Raffles Collection X

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Thos S.R affles to the... Governor in Council, Prince of Wales Island. Batavia, 18th February 1814. On piracy˗˗ ‘Nothing can tend so effectually to the suppression of Piracy ... the establishment or British Agents ... at the leading Ports ....’ [True copy.] 2, pp. 7˗40: A. de Nys to Thomas Saunders. ... London, 6th April 1813. On the pearl deposited with the East India Company as security for £2,000. Also other documents on the same subject. [True copy.] 3, pp. 39˗134: Pieces relative to Japan. [A short summary of the facts related in the following papers is given in Lady Raffles’ Memoir, pp. 229˗233. See also Boulger's Life, pp. 177˗181.] (a) pp. 41˗45: (Raffles) to William Wardenaar. [n.d.] Instructions on the mission to Japan. ‘You will without loss of time proceed on the Commission with which you are charged, respecting which I rely so implicitly on your information & judgment that I deem it unnecessary to give you any detailed instructions ....’ [Copy.] (b) pp. 49˗54: (Raffles) to Daniel Ainslee. May 1812. ‘As I have after much consideration selected you to proceed to Japan ostensibly as Surgeon to the Factory there but in reality for the purpose of effecting the Political Object of transferring to the British Government the Trade heretofore extensively enjoyed by the Dutch ....’ [Copy.] (c) pp. 57˗60: Thos S. Raffles to ... Lord Minto. Samarang, 12th July 1812. ‘The refusal of Mr Martin to furnish me with, any portion of the spices, and no accounts having been received from Bengal ... the Adventure to Japan … must unavoidably be delayed until the ensuing Season ....’ (d) pp. 61˗72: D. Ainslee, Commissioner to the Secretary to Government. Ship Charlotte, Batavia Roads, 20th December1813. ‘I have the honor to report my return from Japan, whither I proceeded from Batavia on the 24th June last in commission with Mr Wardenaar ....’ He speaks of his colleague ‘having reserved almost exclusively to himself... the Commercial Concerns of the Voyage.’ The report is not very illuminating, and much more information is given in Mr Wardenaar’s report, which follows. [True copy.] (e), pp. 73˗116 : Journal of the proceedings of the undersigned Commissioner on an Expedition to Japan in the year 1813, for the purpose of continuing the trade between Java and that Empire. Signed Wm. Wardenaar, dated 20th December 1813. They arrived at their destination on 25th July. The Dutch Commercial Resident (Mr. Doeff) refused to acknowledge the authority of the Commissioners, but they arranged to trade. Much is made of the Japanese hatred of the English- ‘attributed to the proceedings of the English frigate the Phaeton, who touched at Japan [In October 1808.] and menaced Government to burn all Japanese vessels and Chinese Junks, if no provisions were given to them.’ So they pretended to be the usual Dutch traders, sold the cargoes and reloaded with copper, &c. Details of the transactions are given. [The financial details of this voyage are printed in Raffles’ History of Java, Vol. II, appendix, p. xxxii.] They set sail for Batavia on 25th November and arrived there on 20th December. [Translation.] (f), pp. 117˗133: Thos S. Raffles to ... Earl Minto. Buitenzorg, 13th February 1814. The result of the Japan mission. Printed, in part, in Lady Raffles’ Memoir, pp. 231˗233, and Boulger’s Life, pp. 179˗181. 4, pp. 135˗146: Memorandum respecting Siac [n.d.]. The Siak river; the timber trade; the rulers and government; ‘Tunku Pangeran’ friendly to the English; possible advantages of a settlement. 5, pp. 147˗182: A Code of the established Malay Laws in force in the Country of Bencoolen collected by Henry Robert Lewis, Esquire, Magistrate, in concert with the several Native Chiefs. ... [Translation.] 6, pp. 183˗226: Constitution of the Court & Administration of Justice at Fort Marlbro.’ See A Code of Laws as established at the Pangeran’s Court at Fort Marlborough. Collected by H. R. Lewis. London, 1821. 7, pp. 227˗229: Orders of the Honble the Lieutenant Governor, Fort Marlbro. 21st October 1823. The prevention of slavery. 8 (a), pp. 231˗246: W. ˗˗˗˗˗˗˗ to the Honble Sir T. S. Raffles. 15 June 1818. This contains serious accusations against Mr. H. R. Lewis. [Copy.] (b), pp. 247˗265: Report from the Committee appointed to examine the Bencoolen Records relative to Mr Lewis defalcation in the Fort Marlbro’ Treasury. The Committee reports that certain of the original documents required cannot be found. 9, pp. 267˗278: Copy of a mutilated document containing Laws and Regulations in force at Manna. 10, pp. 279˗328: Sumatran Vocabulary. Dr Jack. (a) pp. 279˗301: English, Sarawai, Lampung, Rijang. (b) pp. 303˗315: Begins, ‘It will be observed from this copious vocabulary that there is a great similarity between the Batak and Malay languages ....’ See 240, p. 303. (c) pp. 319˗328: English, Mantawai, Niyas, Bugis, Sarawai, Lampung, Rijang, Batak. 11, pp. 329˗370: (? Sir T. S. Raffles) to ... Secretary to Government. Calcutta, 20th December 1819. Endorsed ‘Report on the formation of an Establishment at Singapore.’ This, however, is rather misleading. The letter begins, ‘In conformity with the desire expressed by the Most Noble the Governor General in Council, I have the honour to submit the following Report on the Commercial advantages and resources which may be expected to be derived from the Establishment of a Factory at Singapore.’ [Singapore was occupied on 29th January 1819.] The main heads of this report are: General view of the Trade, Nature of the Trade, Extent of the Field, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, Java and the Moluccas, Ava, Siam, Camboja; Cochin-China; Population. Advantages of Singapore (the opium trade, &c.); Prospective advantages; Failure of Bencoolen and Penang; General observations.12, pp. 373˗384; Sketch of the Eboes collected from some slaves of that nation in Jamaica by A. Reddie in 1796"--Provided by the British Library., Mss Eur F33)