The first few weeks of Penang (1786)

Spanning 1,723 days between 11 August 1786 and 1 May 1791, Light navigated a delicate path. He did not actively try to con the Sultan, though he could easily have bluffed his way through and closed the negotiation on that faithful Monday¹, during his first audience with the king.

He did not do that.

Sultan Abdullah, ever cautious and meticulous, insisted on having Macpherson’s reply translated three times independently, using the versions to cross-check a point he had misread in his initial reading. On 8 July 1786, Sultan Abdullah read the Malay translation to Light and pressed him to sign on the document. The king advised him to set aside the plan of settling in Penang, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses should the project fail to materialize.² When the Dato Laksamana pressed Light to confirm the annual payment of tiga laksa rials (or some fixed figure he could commit to) and to explain whether a Plan B existed should London’s reply prove negative, Light chose to sidestep the question rather than bullshit Kedah with empty promises he knew he might later be unable to keep. Light’s signature was reciprocated by Sultan Abdullah when Light proposed a 50:50 profit-sharing scheme over Penang’s trade, pending response from Macpherson and his London uplines. With this temporary arrangement locked in place, he departed Kuala Kedah and set sail for Penang.

The main with the paper in his hand, in a marine uniform, is Captain Light, reading the Governor General of Bengal's instruction:

These are to certify that agreeable to my orders and instructions from the Honorable Governor General and Council of Bengal, I have this day taken possession of this Island called Pulau Pinang now named the Prince of Wales Island, and hoisted the British Colors in the name of His Majesty George the Third and for the use of the Honorable English East India Company, this eleventh day of August, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-six; being the Eve of the Prince of Wales's birthday. In the presence of the underwritten. (Signed) FRANCIS LIGHT

The rest round him, captains of ships, passengers, et cetera (Captain Lieutenant Elisha Trapaud, of the engineers, Captain Richard Lewin, commanding the Vasittart, Captain Thomas Wall, commanding the Valentine, Captain Glass, commanding a country ship, Captain Howel, Bengal artillery, a passenger, George Smith, merchant, a passenger, John Beatson, merchant, a passenger). The troops under arms in the background, and the cannon ready to salute the new flag. The ships in the road, the Valentine and Vansittart. The soldier on duty, under the tree, is a Bengal marine; and the two men sitting under the trees, Malay men: the woman with the pot on her head a Malay woman. The governor's tent, officer tents, et cetera, et cetera.

In his diary entry of 5 August 1786, Light noted that the local Malays (probably from Tanjung Tokong) were lobbying him for jobs. He likely asked them to prove their ability, and they successfully felled large trees using the Malay adze (biliong/beliung بليوڠ). Four trees were brought down, although two of their tools were damaged in the process. Later the Malays were given an offer of \(\frac{1}{4}\) Spanish dollar per tree. After considering the offer for two days, they accepted Light’s terms and ‘went to work with great spirit’. The wage was subsequently revised to 42 dollars per 1 orlong of land cleared (Logan 1850, p. 644). Many years later, Light drew on this episode when describing the Malays in a letter to Governor Shore: . . . the Malays, comprehending a greaty variety of people from Kedah, through the Malay Peninsula, the Islands of Sumatra and Java, form another considerable part of inhabitants . . . they are employed in cutting down wood, at which they both expert and laborious . . . There is an amusing story (e.g. Skinner (1895), Logan (1850)) that Light supposedly loaded a gun with a bag of dollars and fired it into the jungle. This tale, however, is likely apocryphal: it would have been pyrotechnically impossible, and even if true, it would only have encouraged the workers to scramble after the coins rather than ensure their cooperation in clearing the jungle. See Francis Light to the Governor-General, 25 January 1794. See Strait Settlements Factory Records, Bengal consultations relative to Prince of Wales Island, IOR/G/34/6. See also A. M. Skinner (1895) Memoir of Captain Francis Light, who founded Penang (died October 21st 1794), JSRAS 28, p. 4.

Jazirah Perrinsa ab Wailis (جَزِيرَه پرِّنسَ اَبوَیلسِ = Prince of Wales' Island) was lettered on a \(\frac{1}{2}\)-dollar copper coin minted in Calcutta for Francis Light (1788). Jazirah is the Arabic word for island. See also Saran Singh (1986), p. 289.

It is now clear that the English captain himself withheld full transparency, for the information Cornwallis had entrusted to him was only selectively disclosed to the king. In this way, Light trod a careful line between honesty and discretion, preserving the king’s trust while concealing certain details.

Penang was duty-free only for about a year.

It should also be remembered that Cornwallis was never fully committed to the Penang project, leaving Light to cover much of the expenses through the revenue generated on the island, although Cornwallis recommended to temporarily style the new settlement as a free-trade zone in his letter to Light dated 22 January 1787:

. . . if the situation is favorable, the merchants will find their advantages in resorting with their goods to it, and as an inducement to them, we desire you will refrain from levying any kind of duties or tax on goods landeds or vessels importing at Prince of Wales Island, and it is our wish to make the port free to all nations . . .

1. Monday, 3 July 1786. Light had first landed in Kedah on 29 June, but the king was not found in his palace. The king, together with his Bendahara and Laksamana, were engaged in a military campaign somewhere between Kedah and Salang, where he was aiding Siam against the Ava.
   
   
2. Light’s diary entry of 8 July 1786 suggests that the king had invited him to remain in Kedah and abandon his Penang venture. The offer, however, was declined, as Light remarked that the expenses of residing in Kedah were scarcely different from those in Penang.
   
   
3. These diary entries, reproduced in Logan (1850), provide valuable insights into the early development of Penang:
   
   
   • 11, 12, 13 July 1786. Embarking the people and provisions.
   • 14 July. At 5 pm sailed in company with the Prince Henry and Speedwell Snow.
   • 15 July. Anchored off a small island on the north side of Pinang in 5 fathoms, sent a boat to sound, found no less than 2 fathoms close to the shore.
   • 16 July. At noon having a light breeze and flood tide got under sail, and run into the harbour, anchored in 13 fathoms within a musket-shot of the shore. The Prince Henry anchored close to the Speedwell, I ordered to run further to the southward, until she got into shoaler water, they anchored about \(\frac{1}{2}\) mile from us in 8 fathoms soft ground; sent the boats to sound the bay, found good anchoring ground close to the eastern shore, and 11 fathoms within 2 miles of the beach.
   • 17 July. Disembarked Lieutenant Gray with the marines upon point Penaga, a low sandy point, cover with wood. Employed clearing the ground.
   • 18 July. Landed the Europeans. The marines and lascars employed clearing the wood and pitching their tents. The Dato of Kuala Muda came. He brought a fishing net and desired permission to erect a house, which I readily granted. A perahu from Kedah likewise arrived with It is likely that the Captain China was Koh Lay Huan 辜禮歡 (d. 1826), who was later installed as the first Captain China of Penang.Captain China and some Christians of India, they also brough a net which was very acceptable.
   • 19 July. People employed clearing the woods. Some of the inhabitants of the island, who dwelt at the foot of the hills, paid me a visit and offerred their service to assist me, I dismissed them with a present.
   • 20 July. Employed clearing and burning the woods. Snow arrived from Kedah, on board of which I had shipped paddy and attaps; she is commanded by one Loundes. Dug several wells, found the water indifferent, but stained with the roots of the Penaga which dies red; permitted the marines and lascars to build huts as the tents were not sufficient to contain the half of them.
   • 21 July. This morning had frequent squalls with rain. In the afternoon cutting down the trees.
   • 22 July. Rain for the most part of the day.
   • 23 July. Pleasant day, the people from Kedah erected a small bazar near the cantonments, appointed Nakhoda Kecil to superintend the bazar and prevent impositions on either side, ordered him a guard of marines. (Bazar/pasar is a Malay loan word from Persian بازار)
   • 24 July. A fine day, all hands at work.
   • 25 July. The same, brought ashore the 2 field pieces with their carriages. Employed building cantonments as I intend despatching the Eliza to Kedah. Removed the Company's Treasure into the Prince Henry.
   • 26 July. Fine weather. Landed the 12 pounders and tumbrils. Lieutenant Halcombe not being acquainted with the Malay language requested of Captain Glass to go with him. In the afternoon the Eliza sailed. The people all at work.
   • 27 July. Landed the 18 pounders and carriages, employed mouting the guns and clearing the woods.
   • 28 July. The Munster Lass, Captain Bett, arrived from Malacca. This vessel was run away with the Masulipatam by some Europeans, and seized by the Dutch at Malacca at the request of Lieutenant Stephenson. The people all at work.
   • 29 July. Fine weather and fresh southerly winds, everybody employed, the Munster Lass returned to Malacca. In cutting the trees, our axes, hatchets, and hand bolts suffer much, the wood is so exceeding hard that the tools double like a piece of lead; requested of Captain Bett on his return from Malacca to bring some China axes and parangs from Malacca likewise a smith and washerman.
   • 30 July. A fine day. Employed clearing the ground, employed as usual.
   • 31 July. The same.
   • 1 August. This morning several squalls, with thunder and rain, people employed clearing the ground. Several perahus arrived from Kedah with several articles for sale, the bazar increases, and we receive a constant supply of fine fish.
   • 2 August. Fine weather, marines and lascars constantly employed. Observing the Europeans to be very idle, ordered them to make the Gabions. An officer of the Siamese arrived, who informed me that they had conquered Pegu and taken above one hundred pieces of cannon, that their army was now against Sagar, and as soon as the monsoon served they would attack the Burmese.
   • 3 August. A severe squall, with rain in the afternoon. Began to line off the ground for a fort.
   • 4 August. Squalls with thunder and rain, the people at work whenever the weather permits.
   • 5 August. Fair weather. The inhabitants every day paying me a visit, I requested their assistance in cutting down the large trees called Bore. They cut down four but I could not prevail upon them to attempt any more, having broke two of the Biliongs (axes). Contracted with some Malays to bring nibongs for a stockade at dollars 6 per hundred 12 feet long each.
   • 6 August. The people employed in clearing the ground. Ordered the Chinese to dig up the sand and saw the roots of the large trees. This proves a slow and laborious work, offered to the Malays a dollar for every four trees they should cut down.
   • 7 August. A fine day. Erected a flag staff. The Eliza returned from Kedah, brought some chunam, planks, fowls and ducks, and paddy, with several Christian families.
   • 8 August. Fine weather, the lascars building a store house and the Chinese sawing down the trees, the Malays accepted the offer of 1 dollar for four trees and went to work with great spirit.
   • 9 August. Fair weather, everybody employed. The marines have made frequent complaints of the hardship they suffer in being obliged to work, this at a time when they are indulged with full Batak and provisions is a proof of their ignorance and unworthiness. (When Light left Calcutta, he brought with him 100 native or Bengali marines, 30 native lascars, 15 European artillerymen, and 5 European officers).
   • 10 August. Fair weather, two boats arrived with officers from the Vansittart and Valentine, Honorable Company's ships. They brought letters from the Government of Madras. The ships were just in sight, I wrote to the Captains, and requested their company ashore for a few hours in the evening, the ships anchored in the outer roads.
   • 11 August. Captain Wall and Lewin came ashore with several passengers, saluted them with nine guns, thought this the most favorable opportunity for taking a formal possession of the island, at noon assembled all the gentlemen under the flag, who unitedly hoisted the flag, taking possession of the island in the name of his Britannic Majesty, and for the use of the Honorable East India Company, the Artillery and ships firing a Royal salute, the marines three volleys. The Sullivan, Captain Pounce, was barely in sight, he sent his letter by another boat and sailed for China, in the evening Captain Lewin went on board and sailed for China.
   • 12 August. Fine weather, Tunku Ia, a relation to the king of Kedah arrived, he stayed a few days with me and particularly cautioned me not to let more than one or two Malays visit me at a time. I had from the first given directions to Nakhoda Kecil to allow no Malays to come ashore armed and this has been faithfully complied with. Captain Wall went on board and sailed for China.
   • 13 August. Fair weather, a boat from the General Goddard arrived with a letter from the Government of Madras. Captain Foxal requested if I had no particular service, he might be permitted to continue his voyage, accordingly on the return of his boat he departed. The Fort William, Captain Simson, came in and anchored under Rat Island and saluted the fort with nine guns, which I returned.
   • 14 August. Captain Simson with his passengers came ashore. Supplied him with a bullock as I had done with other ships, and with fowls, fruit, and I received the greatest attention from the Captains of the ships which came in, and got a supply of such necessaries as I wanted. The sight of three large ships, the report of their guns, and the number of Europeans coming ashore, serve to raise us considerably in the opinion of Malays.
   • 15 August. The Fort William sailed. Employed cutting down trees, and erecting a fort. Having received a letter from the Christians at Kedah requesting I would provide them a conveyance to the island, as Captain Loundes had no use for his vessel I engaged him to go to Kedah and bring them. In the afternoon he sailed.
   • 17 August. Arrived the Prince George, Captain Robson, from Kedah, he has lost his main top mast, and wanted some other repairs. Employed the Malays of the island to cut them a top-mast, and lent our carpenters to refit his vessel. The people employed in erecting the fort, and clearing the ground. The Eliza taking ballast and water.
   • 18 August. Showers of rain, the Malays felling the trees. Having promised the marines and lascars a present on the ceremony of hoisting the flag gave them pieces of gurrahs.
   • 19 August. Most part rain, with fresh gales from N. W. Arrived some perahus from Kedah.
   • 20 August. Frequent showers, and hard squalls from the N. W. The sea running very high upon shoals of Kuala Muda, rebounded back into the north bay, and occasioned a surf upon the beach, which at high water broke over in some few places, this was soaked up by the sand, before it reached six yards, the ships lay perfectly quiet and secure.