The British troops have gained a considerable success over the
insurgent Malays. Sir W. Jervois telegraphs on December 28 that the Malaya had retreated to a strong position in a mountain- pass in the little State of Sunjie Ujong. They were followed, but General Colborne, instead of throwing his men at the stockades and losing half of them, which is the regular practice, attacked on December 22nd in front and flank, and at night, the men, the Goorkhas especially, stealing through the jungle in Malay fashion. Captain Channer, in particular, entered a stockade flanking the position almost unobserved, and the Ways, thunder-struck at his advance, abandoned their position almost without a blow, only one Ghoorkha being killed. The Malaya are believed to be dispersing, and the Maharajah Lela has fled into Siam. We hear nothing of Sultan Ismail, but the impression on the spot is that the war is over, and that it only remains for the Colonial Office to decide what shall be done with Perak. As we shall have to govern it in any case, we may. as well govern it openly, without the inconvenient hypocrisy of using a native speaking-trumpet. Sultan Abdoollah is obviously ready to sell any rights we please, and as we have now upset all authority, our duty is to establish a good government, a duty made all the easier by the steady support of the Chinese, who offered to bring in the Malaya' heads. The offer was declined, but a Chinese Militia is clearly possible.
Previous page
