1845.] PREMIER REEF. 245 



to be merely quartz, the grinding and polishing of which, 

 to a globular form, must have required some art. 



Tuan Hadji had at his last interview earnestly solicited 

 a letter from me, which would enable him to pass on the 

 sea without molestation. He holds the position of Chief 

 Captain, or Admiral, and being anxious to become " a 

 great navigator," purposes visiting Singapore the ensuing 

 season, when he expects to induce the Malays of that place 

 to open a direct trade with the Curan district, or the Tanah 

 besar (great country), as they term this archipelago. He 

 appears to be possessed of considerable knowledge of the 

 geography of the eastern part of Borneo, and coasts of 

 Celebes, Sooloo, and Bisayas, as far as Luzon. He informed 

 me, that immediately behind the Bulungan range there is 

 a very extensive lake, which is connected with the sea by 

 many different rivers. It is probable that the Sabanoon, 

 and all these riverSj which we found fresh nearly at their 

 embouchures, are fed from this reservoir. He was very 

 assiduous in explaining to me the different inaccuracies 

 which he noticed upon our charts, furnishing me with a 

 mental sketch of all the Islands, Points, Rivers, &c., be- 

 tween Bulungan and Point Kanioongan of the charts. 

 This latter point, he states to be Tanjong Manaaliak, and 

 that Kanioongan besar (great) and Held (little), are islands. 



On the 1 5th we parted from our friends at Gunung 

 Taboor, and on the 19th reached the ship off Premier 

 Reef Upon a review of our proceedings at this place, I 

 feel great satisfaction in having effected the entire object 

 of my visit without recourse to violent measures ; it was 

 considered by many that the rescue of the people of colour, 

 and who would probably be carried far into the interior, 



