166 THE INDEPENDENT NATIVE STATES 



The Mentri I have stated to be rich, he was not only rich, but 

 so much wealthier than any other Perak Chief, that he appears at 

 this time to have plainly contemplated his eventual succession to 

 the throne of Perak, and to gain this end his best plan was to 

 obtain a precedent for breaking the line of succession, hitherto 

 carried uninterruptedly through the royal blood of Perak. 



The Mentri was not of royal blood, he was not even barely of 

 Perak, but if Ismail, a Sumatra man, and only the Bendahara, 

 could be raised to the Sultanship, then why not he himself, the 

 richest and consequently most powerful man in Perak and a Chief 

 of almost as high rank as the Bendahara himself ? 



Another reason why the Mentri was anxious for the appoint- 

 ment of the Bendahara was that he had a very great influence 

 over him, so great that he is even reported to have been some- 

 times in possession of the Bendahara's chop, or seal, and written 

 any letters or documents he liked in his name. 



Thus Ismail, an old man (his age being another good reason 

 for his election), being once Sultan, the Mentri could well prepare 

 his own way to that high office, and might easily prevail on Ismail 

 either to retire in his favour when his (the Mentri's) plans were 

 matured, or at his death to enjoin the other Chiefs to elect the 

 Mentri as his successor. 



Ismail was elected Sultan, and yet even amongst the Chiefs who 

 thrust this honour upon him, for he personally never wished to be 

 Sultan, several declared that Ismail's appointment was merely a 

 temporary one, and made more to bring Abdullah to reason than 

 for any other purpose. 



Abdullah was indignant in the extreme when he heard of 

 this, and communicated his feelings and his claims to the Govern- 

 ment of the Straits Settlements. 



Some attempts were made to bring Ismail and Abdullah 

 together to effect a reconciliation, but these having failed, and 

 Abdullah, finding that the Straits Government would do nothing 

 towards assisting him to make good his claim, whilst the Mentri, 



