Page 247 - Malay sketches

JAMES WHEELER WOODFORD BIRCH
who did not know have suggested that the Resident's
murder was due to non-political causes, a suggestion
for which there is not a semblance of foundation.
By September 1875, matters had come to a dead-
lock. With the Resident, in what was called the
down-stream country, was a Sultan, Abdullah,
created by the British Government, but declining to
the advice of the Resident who had been
accept
appointed at his special request. Abdullah's opposi-
tion was mainly negative but absolutely effective,
for as the Resident could only tender advice and
had no commission, and no sufficient means to
compel its adoption, his voice was that of one
" there was
crying in the wilderness." Up-stream
another Sultan, Ismail, elected by some of the chiefs
but admitted to have no sufficient claim to the post.
Between the partisans of these rival Sultans, very
strained relations existed.
Then there was another claimant to the Sultan-
ship in the person of the Raja Muda Jusuf, who
lived still further up country, and while his claims
were undoubtedly the best, his personal unpopu-
larity was so great that the people would not accept
him as Sultan.
The success of the Residential idea no one
(for
had attempted to formulate any scheme or system)
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