1844.] TANJONG API. 161 



The Talantalan Islands are remarkable for the resort of 

 Turtle to a small sandy delta on its southern side, in- 

 habited by a Malay family, who hold it of Mr. Brooke, 

 on account of the eggs of these reptiles. On our several 

 visits we obtained live turtle from them, at first, by 

 courtesy (although paid for), but latterly, fearing that 

 their capture might deter others from visiting the delta, 

 and thus injure the sale of their eggs, they solicited the 

 interference of Mr. Brooke to persuade us to discontinue 

 our visits. 



Having extended our survey as far as Tanjong Api I 

 examined that position for fresh water, which I had been 

 informed was not only good, but abundant. The in- 

 formation proved correct ; Tanjong Api is a low rocky 

 formation, on which the sea forces up the sand by its 

 great exposure to westerly swell, and closes the mouth 

 of a small river which would otherwise flow to the sea. 

 It is probably a wise provision of nature that it is not 

 permitted to flow with the accustomed freedom, as the 

 water would, probably, be soon drained off and fail to 

 afford that assistance either to the native or the traveller, 

 which it now offers. The main stream thus dammed 

 up by the sand, forms a dark deep-coloured pool of a 

 reddish tint, resulting from the infusion of dead leaves 

 and decayed vegetable matter which are constantly 

 thrown into it, and would probably deter many from 

 making use of this deeply-tinted water. But nature 

 has again, with a view to purify her supply of this 

 invaluable article, interposed a reservoir, by placing 

 a small strip of pond, running parallel to the beach, 

 containing about 100 tons of pure water which is filtered 



M 



