Qass. Book . £41 \^bZ. : HANDBOOK OP THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES. COMPILED BY H. CONWAY BELFIELD, British Resident of Selangor, LONDON EDWARD STANFORD, 12-14, LONG ACRE, W.C. PRICE 2/6 : HANDBOOK OF THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES. COMPILED BY H. CONWAY BELFIELD, British Resident of Selangor. LONDON EDWARD STANFORD, 12-14, LONG ACRE, W.C. PRICE 2/6. I desire to acknowledge my obligations to those friends and brother officers who have assisted me in the task of compilation by collecting and arranging material for my work. Their con- tributions have been of the greatest value to me, and have supplied the many interesting local details which form the most attractive features in the text of this Handbook. H. 0. B. Junior Carlton Club, Pall Mall, S.W. May 1st, 1902. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/handbookoffedera01belf 15 30 30 — PART I. FEDERATED MALAY STATES. The Federated Malay States of the Malay Peninsula consist of the four States of Perak, Selangor, the Negri Sembilan, and Pahang. An Agreement was signed in July, 1895, by which these States were confederated for administrative purposes and a Eesident- Greneral appointed, with an official residence at Kuala Lumpur, Selangor. The following is the agreement : Agreement between the Governor of the Straits Settlements, acting on behalf of the Grovernment of Her Majesty the Uueen, the of the following Empress of India, and Rulers Malay States ; —that is to say, Perak, Selangor, Pahang, and the Negri Sembilan. 1. In confirmation of various previous Agreements, the Sultan of Perak, the Sultan of Selangor, the Sultan of Pahang, and the Chiefs of the States which form the territory known as the Negri Sembilan, hereby severally place themselves and their States under the protection of the Pritish Grovernment. 2. The above-named Pulers and Chiefs of the respective States hereby agree to constitute their countries a Federation, to be known as the Protected Malay States, to be administered under the advice of the British Grovernment. 3. It is to be understood that the arrangement hereby agreed upon does not imply that any one Ruler or Chief shall exercise any power or authority in respect of any State other than that which he now possesses in the State of which he is the recognised Ruler or Chief. 2 Handbook of the 4. The above-named Eulers agree to accept a British Officer, to be styled the Resident- General, as the agent and representative of the British Government under the Governor of the Straits Settle- ments. They undertake to provide him with suitable accommoda- tion, with such salary as is determined by Her Majesty's Govern- ment, and to follow his advice in all matters of administration other than those touching the Muhammadan religion. The appointment of the Resident-General will not affect the obliga- tions of the Malay rulers towards the British Residents now existing or to be hereafter appointed to offices in the above- mentioned Protected States. 5. The above-named Rulers also agree to give to those States in the Federation which require it such assistance in men, money, or other respects as the British Government, through its duly appointed officers, may advise ; and they further undertake, should war break out between Her Majesty's Government and that of any other Power, to send, on the requisition of the Governor, a body of armed and equipped Indian troops for service in the Straits Settlements. 6. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to curtail any of the powers or authority now held by any of the above-named Rulers in their respective States, nor does it alter the relations now existing between any of the States named and the British Empire. Federated Malay States, OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT High Commissioner : Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham, K.C.M.G. [Singapore] Secretary to the High Commissioner : Frederick J. Weld [Singapore] Headquarters: KUALA LUMPUR, SELANGOE. Resident General : William Hood Treacher, C.M.G. Secretary to the Resident General : Dacres H. Wise. Assistant Secretary : Oliver Marks. Judicial Commissioner : Lawrence Colvile Jackson, K.C. Legal Adviser : T. H. Kershaw. Commandant, Malay States Guides: Lt.-Col. H. S. Frowd Walker, C.M.G. Accountant and Auditor : Robert Douglas Hewett. Commissioner of Lands and Mines : Arthur T. D. Berrington. Director Public Works : Francis St. George Caulfeild. Commissioner of Police : Captain H. L. Talbot. General Manager Railways : Charles Edwin Spooner. Secretary for Chinese Affairs: G. T. Hare, C.M.G. Inspector of Prisons : Lt.-Col. R. S. Frowd Walker, C.M.G. Inspector of Schools : J. Driver. Pathologist : Dr. Hamilton Wright. Th.e Federated Malay States adjoin each other, and occupy an important portion of the peninsula, the three first-named States lying on the western side of the chain of mountains which forms the backbone of the peninsula, while Pahang is situated on the eastern side of the range, extending from thence to the shores of the China Sea. The total area of the four States is estimated at about Area 27,000 square miles, extending from North Latitude 2.24 to 6.10, and from East Longitude 100.23 to 103.60. The Malay Peninsula is a comparatively narrow strip of Physical land lying between the Straits of Malacca on the west (Geography. and the China Sea on the east, the Federated Malay States being situated in the central and broadest part of the peninsula. A range of mountains runs throughout almost — ; Handbook of the its entire length, dividing the eastern from the western States. The height of the various points of the range varies from 3,000 to over 7,000 feet above sea-level. From this central chain the land slopes away to the sea- coast on either side, the whole being clothed by Nature, from the mountain summits to the sea-shore, with dense and luxuriant tropical forest consisting of a variety of grand timber trees, the majority of which are considerably over 100 feet in height. The whole of the peninsula is well watered by innumerable streams, having their sources in the hills, and combining to form rivers which flow into the sea at regular intervals on either side. Some of these rivers are navigable for steamers of light draught for more than 50 miles from the sea. The combined coast line on the Straits of Malacca of the three western States of Perak, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan extends for 90 miles. That of the State of Pahang upon the China Sea is approximately 130 miles. Perak is the most northern of the Federated States upon the western side. On its southern boundary it meets Selangor, while the State of Negri Sembilan adjoins Selangor on the south. Pahang, on the eastern side, which is probably the largest of all the four States, adjoins all three of the western States on its inland boundary. The Federated States are bounded on the north and north- east by i^t portion of the Colony of the Straits Settlements known as Province Wellesley, and by Kedah, Patani, Kelantan, and Trengganu. On the south they are bounded by the Colonial territory of Malacca and by Johor. On the east and west by the China Sea and the Straits of Malacca respectively. The geological features of the States vary to a certain extent in different localities, but the following four principal formations are generally present : (i.) Granite — of which the mountain ranges of the peninsula are composed (ii.) Large series of beds of gneiss, quartzite, schist, and sandstone, overlaid with crystalline limestone. The foot-hills of the mountain ranges consist for the most part of this Kmestone, much of which is marble of fine quality. — Federated Malay States. 5 These hills are generally cavernous, and in many instances the caves are of considerable size and beauty. (iii.) Small sheets of Trap rock. (iv.) Eiver gravels and alluvial deposits, overlaid with patches of peat on the lowlands near the coast. The following metals have been found in the different formations : In the Grranite — Tin, lead, iron, arsenic, tungsten, titanium. In the Laurentian—Gold, silver, tin, lead, iron, arsenic, copper, zinc, tungsten, manganese, bismuth. In the Quaternary—Grold, tin, copper, tungsten, iron, titanium. Also other ores in smaller quantities. In the Alluvial — All the above-mentioned ores in varying quantities, in the more workable form of alluvial deposits. Numerous hot springs have been discovered in different JTot Springs. parts of the States, with degrees of temperature varying from 90° to 180° F. The water usually gives off an odour of sulphuretted hydrogen and has a bitter taste. Dissolved mineral matter is from one to four parts in ten thousand. Some of these springs are used as baths, with beneficial effect. The climate of the Federated Malay States, as of the Climate. neighbouring colony of the Straits Settlements, is tropical, but may be described as being oceanic rather than con- tinental. The distinguishing feature is the absence of local seasonal variations, or of any prolonged or marked epochs, whether of rain or drought, or of high or low temperatures. Although near the Equator, the heat, which is of a moist nature, is not usually felt to be oppressive, and having regard to their geographical position, the climate of the Federated States, as a whole, notwithstanding the continuous heat and the excessive humidity of the air, has been proved to be healthy for Europeans of sound constitution who lead regular and temperate lives. This is particularly the case in the larger towns. In low- lying and swampy parts, and on newly-opened lands, there 6 Handbook of the is of course more risk to health, but no part of the States can be said to be unfit for Europeans to live in.