Map to illustrate the Siamese question.

-59--
"supreme ignorance alone could have dictated, and which looked
"like a close approach to a declaration of war, only that it was
" not official and was the exhibition of anger in a mere provincial
"chief unauthorised by his Emperor, was calmly replied to. The
" Raja of Ligor was told that the British Government was not
" accustomed to deny the rights of hospitality to an ally or friend,
" and that confident in its own strength and power, it was not in
" the habit of receiving, or of using in its correspondence with
" neighbouring States, any unavailing threats and expressions.
" January, 1822. The uncle of the ex-Raja, who was a tool in
" the hands of the Ligorian, wrote to the Governor to have paid
" to him the rent as he called it, which the English had to pay for
"Penang. To back this demand, the Ligorian recognised this
" Chief as Governor of Kedah, although he had just before
" declared that a Siamese should be placed over Kedah. As the
" Siamese Emperor had never openly protested against the British
" occupancy of Penang, he committed a palpable political blunder
" in not maintaining the annual payment to the ruler de facto of
"that country. It is of small consequence how this money is paid,
" for any how, if demanded, it finds its way into the Siamese
"treasury. But it would have been extremely beneficial had the
" negotiators at Bangkok induced the Siamese at once to accept
"a sum of money in lieu of all further demands. At present the
" payment looks too much like rent or tribute."
The following extract is not in accord with one already
quoted, but Colonel Low gives no authorities for his conclusions. As a matter of fact, Kelantan is an important State,
probably the most populous, as regards Malays, of any in the
Peninsula, and denies the authority of Siam to interfere in the
Government:"July, 1822. The Raja of Kelantan, a small State on the East
" Coast of the Peninsula, wrote to the Governor of Penang offering
" to give up that country to the British upon his being allowed
" one-half of the revenues. He would have made a good bargain,
" and the British a bad one, had the proposal been entertained" for being then under Siam, it would have relieved him from
" vassalage, and placed more revenue at his disposal than perhaps
" he could else have had the power to retain."
The following refers to the British-Siamese Treaty of 1826,
to which I shall have occasion to refer later:" 1826. Captain BURNEY, Envoy of the Governor-General, con" cluded with the Siamese Court the Treaty of Bangkok, on the
" 20th June, 1826. This was chiefly of a commercial nature, but the