124 cons.— Pc*ia?i$. 



influent and by the imperative agency of physical 



onuses on aU these. 



In the suerc c<iin«r observations it is of course assume 

 bd is ! b truth that the State bWotnes, in the east, both 

 lord and proprietor of all waste land from the period 

 whtn (he territory it* ceded to it or comes permanent, 

 iy laid its possession by right of conquest. 



After much discussion regarding the best site for a 

 settlement in the Straits of Malacca, the government 

 at length fixed on Pcnang. 



It was taken possession of and the Uriiish flag was 

 foisted on the 7th July 1786, consequent on its cession 

 to the II. E. I. Company by the rajah of Keddali, 

 The island was then but very thinly liihabtodL 



The insecurity of the harbour, owing to the pirates 

 and banditti who lurked on the main land opposite 

 to it, induced tin rnment to obtain a ce^Btott of a 

 part of it from the same rajah. This took place on 

 the 1st July 1800. It was then termed Poiut Welles* 

 ley, u [licit not bring a very coiTect designation for a 

 line of coast, was subsecpiently changed to Province 

 \\ < llesley. At this period it may have contained 

 1.5( 0 iuhabitiiuts, including a very few Chinese. 



In the month of November 1821, the Rajah of 

 tidw ffivad^l Keddah w Up an army of seven thous- 

 and men, and took possession of it for his liege lord 

 and master, the King of Siam. 



h would be foteign to fhe present subject to enter 

 here into au\ detail of the cause >vhich led to that oc r 

 rupation. its effect were to place the Urilish relalU 

 qns in this quarter on a new footing and to pour into 

 PcW&& but chiefly into Province Wellesley, a lar-e 

 body of Malaxs uho naturally preferml British to 

 Siamese protection. 



Immediately after the above event, the then gover. 

 nur, The liee'Me Mr. Phillips, took prompt measure 



