Page 252 - Malay sketches

MALAY SKETCHES

Birch was coming up the river in a few days, and
if he to the
that, attempted post any notices there,
orders of the Sultan and the down-river chiefs were
to kill him. The assembled people said that, if
those were the commands of the Sultan and the
Maharaja Lela, they would carry them out. The
chief then handed his sword to a man called Pandak
Indut, his father-in-law, and directed that everyone
should give to him the same obedience as to him-
self. The people then dispersed. It was one or
two days after this that Mr. Birch arrived at Pasir
Salak.
Before describing the events of the 2nd Novem-
ber I must go back for a moment.
A number of officers, of whom I was one, had
Sir W. his
accompanied Jervois in journey to
Perak. When the Governor and those with him
left the State I was directed to remain behind with
Mr. Birch to assist him in his negotiations with the
chiefs. A fortnight later I went to Singapore with
important papers and the drafts of proclamations
defining the authority of the Resident under the new
These were
arrangement. proclamations printed,
and I returned to Perak with them, joining Mr.
Birch in his house on the 26th October.
I found the Resident had met with an accident ;
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