156 JACK'S LETTERS TO WALLICH, 1819-1821. 



both are desirous of obtaining our aid and protection. He has 

 also in view to make some settlements farther to the Eastward, 

 and as these are in fact the most important, he was anxious to 

 make the earliest possible arrangement of the Acheen affairs in 

 order to be more at liberty in proceeding with his other plans. 

 Expedition however forms no part of the political code of Penang, 

 besides which, there has been such a scene of intrigue, and I be- 

 lieve I may add corruption 21 going on here in regard to Acheen 

 as is quite disgusting. Of the two rivals whose claims are to be 

 decided, the one is the legitimate King, with whom the nobles 

 quarreled some time since, and whose power is insufficient to pre- 

 serve peace; the other is the son of a Penang merchant, who ap- 

 pears to have no other claim than his father's immense wealth, 

 and the support he has, — God knows why! — been receiving from 

 this government. You may easily imagine that the arrival of a 

 man like Sir Stamford to clear up such a business as this, could 

 not be welcomed by those whose schemes were likely to be overset 

 by the event; and they accordingly determined to throw every 

 possible obstacle in the way, and to try every scheme "that cunning 

 could suggest to defeat his objects and prevent if possible their 

 own disgrace. It would be tiresome to relate to you the artifices, 

 the meannesses they had recourse to in the pursuit of this object, 

 suffice it to say their conduct was disgraceful not only to their 

 rank and situation, but to their character as men. But they had 

 to do with a man too much their superior. Sir Stamford first in- 

 tended to have gone to Bencoolen on Lady Raffles' account, and to 

 have returned to make the final arrangements. The intrigues that 

 were going on here however rendered the execution of that plan 

 impossible, and he was at last obliged to determine on her remain- 

 ing here, 22 and going himself over to Acheen. In the meantime, 

 that his other plans might not be entirely suspended, during the 

 delays of the Acheen business, he employed Major Farquhar to 

 proceed on a mission 23 down the Straits, as, though very desirous 

 of it, he could not go himself. Major Farquhar sailed on the 18th 

 and he was to go in a few days after to Acheen. Xow you must 

 know that Sir Stamford had offered to the Governor that if he 

 wished to make any reference to Bengal on the subject of Acheen, 

 that he would delay his proceedings till an answer should arrive 

 and in the meantime pursue his ulterior object, but the Governor 

 was just as averse to these other views, and wished if possible to 



21. Lady Baffles recorded that an attempt was made to influence Sir 

 Stamford by the presentation of a casket of diamonds to her. Vide 

 Memoir of the Life and Public Service of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles 

 1830, p. 379. Anderson hints that the official interpreter for Achinese, a 

 man with an European name, was not without bias. 



22. Raffles' determination to leave Lady Raffles in Penang is men- 

 tioned in one of his published letters dated Jan. 16th, 1819, i.e. two days 

 before the Governer's change of front. 



23. Jack is silent as to the object of the mission, which is quite likely 

 to have been an examination of the Karimon islands. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



