174 Voyage of the Novara. 



informing the visitors to this '' Court of Peace," that below 

 reposes a member of the Novara Expedition, who had lost his 

 life in the discharge of his duties. 



As we were now at the season of the change of monsoon, 

 at which period the always difficult navigation of the narrow 

 seas between Singapore and Batavia demands an unusual 

 degree of carefulness, in consequence of frequent squalls, we 

 engaged a pilot, who for a stipulated sum of 175 dollars was 

 to convoy us to the next station on our voyage. Captain 

 Burrows, as our pilot was named, had the reputation of being 

 a specially competent, thoroughly trustworthy person, who 

 for a long period had navigated these waters in his own ship, 

 and, as we were informed, had, owing to some unfortunate 

 speculations, been compelled to become a pilot of other vessels, 

 after having for years sailed in command of his own ship. 

 He had already come on board with his traps, but, as wind 

 and tide were both unfavourable, he obtained permission to 

 return to shore till sunset. This however the pilot did not 

 do, and on the following morning, finding he did not come 

 off despite our signals, we set sail without him about 9 a. m. 

 with favourable wind and tide. No one could account for 

 the default of a pilot so strongly recommended on all hands, 

 particularly as all his baggage had remained on board, and 

 must now of course make the voyage to Batavia. For a 

 moment ,we conjectured that he had immediately on landing 

 been seized by the dread distemper, only it seenied im- 

 probable we should not have been informed of such a catas- 



