Map to illustrate the Siamese question.

a fire was opened upon the fort, which stands apart from the town,
and of which the works were partly destroyed. After inflicting
sufficient damage to convince the Sultan of the necessity for attend.
ing to the warnings he had received, the Steamers returned to
Singapore.
16. On the 8th November, 1862, the promise to withdraw the
Sultan having been given more than
Despatch from Governor, Straits Set- a month previously, the Siamese
tlements, No. 178, dated 26th Dec., 1862, t
Do., No. 5, dated 7th Jan.. 1863. Minister for Foreign Affairs inDo., No. 78, dated 25th April, 1863. formed Her Majesty's Consul, that
his Government were about to
despatch a Steamer to Trengganu, but that some time would
elapse ere she could leave Bangkok, and, as the Northeast Monsoon had set in with violence, it was doubtful whether she
could reach her destination and anchor off the coast. The advancement of this plea, which had been duly anticipated by the Straits
Government,# afforded a sufficient proof of the duplicity of the
Court at Bangkok, and the motive of the delay in the fulfilment of
its engagement; eventually on the 20th of November, when, owing
to the strength of the monsoon, all hopes of being able to effect the
removal of the ex-Sultan had ceased, a Steamer was duly despatched
to Trengganu; as had been doubtless expected and intended, her
mission proved unsuccessful, and it was not until the change of the
monsoon, in March, 1863, that he was at last withdrawn from the
Peninsula, where, as described in the Governor's letter, No. 480,
dated 4th December, 1862, t his presence had been the cause of so
much trouble.
* Extract from Despatch, Governor, Straits Settlements, No. 150,
dated 11th November, 1862.
" And being moreover convinced that the Court at Bangkok had
"no intention of fulfiling the promise made to Her Majesty's Consul
"with respect to the withdrawal of the ex-Sultan, and that the ob"ject in giving that promise was merely to gain time, so that the
"setting in of the monsoon might hereafter be pleaded as an excuse
"for not causing his removal, whilst from the same cause all endea" yours on our part to restore tranquillity to the Peninsula would,
"for some time to come, be completely frustrated, and we must
"have remained inactive until next Spring."
t See p. 80.