617 THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. 
on a silver salver under an umbrella, the minister was to ride in a car¬ 
riage, and the attendants were to wear their arms. The arrogance 
of this Kling was quickly humbled by the anchoring of a gun-boat 
alongside of his prahu, and this was succeeded by the usual traits 
of his tribe under similar circumstances, abjectness and pliability. 
Nutmeg and clove trees were in the year 1798-9 introduced 
into Pinang for the first time. The difficulty, uncertainty and loss 
of time attending the cultivation of these exotics even where they 
are nearly in situ, was but partially here, where they are exotics, 
overcome in 1815 to 1820, and will always operate against any 
great degree of extension of the cultivation. 
May 1799. Major McDonald, the Superintendent,' died in 
this year when Mr G. Caunter acted for a while, and in the Sep¬ 
tember following the Rajah of Keddah also died. 
The Rajah was succeeded by his brother Chow Wang or 
Lord of the fort, a title which the Siamese conferred upon him. 
But he two years afterwards resigned the Government to his 
nephew (the late ex-Rajah) with the sanction of the Emperor of 
Siam. The investiture in the Government took place at Bankok 
in Siam, whether he had gone to solicit it; and the Emperor 
conferred upon him the title of Chow JPangeran. The Malays 
assert that by thus early presenting himself at the Court of Bankok 
he obtained his preferment to the injury of a more rightful claimant. 
1798-99. In 1799, the Chinese became seditious, and it is 
believed at the instigation of several European settlers. The 
Chinese had formed parties to protect each other against the laws. 
This combination has daily its parallel in the present Straits 
colonies—to the extent of giving secret aid to each other to escape 
punishment for criminal offences. But on the occasion alluded to 
the object seems to have been plunder. The Chinese had settled 
even at this early period at Battu Kawan on the coast of Keddah, 
opposite to the south extremity of Pinang island. They were 
consequently beyond the jurisdiction of Pinang. Here they 
commenced that sugar cultivation which has been continued up to 
the present day. The acting Superintendent of Convicts suggested, 
that the Pry river in front of Pinang town with some lands in its 
banks should be got in order to prevent a rival mart being 
established there. It 'is curious that the Keddah Rajah did not 
carry such a plan into execution; he had indeed contemplated it, 
but perhaps desisted under the apprehension that it would bring 
his people into too close a proximity to the British. 
(To be continued.) 
[We have not deemed it proper to express our dissent from some of the Author’s 
views with respect to the rights and claims of the Malay kings of Kedah •, but 
distant readers ought to know that public opinion in Pinang has always l ee r 
strongly in favor of them. In 18j4 an elaborate work was compiled from official 
records by Mr Anderson, the Secretary to the Pinang Government, in proof of the 
right of the king to cede Pinang and his claims upon us for assistance against 
the Siamese. The Governor and Council concurred in Mr Anderson’s conclusions, 
and the work was printed by their order.— Ed.] 
