The first Protector of Chinese in the Straits Settlements, whose name has persisted as a minor legend although the details of his work have fallen into undeserved shade. He was a key figure in a crucial period and his presence in the Straits was a powerful factor in their history. No Englishman at the time could rival his knowledge, position and background. He was the first to give expert attention to the apparently insoluble problem of Chinese Affairs ad established a tradition that persisted for more than sixty years, during which the chinese in Singapore referred colloquially to the office of the Chinese Protectorate as the Pi-Ki-Ling, after his name.