Map to illustrate the Siamese question.

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" the point, the Court of Bangkok might at last become impressed
" with a sense of the necessity for withdrawing its protege from
"the Peninsula, and thus render any action on the part of the
" Authorities in the Straits unnecessary, hence it was only on the
" commencement of the change in the Monsoon that, with the
" view of protecting our commerce, as well as of putting an end
" to the strife, by which the whole Peninsula was rapidly becoming
" agitated, I deemed it my duty to request the Senior Naval
" Officer to proceed to Trengghnu, and insist upon the return of
the ex-Sultan to Siam, or, in the event of his demand not being
" complied with, to deprive him, as far as practicable, of the means
"of rendering aid to the Bendahara's assailants.
" 8. It may be considered that, before taking so decided a step,
"I ought to have awaited further orders, but I would be; respect" fully to represent that at the earliest, I could not have rece&ve I
" any reily to my Despatches for another month, whilst the dela,
" even of one day, by the interruption, owing to the heavy surf, cf
" communication with the coast, might prove fatal to the sutces3
" of the undertaking; moreover, from the tenor of my previou3
" instructions, I was well aware, that the intention avowed in inr
" letter, No. 103, of the 26th July, of adopting, if necessary, suit.
" able measures for ensuring Inche WAN AumED's expulsion froma
" Pahang, had met with the approval of the Supreme Government.
" 9. That the movement proved unsuccessful was not owing
" to any want of tact or ability on the part of the Officer emplloy.
" ed to conduct the negotiations, but to the fact that the Sultan
" of Trengganu knew that the season for a blockade had passed
" away, whilst so little disposed are we usually to exert our
" strength, that he dreaded the wrath of the Siamese more than
" our menaces, the great error committed was, doubtless, in not
" making the demonstration in the first instance, without any re" ference to the Court of Siam, a course that would have been
" perfectly justifiable, and had been previously followed with sue"cess, but, I could not but believe, that the expression of the
" opinion of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India would
" have been duly respected, and I was therefore induced to hope
" that its receipt would have led to the adoption, by the Siamese
" Authorities, of measures that might have tended to secure the
" permanent peace of the Peninsula, and thus obviated all ne" cessity for further intervention.
" I have the honour to be,
" SIR,
" Your most obedient Servant,
" ORFEUR CAVENAGH, Colonel,
" Governor.
" Sinapore, 13th October, 18682"