107 



Pinang to afford me aid and assistance in my 

 *' distresses and dangers, and cause a regulation 

 '* to be made by which the two countries may 

 ** have but one interest; in like mminer I shall 

 " not refuse any aid to Plirang. consistent with 

 " my ability, I further request a writing from 

 " the king, and from ray friend, that it may re- 

 ** main as an assurance of the protection of the 

 " king, and des^cend to my successors in the Go- 

 " vernment. 1 place a perfect reliance in the fa- 

 ** vor ami aid of my friend in all these matters / 



Now, in this letter we find the declaration that 

 ** Kedahf and Pulo Pinang should be as one coun- 

 ** try," which was conveyed in Sir George LeitU^s 

 Treaty, alluded to, more or less directly, no less 

 than five times It is therefore evident that the 

 king of Kedah conceived the expressioD. to inti- 

 mate a reciprocity of interests. He had been 

 buoyed up by Captain Light to entertain a firm 

 assurance that the British would protect hira 

 from his enemies, and he was not undeceived 

 until twelve years after that power bad esta- 

 blished itseltin Pulo Pinang. 



We come now to the historical details of this 

 unhappy and distracted country. Year after 

 year did ita unfortunate king write to the Bri- 

 tish Government the information that the de- 

 niands of the Siamese were becoming daily more 

 arrogant and the destrucliuu of his country hour- 

 ly more inevitable— but the peculiar situation of 

 the British precluded more than general advice to 

 conciliate the Siamese. 



■ Ardenon** Cou*idur«tjijQ5, &;c, jytgr 75 to 81. 

 t Province Wdkile^f U iruri^rml pnrtii>ii ofRe^diib, ih«t roontry 

 <tvhich turn dticfBre to be i>i«iaia«. If it bt ft portion at' tiiaoi, bf wbat 



