Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-13
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
ON TIE MALAYAE PENINSULA

Great Britain In Prospcet-The Dutch In'
tsrcas.
The Straits settlements are not much
known in America, writes correspond
ent Of the San Francisco Chronicle, yet
they form one Of the most important
Of the English colonies in the far East.
Being in the Straits Of Malacca they are
on the great highway round the world.
All the great lines Of steamers pass and
repass constantly, most Of them stop
ping at Penang or Singapore, the two
principal cities, giving passengers an
opportunity for brief observations on
shore. 1t is from these brief visits
and cursory inspections, summaries
Of which appear in books OF travel,
that most Of our knowledge Of very
interesting region is obtained, and 1t Is
certainly superficial and scanty enough.
As for letters to American newspapers,
dated at any Of the Straits cities, they
are almost unknown. We have had at
Singapore consul who has contributed
voluminous and interesting essays to
the State Department at Washing
ton, but few read these consul
lar documents when compiled in those
rather unhandsomc volumes, which are
regularly issued by the Government
printer, the more's the pity, for they
arc a mine Of useful information about
all parts Of the world. So, except for
a pretty postage-stamp, bearing ehe
words, " Straits Settlements" and
neat silver coin with a similar legend,
specimens of which now and then find
their way to the United States, Amerl-
cans have faint conceptions of the
region, except that it was once in-
tested by pirates, whose blood-curdling
deeds were for half a century the stock
in trade Of English and American
noyelists.
The Straits Of Malacca comprise q
long strip of water extending from
southeast to northwest and connecting
the Bay Of Bengal with the South
Pacific ocean, or, rather, with that por-
ton of it which is sometimes called
Australasia. 1t is in itself a pretty
piece Of water, through which, though
you are never out of sight Of land
on one side or the other, steamer
is nearly two days in passing. On
the east the peninsula of Malacca
thrusts down long, slender strip
of land, like a slim finger, far into
equatorial waters. On the west the
island of Sumaua, longer and almost
as slender, and having nearly the area
of France, extends farther to the south,
being only separated from Java by the
Straits Of Sunda. The Straits settle
ments comprise the four cities Of Slnga-
pore. Malacca, Penang, and Wellesley.
with certain dependencies nomlnally
under the rule Of sultans or rajahs, but
really controlled by the British
residents in each. Singapore IL on an
island fifty or sixty miles in circlmler-
ence at the lower end Of the straits. The
population OF the island is about l5O.-
eco. Of whom nearly 100000 are Chr
ncse. Penang is on an island o(ncarly
the same size at the upper end Of the
straits. and Malacca Is about half way
between. Penang island contains
population Of 100000, with perhaps
$4,000 Chinese. Malacca has about
lCO.OC0, with $4,000 Chinese, and
larger proportion Of native Malays than
either Penang or Singapore. The Euro
pean population here, including the
British troops on duty, rarely exceeds
fifty.
The entire native population Of the
PENINSULA, the British settlements. and
the island of Sumatra is not supposed to
exceed 100000, and in most of it the
sentiment of piracy fingers, with now and
then a slight exhibition Of its practice.
Beside the Chinese there is in all the
cities an aliiuence of race which inter-
csts foreigner. There are ParSees,
Hindoos. Singhalese, Arabs, Arme-
mans, japanese, Siamese, Jews, and
negroes. The Eurasian element,
by which is meant in all parts
OF the Orient the illegitimate
offspring OF European parentagc, is also
large. and in no respect is the remarka-
be fecundity Of the East more gene
rously shown, and nowhere, it may be
added, is there such a draft on that
supposed preternatural wisdom Of the
child. a wisdom closely allied to inSpira-
ton, which enables the little one TO
recognize the male suthor Of It's being
as in Hong Kong and the Straits settle
ments. The Portuguese came to the
Straits in 1911 as the pioneers of dis
coyery, and settled at Malacca. Drake
passed this way in 1913. Cayendish in
1855, and Lancaster in 1892. twas an
age of English naval adventure and free
booting. None of the English explorers
attempted a settlement, but Lancaster
carried away load Of peppoT-then,
as now, a s,aple-taken from captured
Dutch and Peguan vessels. a little
later came the Dutch, scattering their
settlement all along the coast from
Ccylon to Formosa. Other English
nayieators followed in the early part of
the seventeenth century, but the East
was still 50 far off and so poetical that
Milton. with such words as Banda,
Ambolna, Tcrnate, and Tidoc, was
able TO render some line Of his " Para
disc Lost" more sonorous, mysterious,
and romantic.
1t was in l7Sj, while Europe was
ripening fer the French revelation and
ire general upheaval that followed it,
tl.at England effected her first lodge
mont in the Malayan peninsula. In
that wear the East india Company ac-
quired Penang island for the annual
payment Of 10000 to the rajah of
Quettab. afterward, like other similar
annutics. compromised by lump sum
paid to the raiah in the hour Of his ne
cessities. Thirteen years afterward,
Province Wellesley. y strip Of land
iorty.hye miles long on the mainland
opposite, was also coded. Singapore
was acquired by the Indian Government
in 1919, in a similar way, and with
/ Malacca was united to Penang under
/ the present collective name in 1923.
/ Since then these three cities, though
hundreds Of miles apart, have gone on
/ urOSuerOuslV under a governor ap-