OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 167 



having at one time pretended to be very much hi* friend, had 

 turned completely against him, espoused the cause of that party 

 of Chinese (the Si Kuans) which was now the declared enemy of 

 the Mentri, and gave them active assistance with arms and men, 

 besides supporting and justifying their actions in Larut with his 

 authority as Sultan of Perak ; and it was at this time (about 

 September, 1873,) that we find Eaja Jusof reconciled to Abdullah, 

 in Larut by Abdullah's orders, and holding the rank and chop 

 of Eaja Muda of Perak conferred on him by Abdullah acting 

 under the title of Sultan. 



Thus in January, 1874, Larut was practically in the hands of 

 two small parties of Chinese, the Si Kuans with a force of under 

 1,000 men, and the Go Kuans with about double that number. 

 With the Si Kuans there was also a very small party of Malays, 

 sent by Abdullah's orders to support their cause ; whilst the 

 Mentri had an additional force chiefly composed of Indians under 

 Captain Speedy. 



Captain Speedy, at that time holding an appointment under 

 the Straits G-ovemment, had been induced by the Mentri to leave 

 that service and proceed to India to recruit Natives of India to 

 fight for the Mentri in support of his then friends, the G-o Kuans. 



The Mentri appears to have prevailed on Captain Speedy to 

 join him by liberal offers for his immediate services, both to recruit 

 the Indians, and, when recruited, to lead them against the Si Kuans, 

 and by the promise of very favourable terms in the future (I heard 

 one-fourth of the whole revenues of Larut) should Captain Speedy 

 succeed in permanently driving out the Si Kuans from Larut. 



In the 2nd week in January, 1874, I went to Larut to invite 

 the Mentri and Captain Speedy to the projected meeting at Pulo 

 Pengkor. I found the forts on the upper part of the Larut river, 

 (that is at Telok Kertang and Matang) and the main road as far 

 as Simpang, where it forks, (the right hand leading to Bukit Gan- 

 tang and Perak) occupied by Si Kuans. They had numerous 

 stockades at intervals on the road, and the country then seemed 

 to contain none but fighting men. They were in distress for 



