180 A TRANSLATION OF THE KEDDAH ANNALS. 
tlie indignant lady forbidding his advance, and directing him 
forthwith to evacuate the country. The Raja perceived that he 
had no means of resistance, so he sailed for Johor. Phra Chu 
after having bestowed her unmarried maids of honor in marriage 
on her chiefs continued to reign alone for tea years, until her death. 
When this happened the chiefs constituted an oligarchy and the 
old fort was demolished in order to obliterate all remembrance of 
royalty, and to prevent any one being tempted to assume the su¬ 
preme power. 
This oligarchy divided amongst them the forty-two districts and 
all the properly of the late government, and the chief who had 
held the highest rank under Phra Chu was allowed to retain the 
title of Dattu. These chiefs were all individually independent, 
but they confederated for mutual defence. So the people only 
exchanged, a perhaps, matriarchal government mildly adminis¬ 
tered, for a knot of petiy despots In those days Patani had a 
population it is said of 150,000 males, from 16 to 60 years of age. 
It is still populous and sends its hundreds to the Haj every year. 
The Patani mountains, dividing it from Kedda and Perak, have 
rather a grand appearance when seen from Pinang. They are, 
where most elevated, I should suppose from four to five thousand 
feet above the level of the sea 1 passed there in 1836 when pro¬ 
ceeding to inspect the Patani tin mines, which laU yield pretty 
abundant supplies of that metal. Patani is fertile in rice; and 
cattle are supplied by it to Pinang, These animals are compactly 
built, and have moderately sized humps. 
The Patanese appear to be a mixed race. They seem to be 
moie industrious than the Malays around them. Their religion is 
Islamism, and there are more haj is amongst them than are perhaps 
to be found amongst an equal number of Malays any where else. 
The intending hajis generally cross the hills, and embark for Ara¬ 
bia in some Arab vessel at Pinang. The Patanese are not wanting 
in courage; The products of their country are gold, tin, grain, 
cardamums of inferior quality to those of Malabar, salt, buffalo and 
horned cattle, pepper, saltpetre and wax 
This province of lower Siam is now divided into six mukiras 
only of the first class, and one of the second class. The English 
established a factory here in 1610, but abandoned it in 1623. 
A Buddhist priest of Siam gave me the following short recital 
which confirms the account of a princess having gone from Kedda 
to Patani: 
‘Six men fled from China and settled at Patani. They must 
‘ have been people of great consequence because the Emperor tried 
* to secure them but failed. After they had fled from Patani to 
‘ Siam, Phra Chan Ko Lai, a son of the Emperor of Siam Chan 
* Chi wit ( l ) went to reside at Patani contrary to his father’s 
‘ wishes. There was at this period a princess of Srai or Kedda 
0) A mere title; viz., “ Lord of life.” 
