o =” 
« 
MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. WILLIAM JACK. 
4 
j stretch- 
mity ofthat i idg 
ing from the North of Hindostan through 
the Burman and Assan empires, to the 
Streights of Sincapore. Java forms part of 
a volcanic range, which runs parallel to the 
Equator, from the termination of the former. 
rneo is a vast continent, not volcanic, 
producing diamonds, &c. and essentially 
different from the Javanese portion. The 
Moluccas may be considered the fourth di- 
vision, the native country of all the valu- 
able spices, and other products of the East, 
which are peculiar to these favoured spots, 
and not found in the other grand divisions. 
This island has yielded me no inconsi- 
derable botanical harvest. During the last 
three months, I have described above one 
hundred and thirty plants, of which eighty 
are probably quite new, besides examining 
and ascertaining at least as many more. I 
have drawn some myself, and I have a 
Chinaman employed, who has finished a 
considerable number of drawings.” 
Singapore, June 7th, 1819.—* At length 
we are clear of that land of delays, Pinang, 
and have arrived at this royal city, which 
will, sooner or later, become, I think, the 
capital of the Eastern islands. We left 
Pinang on the 22nd ult., having concluded 
every thing in style. Before we started, 
answers were received from the Supreme 
Government on the subject of Singapore, 
highly approving of Sir Stamford's mea- 
sures. We had a very pleasant voyage 
down the Streights, and arrived here in 
nine days, having commenced the study of 
the Malay language, called the Italian of 
the East, by the way, in which Sir S. Raf- 
» who is an excellent Malay scholar, 
assisted his lady and myself. Besides this, 
I had full employment in bringing up the 
arrears of my Pinang Botanical collections, 
and in reading a number of papers that I 
. Teceived from Sir S. Raffles regarding the 
à; islands, with which I am deter- 
mined, now that I have the opportunity, to 
make myself acquainted. The Flora of 
re is very splendid. "We expect 
| to reach Bencoolen in about a month, and 
we Southerly Monsoon has set in, our 
131 
course will be along the shores of Borneo 
and Java." 
Singapore, June 20th, 1819.—« My last 
letter from this place was sent by way of 
Pinang ; this goes home by Bengal. It is 
impossible to conceive any thing more 
beautiful than the approach to this place 
through the Archipelago of islands that lie 
at the eastern extremity of the Streights of 
Malacca. Seas of glass wind amid innu- 
merable islands, clothed in all the luxuri- 
ance of tropical vegetation, and basking in 
the full brilliancy of a tropical sky. The 
Island of St. John’s, which forms the west- 
ern point of the Bay of Singapore, would, 
if fortified, command with its cannon, the 
Streights through which every vessel passes 
to China and all the Eastern Settlements. 
A more convenient and more formidable 
situation could not possibly be selected, 
and it is really astonishing that it should 
have remained so long unnoticed. It was 
the capital of the Malays in the twelfth 
century ; but they were obliged to abandon 
it during their unfortunate wars with the 
Javan Empire of Majapuleit, and retire to 
Malacca; and when the latter was taken 
by the Portuguese, they settled at Lahore; 
and Singapore has, till now, been almost 
forgotten. I have no doubt it will soon 
rise to more than its ancient consequence. 
It is surprizing how much this place has 
increased since we made it a settlement— 
many thousands of persons have already 
come, and every day adds to their number ; 
the present villages are quite insufficient to 
contain them, and the work of clearing and 
building goes on with greatrapidity. Num- 
rs of Chinese and Bugguese have come, 
both active and industrious people. I have 
just arrived in time to explore the woods 
before they yield to the axe, and have made 
many interesting discoveries, particularly 
two new and splendid species of Pitcher 
Plant (Nepenthes, Linn.), far surpassing 
any yet-known in Europe. I have com- 
pleted two perfect drawings of them with 
ample descriptions. Sir S. Raffles is anxi- 
ous that we should give publicity to our 
researches in some way or other, and | 
S 
XE 
