ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

14th August-Mr Prince in orders at Singapore as Senior Members of Council and Resident Council at Singapore. Raffles in a letter to Bengal says, speaking of Mr Prince-" After a ser"vice of 35 years, during the largest portion of which he main"tained himself without any charge to government."*

-Mr Presgrave, the acting Resident, on the 15th August, in reply to an enquiry from Pinang as to house accommodation for the Governor on circuit, says Raffles built a temporary bungalow on the government hill for himself at public cost. Mr Crawfurd improved and enlarged the house at his own expence :-the house stood on the books 916 dollars. He also reports the inconvenience arising from want of suitable public offices, those in use being in merchants stores and not built for offices. The Resident, Paymaster, Treasurer and Accountant held their offices in their own private residences. On the Governor's first visit the houses of Captain Flint and Mr Napier were rented for his accommodation, the former at 500 Sicca rupees and the latter at 687 Sicca rupees monthly.

-Mr Presgrave, Acting Resident, reports on lands.-The tenure is a lease for years subject to a small annual quit rent. The Governor-General proposed 99 years, but this was objected to by the inhabitants and 999 years allowed. On the 26th August 1826, the Register contained only lists of lands granted by Raffles. Mr Crawfurd disapproved of Raffles' grants as informal and sent up his own draft to the government. The Advocate General objected to Mr Crawfurd's form and made out a draft of his own which was sent down. The Governor-General confirmed Raffles' grants but directed fresh papers to be issued, the total number was 569,

The Civil Servants at Bencoolen were allowed to trade. It appears that Mr Prince had a river and district to himself and no one else was allowed to trade or interfere there. In fact, for some, but it does not exactly appear for what services to the Company, further than keeping up the influence of the name, Mr Prince had the monopoly of selling and buying in a district. The remark is not personal to Mr Prince, it seems to have been the custom of the service.

of which the quit rent amounted to about 3,000 dollars. Mr. Crawfurd gave numerous location tickets (no list of which was kept) to clear unreserved lands. All the lands were granted under condition to built or cultivate.

21st November-Pinang Government Notification abolishing port dues.

7th December-Pinang government call on the Resident Councillor for his opinion as to assessing Singapore. The Resident on 14th January following, states that houses are already assessed 322 dollars and 90 cents monthly, he amends it to 400 dollars and 37 cents,-objects to any tax on lands. The produce from lands is of trifling value.

1827.

27th February-Mr Prince sent a circular round on February 27th, inviting the inhabitants to make drains opposite their own premises. Great damage had been done by heavy rains, and to obviate future inconvenience it was proposed that drains should be made to carry off the water, and in order to have the levels uniform to allow the work to be done by government officers at a fixed rate of dollars 27.75 per 100 feet. A committee was appointed when the work was completed to assess the cost among the various proprietors. Committee-Messrs Bonham, Johnston, Maxwell, Syme and Scott. They reported in August that 5,088 feet of open and 113 feet of covered drains had been completed.

6th March-Government notification. H. M. Court of Judicature to be opened at Singapore. The Resident's Court to be closed and all suits for sums above 32 dollars to be removed and entered in H. M. Court.

March-In consequence of the great increase of Chinese vagrants the Resident Councillor recommended government to give them an allowance of rice for 1 year and send them into the interior to clear the jungle.

27th March-The Pinang government call for the licences or other authority under which all the Europeans at Singapore are authorized to reside in the East India Company's territories.

Translation of a Malay Document submited to the Resident Councillor at Singapore, by Sultan Hussain Mohamed Shah, in 1827.

Sultan Mohamed Shah, first married the daughter of the Bandahara, named Puan; but having no issue by her, he took a second wife, Inche Magah, the daughter of a Bugis man, of the family of Dayang, whose name was Dayang Maturang. Sultan Mohamed was regularly married to Inche Magah, and in due course of time she bore him a son who was named Hussain. From his birth the Sultan's first wife took Hussain under her charge, brought him up, and adopted him as her own child. When Tuanku Hussian had attained to man's estate his adopted mother, Angku Puan, died. Sometime after Sultan Mohamed's marriage with Inche Magah, he took a third wife, the daughter of one Hussain, a man of low degree, her name is Mariam, to whom he was also regularly married. She likewise brought him a son named Abdulrahman. These are the two sons of Sultan Mohamed now living, the one at Linga, the other at Singapore; their respective mothers, Inche Mariam and Inche Magah, are still alive. The latter is married to Suluwatang. Iman Seid performed the marriage ceremony between the Sultan and Inche Magah, which was witnessed by Mohamed Tahir and Lebie Mustafa, with five other respectable persons, the same was the case in the Sultan's marriage with Inche Mariam.

Inche Abu, Inche Tan Bukal and Inche Wan Brahim, descendants from the family of Bandalara, and of the rank of Datu, both on the part of the Sultan of Singapore, and the Sultan of Linga agree in stating the following circumstances, they occurred from first to last, even to the present time. Advance only the truth and nothing but the truth!

In the 1219 year of the Hejira, on the 18th day of the month Rabi-ul-Awal, the Datu Rajah Bandahara can e from Pahang to visit Sultan Mohamed Shah at Linga. The latter, on this occasion, made known his wishes to. the Bandahara regarding his successor, by committing his son Hussain to his charge, the custom of the Malays being that whom the Rajah commits to the charge of the Bandahara, the same is to succeed. The Sultan at the same

time signified his desire that, in the event of his demise, the country of Linga only should be given to his son Abdulrahman, and that all the other countries composing the dominion of Johore should devolve on his other son Tuanku Hussain, as his legal heir, that is, that the country of Rhio with all its provinces, bays, coasts and islands should revert to Tuanku Hussain. This declaration was made to the Bandahara openly, before all the Chiefs and Elders, and in the presence of Rajah Indra Bungsu. After this the Bandahara requested permission to return to Pahang, promising on the following year to re-visit Linga, but, soon after his arrival at Pahang, he fell sick and died.

2. When the Palembang people were meditating an attack upon Linga, Sultan Mahomed Shah presented each of his Sons with a prahu, that of Tuanku Abdulrahman was called the Ghurab, that of the Tuanku Hussain the Buntal Mengidam. Ishmail, the Shah Bundar of Pahang, was on board the latter prahu with Tuanku Hussain. The invasion of Linga by the Palembang people did not, however, take place, in consequence of an amicable adjustment of the difference.

3. The third circumstance relates to the Rhio war, i. e. the quarrel between Rajah Ali and Angku Muda. On this occasion Sultan Mahomed Shah proposed visiting Rhio in person, with a view of settling the grounds of dispute between these two Chiefs. He took with him his two sons, granting to Tuanku Hussain the privilege of carrying the yellow stars on his fore and main mast; Abdulrahman carried a red flag. The Malay custom is that he to whom the Royal Banner is given, shall be accounted the Heir and successor of the sovereign.

4. From Rhio, Sultan Mahomed went to Bulang, in order to pay a visit to a relation there. His presence had the effect of putting an end to the quarrel between Rajah Ali and Angku Muda. The whole of the people of Bulang being assembled on the occasion of the restoration of peace between these two Chiefs, the Sultan, pointing to the prahu of his son Hussain, called upon those assembled to observe to whom he had given the Royal Standard, thereby publicly declaring that he had chosen Tuanku Hussain for his successor and the people accordingly paid him honors as the heir of his father.

5. After adjusting this affair, Sultan Maho med Shah returned to Rhio, where he was married to Angku Putri, and the Regalia were then deposit d in her hands.

6. Sultan Mahomed Shah next proposed an alliance between his son Tuanku Hussain and the daughter of the Tumongong at Bulang, which accordingly took place. Tuanku Hussain afterwards removed, with his whole household, to Rhio, and Angku Muda and Rajah Ali both died shortly after.

7. The deceased Sultan Mohamed Shah, sent for Rajah Jafar from Salangur and returned to Lingin; but, previously, thus addressed himself to Angkn Patri, who was known by the title of Rajah Muda, "since Rajah Muda you have no child of your own, I recommend you to ad opt Hussain for your son." Angku Putri replied "you have said well. It is usually esteemed a favor to "be permitted to adopt the children of inferior people, how much "greater favor ought I to consider it to be allowed to adopt the "son of a Sovereign Prince." It was on this account that the Sultan left the regalia in the possession of Angku Putri on his departure for Linga.

8. In the meantime Rajah Jafar arriving from Salangur, went to pay homage to the Sultan at Linga, when he was elevated by the Sultan to the rank of Rajah Muda. About this time Tuanku Hussain also visited Linga.

9. While on this visit his father proposed to him a visit to Pahang, recommending an union with the daughter of the Bandahara of that place. Sultan Hussain proceeded accordingly to Pahang, taking with him his father's request that the Bandahara would give his consent to the marriage. Soon after Tuanku Hussain's arrival at Pahang his nuptials with the Bandahara's daughter took place; and it was during his absence on this occasion that Sultan Mohamed Shah fell sick and shortly after died. On the intelligence of the Sultan's death reaching Pahang, Tuanku Hussain was anxious to put out immediately on his return to Linga, but, the northerly monsoon having set in, the Pahang Qualla was closed, which prevented him moving out of the river.

10. The great festival occurring while Tuanku Hussain was waiting for an opportunity of getting out of the Pahang river,

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »