Map to illustrate the Siamese question.

"Government by the Sultan of Trengganu, and although the
"necessity of closing my despatches to-day leaves me but little
"time for going into the subject, and my position here deprives
"me of the opportunity of ascertaining certain particulars about
"it on which I should have liked to have satisfied myself I think
"it right to lose no time in furnishing your Lordship with such
"information respecting the matter as I am able.
"2. With regard to the position of the Sultan of Trengghnu,
" I have never heard it questioned but that he was, like the
" Rhja of Kedah and other rulers of Provinces on the Malayan
"Peninsula, a tributary of the King of Siam, and that, as such,
"it was not competent for him to enter into any direct negotia"tion with a foreign Government. In the case of the exchange
"of territory with Kedah, the Siamese Government sent its Com"missioners to this Government to arrange the affair, and the
"Rija of Kedah, although present, took no part in the proceed"ings, and was not recognised in any way by these Commis"sioners.
"3. I was not aware that the Sultan of Trengganu had sent
"an Envoy to England, and although the Maharaja of Johor
"informed me, a few weeks since, that there was a report in the
"Peninsula that he had done so, it seemed to me so unlikely that
"I did not attach any importance to the statement. When at
" Trengganu in August, 1868, the Sultan let fall some remarks
" indicating his wish to visit, or, if that were impossible, to send
"an Embassy to the Queen, but knowing that many of the
"Native Princes, seeing the result which had ensued on the visit
"to England of the Mahar.aja of Johor, were anxious to follow
"his example, and feeling that no possible benefit could accrue
"to him from such a step, which, moreover, I felt it to be very
"unlikely the Siamese Government would sanction, I endeavour"ed to throw cold water on the idea, and was under the impres"sion that he had abandoned it.
"4. It is difficult to foretell what will be the effect on the
"Siamese Government when it learns that one of its tributary
"Princes has sent an Envoy to England without its knowledge,
"but, from the suspicious character of the people, I am appre"hensive that it may not be easy to persuade them that our Gov"ernment has not been accessory to the step, and that it does
"not conceal something adverse to Siamese interests. When at
"Siam in August, 1868, I mentioned to the late King my in"tention of visiting Trengganu on my return, and the next day
"the Kalahome (then Prime Minister of the Kingdom, but now