view of 

 levying the tenth. But before their decision was received, the British 

 flag was again hoisted at Malacca. This took place in April, 1825. 

 Up to this period, the 400 gantams, in lieu of the tenth, had been 

 annually paid by the different Panghulils of Naning. In 1827, the 

 Panghulu and Ampat Suku, came down to Malacca to pay their re- 





