January t, 1892 ] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
46s 
AT THE KOYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE. 
On Tueedsy evening, the 10th instant, I had 
the honour of being a guest of the Oounoil of 
the Boyal Colonial Institute at the dinner which 
usually precedes the liret meeting of each session, 
in the Whitehall Booms of the MitropOlo. Lord 
Brassey, looking the veteran skipper, even though 
a peer, was Chairman, supported by no less than 
three Colonial Governors or ex-Governors — Sir Wm. 
Bobinson of Western Australia whom I saw in the 
Colony in 1875 and who maictains his youthful 
appearance in a wonderful way. Sir Wm. Jervois, 
the Royal Engineer veteran as well as ex Governor, 
and highly artistic looking Sir Henry Blake * who 
with elever Lady Blake loft next morning for 
Jamaica. There were also Sir Frederick Young 
(almost the Founder of the Institute), Sir Hugh 
Low (formerly of Perak), Sir David Tennant, 
Speaker of the Capo Parliament and Sir John 
Aokerman, Speaker of the Natal House of Assembly, 
a venerable gonial colonist bearded like a wanderoo. 
I was honoured with a seal not far from the Chair- 
man and had with gentlemen of the Colonial Office, 
whom I found on each side a very interesting, 
and, I trust, materially edifying conversation. 
There was a very largo attendance, almost entirely 
of colonists, and the “function” or business of 
dining lasted quite a couple of hours, closing with 
the one toast usual on such occasions — “Tub 
Qcbbn and EMriRB," briefly but felicitously pro- 
posed by Lord Brassey. Ceylon was well repre- 
sented j for, besides the Attorney-General looking a 
picture of robust health, there were present Mr. 
J . R. Hosse whom I was glad to find so halo and hearty 
and who, as a member of Oounoil, takes a special 
interest in the Institute, as well as in all that 
ooncerns Ceylon ; Sir George W. B. Campbell, 
looking as handsome and fresh as ever, though ho 
Wld mo he had had a bad illness since ho left 
Ceylon ; Dr. Van Dort and Mr. F. H. M. Corbet were 
also at the dinner and probably some more Ceylon 
men— at any rate Messrs. J. L. Shand, Horbstt 
Anderson, J. F. Churchill (white but vigorous look- 
ing) and E. B. Hurley were at the after meeting. 
This was for the reading of a paper by Mr. W. E. 
Maxwell, c.mo.. Resident at Selangor, on “The 
Malay Peninsula, its Besourees and Prospects.'’ 
There was quite a crowded gathering in the large 
hall to listen to this paper and the discussion 
thereafter. Some letters of apology were read by 
the Secretary, Mr. O'Halloran, including one from 
Sir J, F. Dickson which mentioned that ho had been 
called snddenly away on public business, I think 
to Gibraltar if I heard aright. A very large total 
of new members was announced for this year, and 
tho Institute altogether is now a most influential 
as well as representative body, so that it is no 
wonder if, as Sir Frederick Y'oung told me, tho 
Council and Fellows have no idea of allowing 
thcrnselves to be swallowed up by the Imperial 
Institute. If there is to be Union or Amalgama- 
tion, it must be on an equal platform. The 
delicate point is, of course, that H. B. H. the 
Prince of IVales is President of both Institutes; 
but there is no immediate movement, the big 
building for the “ Imperial ” being now only under 
construction in West Kensington, while the “Colonial” 
is very comfortably accommodated in Northum- 
berland street. 
Mr. Maxwell's paper proved a very interesting one 
* Whom the highly artstooratic QueensUnderH re- 
fused to receive as Governor, beoauae, forsooth, ho 
bad worked bis way up from_ Polico Inspootor ! In 
that case it was the Colonial snobs and not tho 
Secretary for the Colonies^ whom Lord Carrington 
ought to have denounced,— Bci T, 4. 
69 
written in a clear, practical fashion, and be him- 
self is evidently the right man for Besident in a 
Native State, straightforward, onorgetio aod alto- 
gether an attractive personality. I send yon the 
complete paper in print, but will only venture 
to mark a few extraote. He began as follows ; — 
In tbe early days of the East India Company it was 
to tbe Further East, rather than to tbe territories 
whiob sow constitute British India, that English mer- 
chant adventures turned their eyes. In tbe reign of 
James I. the Esst India Company traded with seven 
ports or states in Sumatra, four in Borneo, and four 
in Java, and factories were established at most of 
those places. At Fatani, on the East Coast of the 
Malay Peninsula, they had a factory (that ia to say, a 
place of business where two or three Englishmen 
traded with tho natives and collected produce for ship- 
ment to England) from 1612 to 1622. At thii time onr 
oommetco with Hindnstau was in its infancy, and 
Eogliabmen at Surat Broach, Agra, and Ajmere were 
making timid ventures in the country of the Great 
Mogul. That the men who, settling for trading pnr- 
posea on the banka of the Hooglily, laid the foanda- 
tiona of the city of Oalcntta and the great Bengal 
Presidency, bad served a novitiate in Malayan oountnes 
is proved by some of the words which they and their 
Malay servants and seamen carried westward with 
(hem.* These still bare a place in tbe Anglo-Indian 
jargon which the late Sir Henry Yule basso well 
described . We have so long been content with a second 
place in the East Indian Areliipelago that the etory 
of the long stiugglo between Eogliali end Dntoh traders 
for snpremaoy there (the object being the trade 
of the “ Spice Island "f) is almost forgotten. The 
brilliant history of car achievements on the oontin- 
eut of India eupslies the reason for onr gradnal 
abandonment of much that we cuveted and fought 
W iu remoter regiooa. Though tbe places with which 
the English East India Company traded iu India 
proper gradually fell into the possession of tbe 
Bc-rvants of that Company, their stations in the islands 
and ports of the Eastern Archipelago were one by one 
abandoned in tavour of the Dutch. We were driven by 
the Dntch from the Spice Islands in 1620, and from 
Bantam and Jakntra in Java in 1683. Expelled by 
their influence from Bantam, wo established ourselves 
in Beccoolen {Jhmt/ka, Ulu) in 1685, “ onr sole and 
humble object being to sconro a sbaro in tha pepper 
trade.’') Little more than a hundred years ago the 
only English station east of Cape Comorin was Ben- 
coolen, on the West Coast of Sumatra. 
Tbe Settlements which we now possess in the Straits 
of Malacca, namely, the islands of Singapore and 
Penang, and tbe territory of Malacca, are remarkable 
as having been originally Indian Colonies. Calcutta, 
not London, was responsible for their first acquisition, 
and conducted their government until 1867. Penang, 
wbiob occupies a commanding position at tho Northern 
end of tho Straits of Mslacca, was ocoupisd by the 
orders of tbe .Supreme Government, then under the 
presidentship of Sir John Maepberson, in 1786. Mal- 
acca was taken from tbe Dutch (by an expedition sent 
from India) in 1795. Singapore was acquired (by cession 
frum the Malays) in 1819, by Sir Stamford Balllee, 
acting under the authority of tho Govetnor- General of 
India, the Marquis of Hastings. These places contin- 
ued to be '.outlying portions of the greet Empire of 
India until twenty-four years ago, and were, at tha 
time of their recognition as a Crown Colony, being 
governed from Oeloutta. 
Early in this century events happened which might 
have given us that snpreniacy in the Eastern sees which 
* I may instance the following words, well-known 
in British India, which are really Malay : Oommund, 
the Anglo-Indian term for an enclosure round a nouse, 
is the Malay kampoiig, a plantation or orchard. Godoicn, 
a merchant’a warehouse, ia a corrnption of the Malay 
word gedong, a brick boose. Uankshall, the port-offioer'a 
place of business at s seaport, ie easily reeugnisable 
in the Mslsy bangsal, a shed. 
j- Ambuyns and tho Moluccas. 
J Crawford, Vucriptm Dictionary, p; 73, 
