VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 89" 



Calang, and from thence to Malacca. 



7. — Early this morning we were at the entrance to the Strait 

 of Calang. This strait is peculiar, as it seems to be situated in : 

 the middle of a forest, as the low shores on either side^ which " 

 are covered with water at high tide, are overgrown with high 

 trees, which were mostly of the kind of Rhyzophoris and Grana- 

 tus fittoralis Rmnph Aricenna) on the shore grew also the kind 

 of palm without stem called Nipa or Nipang by Rumph. I had 

 found their fructification here for the first time where I went on 

 shore on my journey to Siam. The Strait is generally only a 

 gunshot wide and there was a strong echo which made the song 

 of the birds resound agreeably. I saw here Pica and some 

 Garuli, together with some monkeys, a special kind of Sciuri, 

 with a rust-coloured stomach, also some pigeons, but I only saw 

 them flying. This Strait forms many minor channels and as the 

 water often covers a great part of the land it is very dangerous 

 for everybody not knowing it very well. The length is about 

 four miles, and the ships are only carried through by the high 

 and low tides, which rush through this strait very rapidly. 

 The wind can help very little, as the channel winds very much 

 and is very narrow. 



As soon as we had passed the strait the wind was contrary, 

 and we only advanced very slowly along the Malay coast. 



11. — At last the current carried us as far as Malacca in 

 sp'.te of the wind (for when the current was unfavourable, we 

 cast our anchor ), and with great trouble we managed to reach the 

 harbour towards evening, and we sailed straight up to the town. 

 At low tide the current flows from the Strait of Dragon towards 

 the Bay of Bengal, and high tide brings back the water from the 

 Bay of Bengal through the strait as far as the Strait of Dragon. 

 This same direction of the current is visible as far as the narrow 

 passage between the two island Rabbet et Canni ; from there the 

 current takes an opposite course towards the Chinese Sea. 



As soon as I came on shore I went to the Governor v. 

 Schilling, who gave me many varieties of — ore, which had been 

 brought to him from Pera, and also many different kinds of 

 dragon's blood, which he had grown himself, so that I had a 

 complete collection of these two things from the Dutch governor ; 

 they deserve a better description than I can give of them here 

 for want of space. 



