THE RRITISH COLONIES IN THE STRAITS OP MALACCA. Gil 
Burmese and, Siamese, It. appears that although such promise 
had not been actually made by that officer in positive terms, still 
that by evading in general terms any direct reply, he had left the 
Rajah to entertain hopes that he would perhaps gain his object. 
But it seems also clear that this new subject was then mooted by 
the Rajah, as he had hopes otherwise of obtaining the aid of some 
less scrupulous power than the British, for enabling him to set the 
Siamese at defiance. In this frame of mind he had made secret 
overtures to the French at Pondicherry and to the Dutch. It does 
not appear that the former shewed any great alacrity in meeting 
the Raj air’s views, but the Dutch entertained them with avidity, 
received the Rajah’s letters with great pomp, and doubtless hoped 
by a grand stroke of policy to exclude the British for ever from 
the Straits, and this at the very time too when the hoisting of a 
signal of aid, if not of approbation merely, by the latter would have 
raised every Malayan arm throughout the Archipelago against 
Dutch rule and influence. A Dutch frigate was despatched to 
Keddah, and two other cruizers were anchored off Pinang harbour 
and interfered with the traders to that port. The Rajah of 
Keddah now laid an embargo on rice and other supplies usually 
carried to Pinang. 
The Dutch had found perhaps that the occupation of Keddah 
would involve them in an expensive war with Siam, while the 
Rajah probably began to suspect that he would become a puppet 
in their hands. Negociations were soon therefore broken off 
betwixt these two parties, and the embargo was removed. 
Instigated by his ministers, the Rajah, finding that the British 
would not go to war with the Siamese on his account, determined 
if possible to expel them from Pinang, as shall now be detailed. 
Deer. 1790.—When the Rajas of the Malayan states of Tringanu, 
Rumbow, Siae, Sulu, Lingin, Johore, Indragiri, Kota Karang 
and Siantan, found that the British would not aid them for the 
expulsion of the Dutch from the Straits, they resolved to combine 
their forces and try to expel both of these nations at once. It was 
well that they then did make the attempt, for it proved to them the 
utter hopelessness of any such endeavour for the future. 
The combined Malayan fleet numbered four hundred large and 
small prahus, carrying one hundred and twenty pieces of ordnance 
of calibres ranging from six to twelve lbs besides small arms, and 
about 8,000 men. When the fleet approached Pinang another of 
nearly equal strength joined it from Keddah. The Rajah had 
addressed a letter to the admiral of the combined fleet offering 
twenty thousand dollars if he would attack and destroy Pinang 
during the night, and pledging himself to co-operate, if the attack 
should prove unsuccessful, in beseiging the place. The Malayan 
fleets however proceeded to Keddah owing to some want of 
unanimity amongst the commanders. The Raja then seized or laid * 
an embargo on 30,000 dollars worth of property belonging to 
