Raffles left the next day and arrived in Penang on the fifteenth of February, to be greeted with the news that his wife, Lady Sophia, was expecting their second child. He had met his wife when he had returned to England in 1816, on his first home leave after ten years serving the Company in the Eastern Archipelago, first as assistant to the Governor of Penang, and then as Lieutenant-Governor of Java. He had returned in disgrace after being relieved of his position as Lieutenant-Governor of Java, after the Company suffered heavy financial losses, and deeply depressed over the loss of his first wife Olivia, who had died suddenly of a fever. Raffles suffered from crippling headaches, and had thought that his life was over.
He travelled to Cheltenham, having been advised by his doctors that the waters there might restore his health. They had done little for his health, but had done much for his heart, for one day in the Pump Room[1] he met Sophia Hull, the daughter of an Irish factor who had served with the Company in Bombay. Raffles thought her smile a greater tonic than any mineral waters. Their meeting quickly blossomed into romance, and they were married in February the following year. In contrast to his first wife’s dark beauty, Sophia was rather plain and pale-skinned, but she had the most beautiful blue eyes that he had ever seen.
And almost immediately his fortunes had turned around. When Raffles published his History of Java the following year, it was widely read and admired. He became something of a celebrity in London society, and was knighted by the Prince Regent at a levee held at Carleton House in May. Suddenly his future seemed bright again, and he had accepted the Company’s offer of the Bencoolen residency in Sumatra, at the rank of Lieutenant-Governor. On their journey out, Sophia had given birth to their first child, a baby daughter Charlotte. And now their second child was due––he hoped he would be able to return in turn for the birth.
* * *
As he prepared to sail for Achin, Raffles wrote a letter to the Marquis of Hastings reporting the establishment of a British factory in Singapore, and his official recognition of Tengku Long as Sultan Hussein. He knew he had overstepped his mark, but hoped that Hastings would support him when the governor-general recognized the wisdom of his action.
Raffles also sent a copy of his letter to Hastings to Colonel Bannerman, the Governor of Penang, with a request to immediately dispatch two hundred soldiers and money to help defend Singapore against the Dutch. When Bannerman received the letter and Raffles’ request he exploded in anger.
‘I’ll do no such thing,’ he complained to his secretary, ‘the man’s an irresponsible fool. I had two captains in from Malacca yesterday telling me that the Dutchman is furious. He’s going to attack Singapore and drag Farquhar back to Batavia in chains. Next damn thing we’ll be at war again!’
The Dutchman to whom Bannerman referred was Baron Godert van der Capellen, the Dutch Governor-General of Java, who had been outraged when he heard of Raffles’ establishment of a British factory on Singapore, and had vowed that it would not stand. Capellen was at that moment arranging to send troops to the Riau islands in preparation for an invasion of Singapore.
Bannerman sent a note to Raffles denying his request. He also wrote a letter to the Marquis of Hastings, criticizing Raffles’ action in founding the settlement, and rejecting Hussein’s claim to the Johor-Riau-Lingga Sultanate. He informed Hastings that he had declined Raffles’ request for troops and money to support the new settlement, since he considered it an unnecessary risk and waste of money. He urged the Marquis to recall Raffles immediately.
A few days later, Colonel Bannerman received the official Dutch protest from Baron van der Capellen, which he forwarded to the Marquis of Hastings. Bannerman immediately wrote to Capellen in response, criticizing Raffles in the strongest possible terms. He assured Baron van der Capellen that Raffles had acted without Company authority, and that his action would be quickly repudiated and countermanded by the governor-general in Calcutta. Bannerman also wrote to Farquhar demanding that he evacuate Singapore before it was too late.
Meanwhile, the temenggong and Sultan Hussein were dispatching grovelling letters to the Bugis prince Muda Rajah Ja’afar, the power behind the Riau regency, in full knowledge that they would be forwarded to his Dutch masters.[2]
* * *
Farquhar ignored Bannerman’s demand that he evacuate Singapore, although as a matter of form he wrote to Raffles in Bencoolen referring the matter to him––knowing full well that Raffles was in Achin. He also knew that Raffles wanted him to stay, and in any case he was far too busy trying to establish the settlement to quit it now. He had cleared the rest of the plain to the edge of the freshwater stream, and back to the foot of Bukit Larangan, where he had set up the sepoy cantonment,[3] just east of the temenggong’s compound. He prepared palisades and entrenchments for his guns, and distributed them in a manner better suited for defense than ceremony. He had the Ganges winched into the river to avoid the rocks at the entrance, where it served as a temporary commissariat until he could have storehouses on the eastern mouth of the river.
Meanwhile, Farquhar had sent out messengers from Singapore soliciting settlers and supplies from Malacca and the neighbouring islands. He promised a free port, open to ships and vessels of every nation, and free of import and export duties that were the rule at Dutch ports. Farquhar’s good reputation as the former Rajah of Malacca did much to encourage merchants and traders from other islands and ports in the archipelago to come to Singapore. He was respected as a fair and honest man, who understood the local Malay and Chinese merchant populations. Chinese traders arrived from the neighbouring Lingga and Riau islands within the first few weeks. Shortly after, Farquhar was happy to welcome a contingent of Malacca merchants who set up businesses supplying meat, fruit and vegetables, lumber, tools and other necessities. Their prices were inflated, but the ready supply of vegetables and other food staples helped to avert malnutrition and sickness. As he walked through the small bazaar of huts and tents that had sprung up on the plain, Farquhar had reason to be pleased with his modest success. He looked out over the harbour at the dozens of small Javanese craft dotting the water: a Siamese[4] junk was approaching from the distance, an American clipper that had stopped to explore the port and take on water was anchored off Pulau Sakijang Bendera.
Farquhar was annoyed by Bannerman’s refusal to send troops, but was grateful when the contingent of four hundred sepoys that Raffles had promised arrived from Bencoolen at the end of March, under the command of Captain Manley. Unfortunately, like the troops that had been sent down from Penang with the original expedition, they were so desperately unhappy that they were close to mutiny, because they had also been scheduled to return to India at the end of their tour. They would put up a decent fight if it came to it, of that Farquhar had no doubt, but he also had no illusions about his military prospects. If the Dutch did attack it would all be over very quickly, and he would be a major embarrassment to Raffles and the Company–if he lived. But he soldiered on, as soldiers must.
* * *
Ronnie took his leave of Major Farquhar a few days later.
‘I’m sorry tae leave you to it, Major,’ he said, ‘but I need tae get back to Calcutta to pick up my father. I’m losing money as it is, coming down wi’ a load of betel nuts and tin that nobody here can use. But I’ll be back as soon I can wi bricks and a’ the necessities of a new factory.’
‘I fully understand, Ronnie,’ Farquhar replied, ‘and I’m glad you’ve agreed to set up in business here. We should have everything in order before you return.’
Ronnie gave him a bemused look, but Farquhar just grinned from ear to ear.
‘We’ll do as much as we can before his lordship comes back.’
‘I’d like you to save us a good piece of land, if you could, Major. We’ll be wanting tae build ourselves a godown when we get back.’
‘I’ll do what I can Ronnie, but I’ll need to wait for further advice from Raffles when he returns from Achin. He’s got some strange ideas about where to locate you merchants.’
‘Surely along this side of the river,’ Ronnie replied, ‘unless he has an idea to move us all across to the anchorage that Captain Ross discovered further west.’
‘So you would think,’ Farquhar replied, ‘so you would think. But don’t worry about it, Ronnie, I’ll make sure you’ll be well settled. You run off and fetch your father back as soon as ye can.’
Farquhar offered his hand and Ronnie took it.
‘You take care of yourself, Major,’ he said, as he shook Farquhar’s hand. ‘And if you see any more Chinese lassies on the beach, keep them safe for me!’
Then he went down and climbed aboard the longboat that was waiting to take him back to the Highland Lassie.
To Tuan Muda, Riau
I have to acquaint you with the proceedings of the English, that is to say, Mr RAFFLES and the Rajah of Malacca, who came to Singapore. I was simply forced to submit to this proceeding, of which I had no notice or knowledge. When Mr RAFFLES came, I was simply told that he intended to settle in Singapore, and I had no power to prevent him. Thereupon he landed his men and stores and proceeded to build a blockhouse. Of course I could say nothing. While this was going on, Tengku Long arrived in Singapore, having been alarmed by the news there were a number of ships there, and having come for the purpose of fetching his son, Tengku Besar. On his arrival in Singapore, Tengku Long went to see Raffles, whereupon the latter laid hold of him and forcibly made him rajah, with the title of Sultan Hussein. He also presented him with a sealed letter of appointment, and used so much insistence that Sultan Hussein could offer no opposition to what he did.
From Tengku Long, 16th Rabia-us-sani, 1234 (February, 1819)
To Tuan Muda, Riau
I have to inform you that Abang Johor came to me one night in the middle of the night and announced that there were a great many ships at Singapore, and that numerous soldiers and quantities of stores were being landed. I was a good deal surprised by this news, and not a little anxious and uneasy on account of my son who was there. Without taking thought of what I was doing, I set off that very same night. I completely lost my head and never thought of letting you know of my departure. When I reached Singapore, I went to see Mr RAFFLES, who immediately laid hold of me and would not let me go again, but insisted on making me a rajah with the title of Sultan. There was nothing else for me to do and I had to comply with what he proposed, but I pointed out that I was under the Dutch company. Thereupon he gave me a sealed document of appointment. These things I make known to you, and I ask for your pardon and forgiveness, for it is in you I trust, for I regard you as my father in this world and the next, and I have in no wise acted against you or abandoned you.
Further, RAFFLES has directed me to bring to Singapore the women and children of my family, and I am now ordering Rajah Shaban to take them together with any property of mine. ↵