The rajah summed up his final decision to the following effect, through the medium of an interpreter:—“Let the native Nacodar be sent on board my vessel; I will not injure him; I will make a solemn engagement with you to that effect; but I intend sending him to the settlement of Penang in chains, there to be dealt with as the judges at that settlement may determine: if the man has not done wrong, why is he afraid to come on board? here are plenty of Europeans.” And thus concluded an address replete with excellent sense and sound discrimination—“I appeal to your English laws whether I have not decided justly, and according to the treaty solemnly ratified between the Sri Sultan Alla, Iddeen Jowhara, Allum, Shah, Sultan of Acheen, and the British government?”
One of the commanders, who afterwards asked the rajah to give up the vessel as a matter of courtesy, received the following sensible reply—“Would one of your men-of-war surrender a prize which had been proved a legal capture?” He then added, that the vessel should be taken to Acheen, and when there, if found by his brother, the rajah of Acheen, to be illegally seized, she should be returned forthwith to Penang, and the owners indemnified for her detention, and any damage she might have sustained while in their possession.[4]
The rajah is a fine and handsome young man, of very pleasing manners, and an intelligent countenance; his face was full, broad, and had the true Malay characteristics; he had upon his left arm a large seal, or amulet, of about two inches in diameter, upon the stone of which (called “Pungli” by the Malays) a sentence of the Koran was engraved; he said it was intended as a charm against his being injured; “so the Acheenese believe,” he added, but did not appear to place much faith himself in its supposed powers.
The different rajahs came on an appointed day from the different districts in the vicinity, to Pedir, to pay their respects to the old queen previous to her departing to Acheen in one of the men-of-war, which she did on the evening of the 20th of July, accompanied by the whole of the Acheenese fleet.
Accompanied by Captain M’Alister, I visited the village of “Gingham.” At the entrance of the river, a bar, (similar to, I believe, the whole of the rivers upon this coast,) on which usually rolls a heavy surf, rendering its entrance somewhat dangerous for boats; the river maintained a very winding course even to the village: a number of shrubs abounded in the water, and about the banks, among which were the Acanthus ilicifolia, and several others. The village of Gingham is situated about a mile distant from the entrance of the river; the thatched-houses, of which it is composed, were partially concealed by the graceful and elegant Bamboo, Eju, Cocoa, and Areka palms. Having landed and ranged about the village, I made inquiry of the native merchants, who were the Moormen of Hindostan, many of whom had been born in India, and others on the coast, respecting the trade of the place, which consists exclusively of the Betel-nut; they informed me that they contracted with the supercargoes of vessels[5] visiting the coast, paying to the rajah a certain tribute. The export is from forty to sixty thousand peculs annually, during the months of May, June, July, and some part of August. The total amount collected upon the coast, the greatest portion of which grows some distance inland, is computed at or about eighty or ninety thousand peculs.
The number of vessels, of all classes, freighted every year upon this coast during the season, varies, and depends a great deal upon their size; sometimes forty of all classes had been loaded, but when a large Bombay Indiaman comes and takes ten thousand peculs at one time, of course it occasions a scarcity for the smaller ones; in this case, therefore, although the number of vessels loaded is not so great, the quantity exported is pretty nearly the same.[6]
The cargo sent on board the ship in which I visited Pedir, came not from the Pedir district alone, but was brought (by contracts entered into by the rajah of Pedir, with the native merchants of those places) from Gingham, Sawang, &c., and of course at an increased price. I made inquiry, if a ship was brought next month, (August,) whether they could load her with Areka-nut, and what period of time they would take to deliver six thousand peculs on board. The reply was, that at this season a greater scarcity of nut prevailed than usual, on account of internal wars drawing away the men, and causing a scarcity of hands to collect and shell it; my informant, therefore, would not engage to deliver any next month, but the following May would engage to supply the quantity of six thousand peculs in a week, receiving dollars, cambrics, long cloths, opium, iron, &c., in exchange, and delivering the Areka-nut at one dollar the pecul; however, much depends on the agreement of price between the contracting parties at the time, and the greater or less demand for the European and other goods brought into the market.
There was an abundant supply of fish in the fish-market at Gingham, consisting of very large specimens of Acanthurus, or lancet-fish, Chœtodons, Cyprinus, several species of the Perch tribe, the Barracouta, Shark, as well as a number of others, varying in form, size, and colour; and it appeared from the collection exhibited, that abundance was taken upon the coast.
On the evening of the 23d of July, we sailed from “Pedir,” bound for Singapore and China, having six thousand and eight peculs of Areka-nut on board. The cargo was purchased for five thousand four hundred and forty Spanish dollars, forty peculs of iron, thirty kits of Swedish steel, thirty peculs of lead, and three chests of opium. Upon the iron a profit was gained upon the invoice prices of 77½ per cent.; upon the lead, 81½ per cent.; and upon the steel, 48 per cent. Upon the opium there was, as I have before mentioned, but very little profit; indeed, the price of a dollar and a-half per pecul was too high for this article; but, unfortunately, the speculation originated at Batavia, and being the first ship chartered for the purpose from thence, the parties were consequently ignorant of the people and country, and of the kind of merchandize most advantageous for barter. From the number of ships requiring nut at the same time, payment in dollars, and at an advanced price, is sometimes the only means of procuring a cargo, unless the vessel remained so long as to be ruinous to the speculators.[7]