28 
MESIOIR OF 
the kind attentions of his patron Lord Minto, who 
before leaving the East to his successor Lord Moira, 
procured for him the residency of Fort Marlborough, 
which gave him the chief rank at Bencoolen *. Before 
his settlement, however, in this new residency, many 
vicissitudes of his lot occurred, and we have particu- 
larly to notice one incident, the first which had af- 
fected or had appeared to place any blot upon the 
bright character and fame of Mr Raffles. 
Tliongh at first intimate friends, and acting ap- 
parently in concert for the interest of the Eastern 
islands, some differences of opinion had existed 
between Mr Raffles and General Gillespie ; and af- 
ter the appointment of the former gentleman to the 
governorship, the breach seems to have widened. 
Some acts of administration were complained of, 
which ended in specific charges being made by the 
General to the Bengal Government, by whom they 
were forwarded to Mr Raffles for reply. These 
charges coming somewhat unexpectedly and per- 
fectly unmeritedly, were deeply felt. Writing to Lord 
Minto regarding their want of foundation, he says, 
“ My feelings of the injury I have sustained’ are not 
the less acute that I have been denied the means of 
knowing the charges, until all the influence of a 
first and ex-parte statement could be exerted, and the 
current of public feeling allowed to flow unrestrained, 
until the reports obtained an unmerited credit from 
the very want of contradiction but he adds, in con- 
The Commander of the Troops at the redaction of Java. 
