37G SINGAPORE. 



about restoring the possession of Malacca to Holland in 1818. Major 

 Farquhar, then resident at Malacca, in that year entered into a com- 

 mercial treaty with Abdulrahman Shah, who had been acknowledged 

 as sovereign of Johore by the Dutch. By this treaty, British subjects, 

 or persons under the protection of the Company, had equal rights for 

 commercial pursuits with the most favoured nation, in the ports of 

 Johore, Lingin, and Rhio. 



The Dutch had no sooner got possession of Malacca, and received 

 information of Major Farquhar's treaty, than they sent an overpower- 

 ing force to Rhio, where Abdulrahman resided ; declared him their 

 vassal, annulled the treaty made with the English resident, and 

 dictated another with the sultan, by which British commerce was 

 entirely excluded from the ports of the straits. 



In order to counteract this attempt upon the part of Holland to keep 

 exclusive possession of the only passes into the Chinese seas, the 

 Straits of Sunda and Malacca, the Marquis of Hastings, who was then 

 Governor-General of India, despatched Sir Stamford Raffles to the 

 Straits of Malacca, to ascertain if there were not a place at the 

 Carimon Isles, or Singapore, of which the Dutch had not possession, 

 suitable for the establishment of a factory ; and in this duty Major 

 Farquhar was associated with him. 



On the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles, he found that the Dutch had 

 taken possession of Rhio, as before mentioned ; and it was then sug- 

 gested by Captain Ross, the able surveyor in the Company's employ, 

 that Singapore offered the most suitable location for their purpose. 

 About this time, Sir Stamford Raffles, while off this place, was visited 

 by the Tumungong of Johore, a chief hostile to the Dutch, and an 

 enemy to Abdulrahman Shah. The Tumungong represented that the 

 rightful heir was the elder brother, Hassain Mahomed Shah, and that 

 the British by treating with him would derive a right to settle from the 

 legitimate authority. Sir Stamford saw the force of this advice, and 

 determined at once to treat for the occupation of the island of Singa- 

 pore with Hassain Mahomed. As a preliminary to this, the recognition 

 of Mahomed Shah as sultan, by two great officers of the empire, was 

 necessary. The Bandahara of Pahang, and the Tumungong of Johore, 

 were selected for this purpose, and when this preliminary had been 

 arranged, Hussain Shah was invited over from Rhio, installed, and 

 recognised. The commissioners at once treated with him as the 

 lawful sovereign of Johore, for the cession and immediate settlement 

 of Singapore. This was one of the wise arrangements entered into by 

 that intelligent officer, who so long and so satisfactorily ruled over 

 Java. The treaty, from the hurry in which it was drawn up, was 



