30 



ADDRESS BY MR. KRUYT ON 



The demands of British subjects upon their Chiefs met with no at- 

 tention. The then Governor of the Straits, Sir Harry Ord, wrote 

 in November, 1872: — ''If persons, knowing the risk they run owing 

 •' to the disturbed state of these countries, choose to hazard their 

 "lives and property for the sake of the large profits which accom- 

 "pany successful trading, they must not expect the British Gcov- 

 "ernment to be answerable if their speculations prove unsuccess- 

 "ful." Things were as we found them in Acheen, aud these little 

 States also provided themselves with weapons and even with com- 

 batants from the neighbouring Settlements. 



The Chinese tin-miners in Perak, who had immigrated by thou- 

 sands to different parts of the Peninsula, were especially the cause 

 of great disorder; their tribes or hongsis had been for years in 

 conflict with one another, with varying success, over the question 

 of the possession of the tin mines. The Prince of Perak and his 

 Chieftains had taken sides in the matter ; with them the question 

 was who should appropriate the export duties. Thus the Mantri 

 of Larut, then the richest tin district, where about 40,000 Chinese 

 of the Go Kwan tribe lived, had declared himself, in 1871, in 

 favour of these, and, by appropriating the rich revenues, had been 

 able to make himself independent of the Sultan, who, in the inte- 

 rior had allied himself with the more warlike Si Kwans. Battles 

 in which, it is said, that more than 3,000 Go Kwans perished, 

 brought the Si Kwans into Larut; they took possession of the 

 forts and of the river; robbery, murder and assassination became 

 the order of the day, and a general cessation of business and flight 

 of population ensued. The Mantri who, among others, had English 

 Officers in his service, was a prisoner in his own country and 

 found himself shut in on all sides at Kotah, the then Capital. 



When these Si Kwans had been insolent enough to extend their 

 devastations and plunderings beyond Perak, and even in Penang 

 and its harbour attacks and hong si fights occurred, in 1873, their 

 fortifications were taken and destroyed by the English under Cap- 

 tain WooLCOMBE, and the Mantri came again into possession of 

 his river. 



Thanks to the influence of the Straits Government, the only 

 orderly State being situated in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 Singapore was Johor. But even here disputes as to boundaries, 

 &c. could not be altogether prevented. 



There was thus every inducement for the Governor, Sir Andrew 

 Clarke, to interfere and to endeavour to put an end once and for 



