( 269 ) JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE ROUND THE ISLAND OF SINGAPORE, lent, having received instructions fram government to take formal possession ingapore and its dependencies, in virtue of the recent treaties with the king of the Netherlands and the native princes, left Singanore with his party for this purpose on the 2nd of August in the ship Malabar, of about 380 tons burthen, We weihed anchor at Gin the morning, standing westward. Ta the evening. after beating against a contrary wind, We came to an anchor off the second orsmallest Red Cliff. The Free trader, Woodlark, beat ing out of the roads at the same time, on her voyage to Manila, rounded ov a coral reef close to where we anchored, but got off in the course of the nizut without apparently. sastaine ing any injury. Early in the morning of the 3rd. we proceeded on our voyaze, and by 10 o'clock were abreast of the hill of Joliure which appears of cousiderable elevation at a dist nee, butis, in fact, not above 4 or 500 feet high. At LT o'clock, Mr. Crawfurd, Mr. Forres ter, and Lieut. Jackson, landed at the (oot of it. ‘Tue land is here elevated, bat not very hizh and the rock formation consists of various modifications of granite and horastone, with beds of jasper. From this to Romania (Romanya) the extremity of the continent of A’sia, (a dist ance of about 20 miles,) theicountry is one dreary forest without buman habitation or appa yenily the marks of tiere ever having existed any. Our Malay guides, however, informed us ‘that indications of an ancient population did exist along the whole of this coast in the presence of bricks, fragments of Cuinese pottery, and those stone pedestals which are used in the best description of Malay buildinss. ‘The sterility of the soil and the barbarous character of the neighbouring inhabitants, however, forbid us to believe that any part of this region wagever occupied by a deuse and industrious population. At two o'clock in the afternoon a severe squail caine on, which split two of the ship's topsails and was accompanied by aleavy fall of rain, |The shore party was exposed to it until 7 o'clock at night, when they reached the ship well drenched. On the dtr wa weighed anchor at Sin the morning. At 9, we entered the Straits of Sinz pore, passing close by the easteru extremity of the island. At noon we came to an ancior olf the island of Obia ‘tae sarasite: close ty the islet Katain (the crab) after passing the island of ‘Tokong and Si-jonkong. Wo landed upon Obin and hoisting the Botish Hux, took posses~ sion of this and tae neighbouring islands uniter a salute of 21 gus. QO) the spot where we Tanded, were the hats of some wood-cattors who had been employed ia building canoes and hewing timber for the market of Singapore. These wretched and temporary huts were the only habitations seen throughout the whole straits. dia is about six miles long and the largest island in the straits—tolerably elevated, and as_usual, covered with a great forest, Wherever examined, the rock formation was a small-grained granite, After going turoazh the ceremony of hoisting the flag, we passed throazh the little strait which divides Obin fron, Katam. At the eastern extremity of it on the Obin shore, a remarkable mass of granite falls abruptly into the sea, This was covered with beautiful creeping plants; many of them in flower, and with some rare ferns and mosses, all of which would have afforded a scientific, Dotanist a month's interesting occupation. Such a scene, in a tropical forest, is ot so frequent ‘as might be sapposed ; on account. of the prevalence of tall trees without branches for 60 oc 100 feet up, which are at once themselves inaccessible, while they exclude, in a great degree, the lowly plants which woubl be witbin reach, Passing” over from Pulo Katam to Singa-am VOYAGE ROUND SINGAPORE, pore at the point of Talaram we here found, with some satisfaction, but unexpectedly, a eras nitic formation as at Odin, Singapore las often been described in print as one universal mass of sand-stones which rock, however, both here and in other parts of the neixhbourhood, is, it seems, only a partial formation, The discovery of granite on the island ives reason to hope that tin will be found here as well as in other parts of the neivbbourhood; and should this prove to be the case, as often insisted upon by the Malay and Chinese inhabitants, we need not dwell upon the advantages which security, freedom, good roads, aud a ready market would give to working the wines, On the morning af the Sth when a little beyond bin, we landed on Singapore opposite to Tanjong Biru (Azure point) ov the main land. No rock was exposed here, but the clay iron-stone ot which beds are so frequent towards the southern extremity of the Malayan Ar pelago. The territory of Malacca, for example. is one sheet of this wzly formation which always indicates a soil antractable and unproductive. As soon as a breeze spruns up in the ‘morninz the ship made sail, but a party in the boats continued to explore bot coasts as we proceeded along. At noon, landing on the main shore, our native companions took us to view a bed of black muddy substance. A brook falling into the sea, exposed a section of the soil about 10 feet deep, three of which were composed of the substance in question which was of the consistence of glazier’s putty, jet black, not heavier than coms clay and not in- flomnable, “Our mineratozical tyros could discover neither its place or nai inthe systems, Close to it, a ledze of zranite rock ran into the sea. Proceeding in the boats antil evening, we passed the mouths of the rivers Turan and Sikodai: two streams of very considerable size issinug Iron the montabys of the interior af the Peninsula, The first of these 18 2 of a mile wide at .ts mouth au the seeand sail one mile, At Tuijoug Sinoko, on Sinzapore and uot far trom Bukit Twa, the hizhes: bull on the istond {not however, exceeding 500 feet,) granite was avain traced. Tiina, in the Malayan ksnuaze, means tin, but whether applied in this ease on acconnt of the existence of tin in the n bonrhood remains to be proved: for there is no reliance to be put upon inferences drawn from the Malayan names of places. Bukéé Tima, althou: by not above 7 or niles trom the town of Singapore, lias never been visited by an European—seldom by a native, and sucl .s the char acter of the intervening country, that it would be almost as easy tomake a vayace to Caleutta as totravel toit. We concluded this day’s investization by landinz on Tanjong Arah, a cons spicious bluff point on the main; and passing from thence to the little island Srénbun, and finally to Singapore. ‘The eranatic formation terminates fora moment at Arh, &at Srimbun and Singapore the sand stone aud clay-iron ore reappear. At Arak we {ound great masses of decdmposed white felspar. apparently suited for the manulacture of the finest porcelain, The ship anchored at Palo Srimbun on the nivbt of the Sth; but we were vot able to make sail in prosecution of our voyaze until 3 in the afternoon of, the 6th, in consequence of the flood-tide which had before set in from the east, now setting in from the west, and there- fore in a direction coutrary to our course. ‘Fhe meeting of the ties in the strait of Malacca from the bay of Bengal and China seas respectively, is commonly reckoned by the Malays to tae place about the islets called in our maps, Tree and Sand islands. Thiscireumstauee, taking place so much nearer to the eastern extremity of the Straits than to the western is, no doubt, accounted for by the openness of the western end, and the vast crowd of islands with whieh ihe eastern is shat up. At noon of the Gth we examined, in considerable detail, bots coasts of the Straits whieh is here very narrow, not exereding half a mile. From the paint of Arak to the point of Pardas, about six miles on the main, is a tract of sand-stone, but at the Jatter place a small zrained blue granite or scienite appears. The corresponding coast of Singapore is also sand-stone and clay-iron oe, uutil we come to Prlo Pargain (xreen pix xeon island) where the biue srauite preseuts itself. Beyond Pude Parga again the forma~ tion of Singapore is red clay slate. On tie 7h, we weiived anchor early in the morning and passed out of the Strait. Tt was low water, and near Plo Maranbung which is at the western mouth af it, we had but 2 fa~ thoms which was within a few inches of the ship's draft, Hlarambung is asmall desert island chiefly composed of granite with overlying sandstone and clay iron ore. At 10 o'clock we passed the mouth of tue large river of Pu/ai which appeared about 3 of a mile wile, AceVOYAGE ROUND SINGAPORE. an gording to the statement of our Malay companions, the bar upon it has two fathoms depth at jJow water and within there are from 5 to 7 fathoms to the extent of a day’s voyage in a ca- noe. By paddling and rowing, as tie river hecomes narrow and shallow, a boat way ascend for 3 days journey in all. This river has its o in the mountan of Prrdai in the middle of the Peninsula, which is a conspicuous object to the voyager, being far elevated above the ronnding land. ‘The banks of thetiver of Prdai, althouzh so considerable a stream, are destitute of establisments and even of inhabitants, except the savaxes of the interior who hold no communication wit the scattered Malayan fishermen of the neighbouring coasts. Wee took thus 4 days iv passing trough the straits and our voyaxe upon the whole may be considered as rather expeditious. This was the only route of the first ard it seems singular that the oresent more obviods, safer, and shorter passa. have been earlier fuiloweid, Pursuing the old passage, 4 or & days at least are lost an there be always, except at the western extremity, from 5 to 13 tations water, the uavigation, al narrowness of the Strait aud the occurrence, now and then, of is by no means free irom danger. It is certainly never likely to be frequented azain by the general navi or bat mizht occasionally be made available in time of war to avoid a superior racy ia the main channel, a siew oft uty which an Kngishaan i ile dispos- eilto look to. ‘he scenery within the Straits, to a stranger but especially toa northern stranver, is bi ly imposing. Au unrufll-d sea, endless wood of the most maznificent timber casting their evergreen shades over the narrow strait, present themselves for ever; but the absence of hu- man, and even animal lite, and of all stri' ing and prominent objects of the landscape, deprive the scene of life and character and ive it a stillness and tranguillity which are tedious, lone= some and aint re is here, as every where else in tropical rezious, covered with a narrow belt of various species of manzrove (Rhizophora) and it is only here and there, at te distance of several miles, that a mass of bare rock presents itself and soinewhat varies the monotonous scene, ‘The belt of mangrove now mentioned is the barrier which pro- tects the land from the’encroachment of the sea It does even’ more than this; it is the means by whizh new land is formed ; and when we observe the process by which this takes place, it seem only extraordinary that, ths narrosr seas have not been choaked up by it alto- gether. This genus of plants, some suecies of which gow to the height of 60 aud 60 feet, rest apon a craiile of their awn roots—two, three, and four feet high—always inundated at hich water, and of such strength as to aiford effectual resistance a ainst the action of the sea. Tie fruit, oftena frot or a foot and a haif long and club-shaped, plants itself in the mud by its specific uravity, and when it vegetates, immediately forins a-strong arch capable of resisti the sea, ‘The obstruction wiieh the young plants occasion wives rise to a new deposition of mud, and thus the land appears to be constantly gaining upon the sea. All the mangroves are coarse, hardy, and prolitic plants. One of oar Malay companions said that he had lived fifty years and had never seen the mangrove without flower and fruit. He added an observa~ tion very characteristic of a Malay—that it was a pity the fruit of the mangrove was not fit for food, as in that case men might live happily without working ! After passing ont of the old Straits of Singapore ich the natives call the Straits of Tabrao, we stood down to the Carimon Islanils, (Krimun) desirous of visiting the tin min witch liad lately been discovered upon the largest of thems and ou the night on the 7th an- chored within a couple of miles of the smaller island, opposite the strait which divides the two. On the morning of the 8h we landed on the great Carimon, about two miles distant from our anchorage, on a spot wherea few ints were visible. We were received with extra ordinary kindness by the iuhabitants, consisting of afew Malays, and one or two Chinese. ‘These informed us that the tin mines were round the N. west end of the island, and two of thei accompanied ns as zuides to point them out. We passed between the two islands, and entered a bay about 2 of a mile in depth and as much in breadth. Into this there fell a mountain brook, which led to the tin excavations, not distant above afew hundred yards from the shore and at the foot of a peaked mountain, the hizhest land of the neighbouriiood and pro- bably reaching 1800 feet. Both the natives and Chinese informed us that wherever the soil was laid bare by the mountain streams, tin ore was invariably found in considerable quantity.272 VOYAGE ROUND SINGAPORE. Some specimens of this stream ore, to use the language of the trade, which we obtained on the spot, were of considerable size. Oue, which appeared nearly a pure oxyde, weighed 25 tbs. avoirdupois, but such specimens are unusual, the tin being commonly fouad in small grains mixed up with the eravel. The number of persons at present engaged in working the mines is about 70. of whom 17 are Chinese. The ore is very accessible, being found at seldom beyond four feet depth. ‘The places indeed where it is worked da not deserve the name of mines, being mere superficial excavations made in the bed of the brook already mentioned. ‘The miners washed some of the earth in our presence and in a few minutes produced several ounces of ore. An active laborer, we were told, 1i tolerably fortunate, will collect BO catties of tin daily, worth four Spanish dollars. ‘The monthly produce is only 200 piculs, This ore ields at Sinsapore, where it is sent to be swnelted, 0 per cent of excellent tin. By the more ilful process pursued in Enyland, as has been fully ascertained by the ex:eriment, it would yield from 72 to 75 per cent. ‘The coast of ie Carimons is every where bold, ‘steep aud Here tie rock eousists invariably of chert or hora-sione. but in the interior, especi- ally at the tin mines, this formation disappears. and nothing is seen but granite with veins of white quartz. ‘This last rock ayain protrudes on a low islet situated in the strait between the great and little Curimon, so that, in tact, the real formation is granitic, and the horn-stone ‘Dut a partial and overlay ing rock. The Settlement directed to be formed by the Indian government at the eastern extremity of the straits of Malacca in 1819 was first intended to be fixed at the Carimons by the ade vice of some of the merchants of Prince of Wales Island, and with this view tue expedition stayed here for several days to explore the place, which was finally abandoned on account of its rocky and precipitate coast and the difficulty of finding a suflicient quantity of level x:ound for tive convenient site of a town, ‘This difficulty, however, was not insuperable. The spat on which we first landed would have alorded such a site, although indeed much inferior to that of Sin- gapore. Tie place, too, is several miles more distant trom the common route than 8 but the Carémons, notwithstanding, have some advantages over the latter settlement. pore commands but one passage through the exstern end of the straits ot Malacca, but the Cav mons 06 the sraits of Sabou—of Dryan, aud botir the old and uew straits of Singapore; in short, every avenue of the eastera end of the straits of Malacca. ‘The present roads of Singapore are hardly capable of military defence or at least not without an extraor- dinary expence. ‘The Carimons mizit be rendered impregnable against shipping at very smail charze indeed, for the bold and almost inaccessible ricks of i's coasts constitute themn- selves a natural fortification. Sinapore yields no valuable product whatever. The Cari- mons abound in tin ore which, under a fair and liberal government, might become a source of wealth to its occupants. The Carimous are among the few islands in this quarter which are inhabited. ‘The nae tives are of the race of Malays called Orang Laut; wh ally “men of the sea,” Dut more correctly “fishermen.® In general, tuey are unoffensive in tieir manners, but like the rest of the race. thin’ it neither a sig or a shaine to plunder when they can do it with in punity. Tie Carimons, from their centrical situation, are a famous hannt of the surrounding pirates, and it is seldom that the strait, whicw divides the two islands, is without some of their Doats. A few days betare our visit, a party of these marauders had landed, mixed with the imbabitants, and when they found their opportunity, cut the heads off three Chinese and walk- ed away with their property. The whole ianabitants of the island amouat to about 400. The Jarvest village, containing 60 or 70 inhabitants, is at the head of the bay which we visited. It is a new establisiument formed emirely for working the tin mines. ‘On the evening of the Sth we re-embarked and pursued our course towards Singapore. At noon on the 9h we were abreast of the two islets called the Brothers {in Malay Pulo Pakung) and lauded on the nearest, a low island composed of clay iron ore, sand-stone, and elay state. The clay slate, which lies under the sand stone, is a verg rare production in this part of the world, being found only here aud in another islet called Pu/o Saler about 5 or 6 ‘miles distant from it to the north, ‘This slate, although of a fine colour, is soft and anfit for roofing slate. It right, however, from the fa may be quarried, be used for flooring and other purposes of house-building. At 3 in the afternoon we landed on the Rab-VOYAGE ROUND SINGAPORE. 273 bit and Coney and took possession of them ander a salate of 21 guns. ‘These twa Islets, so well known to the navizator, form the limit of the British possession to the S. Wand this ‘possession in all, now embraces a circumference of full one hundred zeoxraphical miles. The Rabbit and Coney are two masses of sand-stone with a few trées. The whimsical appellation ‘of these two islets suzgests some observations upon the fantastic names which have been given to places in this part of the world; not only by European navigators but by the natives of the country themselves. There is scarcely any sense or meaning in the bet of them. Pray, what is the difference between a rabbit anda coney? Dr. Johnson makes none The ob- Jects which here suggested to the mind of an English sailor “a pair of rabbits,” ‘a Malay a“ fiddle,” Pulo Biola, for such is their name in the Malayan lang islands a little further on is called by the Malays Si Kijang or “the ror,” an animal to which it is no more like than to a whale ! This name having, in a luckless honr, fallen upon the ob- tase auditory organs of some pious christian mariner has ever since been called St. John's! Such blunders are frequent, and we have also reason to complain of the poverty of inven displayed upon this subject by the European navizator. Thus we have “Haycocks,” thro ‘out every part of the archipelago —“ Brothers,” ianumerable—“ Saudles"—* Button: + Mandarin’s Bu-tons” —“Humps"—“Camels’ humps" and “Birds’ islands? without end. We have “ New Islands” as old as the creation — Burning Islands,” where there is no vestize of a volcano; and amidst eterual forests.“ Tree Islands,” because amidst so much lusnriance they have but a sinsle tree apon them. ‘The Malayan names of places are commonly derived from the names of animals but above all from tuose of plants. Many, however, have no sig- nification in tue existing dialect & appear to me to be distinct indications of a languaze more ancient than the current speech. Tue Map of Singapore affords many examples of this des cription, and that of the neizhbouring islands and countries would furnish a numerous voca- Dulary. This is a suvject never noticed before and deserves further consideration. ‘Oa the evening of the 9ta we pursued our way to Sinvapore and in the allernoon spoke the free trade Guardian tran Singanore for England & the Hugh Crawfurd from England for Singapore, by way of Sydney and Batavia. This last gave us an account of a formidable insurrection in Sava, Beating with a contrary wind between Middle Island and &t. John’s, we had nearly run upon a coral reef. A larze Malay boat, not 10 yards from the ship, got a~ ground and received some damage. Between I and 12 at nizht we anchored in the roads and at day-break next morning landed, after an interesting trip of L0days, the pleasures of which were not a little enhanced by the universal kindness and atteution of the commander of the Malabar. T ouzht not to finish this sketch without offering a tribute of approbation to the accuracy and utility of the map and survey of the island compiled by Capt. Franklin, of the Q. Master- general’s dept. in 1822. In this department he left us little to do, exgept to add a few soundings and to correct some errors of orthoxraphy. - a Singapore Chronicle, November, 1825.)