46 A JOURNEY ON FOOT TO THE PATANI FRONTIER. 
that this was out of the question, unless the Raja’s leave was first 
obtained. Before he left, I handed him an open letter addressed 
to the Rajas and Chiefs of Patani demanding, in the name of the 
Governor of the Straits Settlements, the surrender of the Perak 
refugees. The result of the interview was not altogether satisfac- 
tory, but every allowance had to be made for one of the hizh econ- 
tracting parties, who had, very likely, never seen an Englishman 
before and suspected treachery in every sentence. That a man 
should march about the country with a number of armed followers, 
and yet have no intention of killing men, capturing women, and 
burning villages, was not to be explained by any ordinary Malay 
reasoning. 
Rather a singular incident occurred in our little camp in the 
evening. JI have mentioned a robbery which took place near 
Lunggong on the day before we left that place. I had not con- 
nected with that occurrence the casual appearance of two men at 
Sumpitan the next day, who asked to be allowed to travel North 
with us. To-day, however, I received a letter from Jan Dusa 
charging two men named Sutiman and Dotan with the offence, 
and stating that he understood that they had joined my party. 
Haji ABUBAKAR at once undertook their arrest. They were 
beguiled into friendly conversation and then deprived of their 
krises suddenly. ‘Then there being no bloodshed to be feared they 
were secured and brought-to me. Both confessed their guilt, and 
several small articles of jewellery were found on their persons. 
Then the question arose: How were we to secure them for the 
night in a land which did not offer the usual facilities of civiliza- 
tion—stocks, handcuffs, or iron bars? et me explain how this 
little difficulty is surmounted in a Malay State. A long bamboo 
pole is split up the middle, and the neck, wrists and ankles of the 
criminal (who is placed in a sitting position) are fastened between 
the two halves of the pole. He is thus trussed in a most effectual 
manner and escape isimpossible, for he cannot rise. The people 
of the village thought the arrest of two of my own followers a 
a most unaccountable proceeding, it being sufficient usually in 
Malay countries to be a great man’s adherent to have the right to 
commit every ordinary crime with impunity. 
