THE DUTCH IN PERAK. 249 
ensued, carried on almost entirely at sea, seems to have resulted in 
1659 in the despatch of fresh envoys from Achin to Java. 
The following treaties speak for themselves :— 
Governor-General JOAN MAATSUYKER. June 20th, 1659. 
“ Proposed articles of accommodation between the Company and the State 
of Achin, delivered to the Achinese ambassadors SIREE BIDEE INDRA and SIREE 
NARA WANGSA in the Castile at Batavia. Her Highness will cause all persons 
to be punished with death who are guilty of the murder of the Dutch at 
Perak with the exception of the Bandahara who shall however be removed 
from tnat place. The Chiefs of Perak will pay to the Company in compen- 
sation for losses sustained the sum of 50,000 reals. The tin trade at Perak 
will in future belong exclusively to the Dutch and the inhabitants of Achin 
in the porportion of 47d to the latter and 2rds to the former, the established 
price of tin will be 31} reals per Bahr. The Dutch will be permitted to 
build a commodious house on the river side.”’ 
Governor-General JOAN MAATSUYKER. 1660. 
“Treaty of peace between the Company and the Ratoo of Achin. The con- 
tract proposed on the 20th June 1659 at Batavia to Her Highnesses Ambas- 
sadors SIREE BIDEE INDRA and SIREE NARA WANGSA are acceded to by her with 
the following modifications. 
The Governor-General will pardon the Bandahara and allow him to reside 
at Perak. 
The Governor-General will also extend his forgiveness to the Shahbanda 
and the Sedria (Sri Dewa ?) who engage to pay 50 bars of Tin to make good 
in part the loss sustained by the Company at Perak. 
The remainder of the Company’s claim amounting to 44,000 reals will be 
settled by diminishing the price of Tin from 31} to 30 reals per bar until the 
debt shall be extinguished, when the former price will again be paid. The 
tin trade at Perak to be confined to the Company and the Achinese, equal 
shares and not in the proportion of 2 to 1 as proposed. 
The rates of Duty to be the same as heretofore.” 
Thus all the satisfaction ultimately obtained from the Perak 
Malays was the promise of the gradual extinction of the indemnity- 
debt by a reduction of the price of tin by 14 real per bhara.. The 
Chiefs were “forgiven” by the Governor-General. a euphemism 
which probably conceals the practical impossibility of seizing and 
executing the persons named. With traders of other nations 
willing to buy tin at a higher figure, it is clear that the Malays 
would only submit to the terms extorted by the Dutch as long as 
the latter were strong enough to enforce them and the position of 
the monopolists in the ‘‘ plank-house”’ named in the treaty of 
1655 was not an enviable one. They had to prevent the Malays 
from evading the treaty by smuggling tin down the river past 
their station, and, with no help nearer than Malacca, they had to 
live in a flat, marshy situation whence fear of the Malays would sel- 
