THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. 601 
in the Straits of Malacca. The Rajah then addressed a letter to 
the Governor-General, stated what Captain Light had told him, 
and signified that he expected that if he formed an alliance with the 
H. East India Company it would prove a shield to him against 
the attacks or demands of liis enemy, as he styled him, the 
Emperor of Siam. But he carefully abstained in this letter from 
disclosing the true relations in which . Keddah stood with that 
Potentate-_-while on the other hand, it seems hai dly possible to 
exonerate Captain Light from the charge of having given an undue 
credence to the Rajah’s protestations of his independence of Siam, 
and this without having previously and sufficiently endeavoured to 
ascertain if they were true. He thus was led to make reports to 
the Supreme Government which induced it for a season to believe 
that Keddah was not dependant on any other country—or at most, 
was not dependent to such a degree as should bar its chief from 
treating with the British for a cession oi territoiy to them. t can 
hardly escape observation too, that the Supieme Government in 
employing Captain Light to negociate a Treaty placed his duty as 
a diplomatist in direct opposition to his interest as a mei chant. 
The occupation of Pinang was to this gentleman, as vvell as to 
merchants generally, an object of pressing importance and it would 
have perhaps been, expecting too much from any one so circum¬ 
stanced, that he should have strenuously exerted himself to disprove 
the Rai ah’s assertions or to test their validity. It is eunous that 
■when he afterwards obtained office at Pinang, he felt the incongr uity 
of such a position, and requested an adequate salary and that he 
should be interdicted from trading. - . 
The history of Keddah was not such a blank as these 
preliminaries seemed to indicate. There was then extant a 
Malayan history of Keddah which has been lately translated into 
English (a) and reference might have been had to the works of 
Abbe Choisy in 1686 and to M. de La Loubere s History of 
Siam in 1678; bv both of whom Keddah is. described as being, 
at least, tributary to Siam. It rebelled according to these authors 
in 1720—a fact implying subjection—but was speedily reduced by 
Siam to obedience. „ , _ „ . , , 
When Captain Light subsequently had the fact of the dependence 
of Keddah on Siam placed in clear reality before him, it was too late 
for the Supreme Government to retrace its steps. But, it tne^ 
Rajah had not the right, without the concurrence of the emperor of 
Siam, to alienate any portion of the Keddah territory, the British 
government by taking possession of Pinang came thereby into 
immediate political contact with the Court of Bankok; and should 
have at once broken off all negotiations with its vassal provincial 
chief. The Rajah of Keddah tried doubtless to stipulate at the 
outset for protection against Siam as the return for the cession oi 
(a) Vide No. I of this Journal for 1849. 
