THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. 609 
this country amounted then to about 115,000, but it was easily reduc¬ 
ed to its former state of submission. Hajis abounded in it, as they 
now do, and it is well known that this class of Malays both from 
bigotry and religious pride are ever ready to foment rebellions. 
They gain little indeed by the Haj beyond these two qualifications. 
About the same period the Rajah of Rhio in Sumatra supplica¬ 
ted the supreme government to assist him in regaining his country 
from the Dutch and to be placed under the British flag. Rhio 
is at this day (1849) a Dutch possession. 
The Rajah of Salangore also made a similar tender. The latter 
is a small state in the Peninsula to the south of Pinang, and bound¬ 
ing Perak on the south, with a population now of two or three 
thousand persons at most. It is independent and yields a con¬ 
siderable quantity of tin. 
It has been stated that the Siamese court had been chiefly 
induced to over look or to connive at the cession of Pinang to 
the British on account of its wars with the Burmans. It might 
even have been apprehensive that the British in the event of very 
strong remonstrances having been resorted to by it, might have 
joined the Burmese. The forces of the latter nation having been 
instigated by the French and the Cochin-chinese, burst into Siam 
at several points, one division penetrated into upper Siam, and a 
second ravaged the lower provinces of Ligor, Chaiya, Chumphon, 
Dalung and Ban Noi, But the Siamese rallied, and put to death 
a party of two thousand Burmans who had occupied Ligor, and 
in a short while the whole forces of the enemy had passed beyond 
the frontier. The Siamese court called to account the Rajahs of Ked¬ 
dah, Pahang , and Tringanu , for neglecting to aid in the expulsion 
of the Burmans which they were bound to do, as dependent chiefs. 
The Keddah Rajah made a timely submission. This contumacy, 
which was probably intentional on the Rajah’s part with the view 
of trying what effect his alliance with the British would have on the 
Siamese court, was very' ill timed, and was not forgotten at an after 
period by the latter. The usual presentations by the dependent 
Siamese outer provinces consist of gold and silver flowers, the 
value of which is variable, ranging from three thousand to perhaps 
ten or twelve thousand dollars. But this is only the fixed token 
of subjection. The real imposts are occasional calls for money, 
troops, provisions, boats and munitions of war, these last being more 
burdensome than money payments, as they come suddenly. 
22nd January 1787. The supreme government reiterated its 
injunctions to the superintendent of Pinang to avoid entering into 
the disputes betwixt native princes, and to observe a strict neutrality, 
but permitted that the Rajah of Keddah might be countenanced 
when it did not compromise the honor, credit or troops of the 
Company. 
The Rajah of Keddah now became fully aware that all his finess¬ 
ing had failed to emancipate him from Siamese domination, and 
v 
