I have now seen a good deal of
Sir James, and the more I see of him the more I admire him. With the
highest talents for government he combines the greatest goodness of
heart and gentleness of manner. At the same time he has such confidence
and determination, that he has put down with the greatest ease some
conspiracies of one or two Malay chiefs against him. It is a unique case
in the history of the world, for a European gentleman to rule over two
conflicting races of semi-savages with their own consent, without any
means of coercion, and depending solely upon them for protection and
support, and at the same time to introduce the benefits of civilisation
and check all crime and semi-barbarous practices. Under his government,
"running amuck," so frequent in all other Malay countries, has never
taken place, and with a population of 30,000 Malays, all of whom carry
their "creese" and revenge an insult by a stab, murders do not occur
more than once in five or six years.
The people are never taxed but with their own consent, and Sir J.'s
private fortune has been spent in the government and improvement of the
country; yet this is the man who has been accused of injuring other
parties for his own private interests, and of wholesale murder and
butchery to secure his government!.
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