JACK'S LETTERS TO WALLICH, 1819-1821. 157 



prevent his accomplishing either, therefore declined the offer, in 

 hopes, by throwing obstacles in the way, to keep him idle here. He 

 was afraid to take any decided step to prevent his going to Acheen 

 till after Major Farqnhar should have sailed for fear he should 

 go away on that expedition. But no sooner was Major Farquhar's 

 ships out of harbour than he addressed to Sir Stamford the most 

 urgent solicitation that he would suspend all proceedings relative 

 to Acheen till a reply should be received to important references 

 that had already been made to Bengal. This, I suppose was con- 

 sidered a master stroke of policy, but respice finem. The moment 

 he received this. Sir Stamford took his resolution: Major Far- 

 quhar's ships were but just outside the harbour, and at anchor 

 till next tide : he immediately dispatched intimation to them, 

 ordered the ship in which he was to have proceeded to Acheen to 

 get ready to go to sea immediately, and commenced sending every- 

 thing on board. This was in the evening, and as soon as every- 

 thing was arranged for his starting before day-break next morning, 

 he wrote to the Governor to say that he had determined to meet 

 his wishes, and complied with his request of suspending all pro- 

 ceedings relative to Acheen till the arrival of the expected 

 reply, and had in consequence determined to sail next day to over- 

 take Major Farqnhar, and that he should return in time to re- 

 sume the Acheen affairs after the requested delay had been granted. 

 Every arrangement being made he did embark next morning and 

 set sail.- 4 before the people here, who had no idea of any such 

 promptitude and decision, knew anything about it, or had time 

 to consider on any further obstacles to impede his progress. You 

 may easily conceive the Governor's astonishment and disappoint- 

 ment, at finding his scheme defeated, and falling into a snare of 

 his own devising. But there was no remedy. As Sir Stamford 

 wished me to remain with Lady Baffles, here I am, in a house 

 which he took for her residence while here, in preference to being 

 a guest at the Governor's. Gould anything be more excellent? In 

 the first place admire the energy of Sir Stamford, then think how 

 comfortable 1 am. with so agreeable a woman as Lady B., abun- 

 dant leisure to examine the productions of this Island : in short 

 1 am delighted, and the day is not half long enough for all that 

 I have and wish to do. It is needless after what I have related 

 to make any comments on the extraordinary conduct of the 



24. Note how in seeking his settlement to the eastward before closing 

 the Acheen business. Raffles deviated from that narrow path of subservience 

 which must be taken to satisfy certain superiors, — a path followed with 

 such faithful subordination to the Board of Directors, and so ineptly, by 

 the Government of Penang throughout these years. To Colonel Banner- 

 man, who himself had been a Director, the "sin" may well have seemed 

 large: and lai;rr, because if Raffles had obeyed the letter of his orders, 

 the instructions from Calcutta ordering him to desist would have over- 

 taken him. Apparently this deviation was one of several acts of competence 

 which caused the Board a little later to order that Raffles should have 

 nothing further to do with Acheen, and to keep him in exile in decaying 

 Bencoolen. 



R. A. Soc, No. 73, 1916. 



