mn THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES. 2i 
OU9 Raffles, in preference to many who were thought 
at leaut tu have posKeMaed luuie inierest. In 1805 
the Directors rietemuued u|)on sending oul an est&'» 
biymieni to Peitang : and Mr Kanifjaj-, then flecre- 
tary, having observed his taJcnis for diplomacy, \m 
apphcation, and hiH quii-kness^ recommendtfd him to 
the oJtice of assistant Hecrvtary. In September fut- 
lowing Mr HafHea lirst set foot in the East, thtt 
theatre in which hi?* acquirynK-nts and indu'iiry were 
to he ahou'a forth. During ihe voyage out he had 
nearly mastered the Malayan language; and, from the 
illnoKs of the seerelary^ fie was at once obliged to en* 
ter upon all the duties and diHicuhies of his office, a 
task of greiit responisiliiiity, hut which he executed 
to tlie satisfaction of h'i» emptoyerH. 
The great exertions and application necessary tO 
carry on the duties of the government, with the 
etfects of the climate on a constitution not yet 
inured to it, were too much for Mr HafHes, and h& 
wa?i thrown into bad health, and an illness so sen- 
ouli, that relaxation and change of air to Malacca 
were recommended. Hence IiIh auitiety to benefit 
the government brotight him hack almoHt before iia 
was able to undergo fatigue. He made the voyage 
in the long boat of an Indiaman, and a^ain reached 
Penang in time to send off despatchew, and to for- 
ward many ohjecta which could scarcely have been 
accompli>lied without him. 
While ai Mnlacca he first saw and mixed vrith 
tlie varied population of the Eastern Archipelago, 
