74 EXPEDITION TO MOLUCCA ISLANDS. 



crew were all saved in their boats, but the ship went to pieces 

 immediately, and nothing but their lives saved ; the boats must 

 have passed us in the night of the ninth. The loss of this fine 

 ship is the consequence of the want of proper survey of these 

 straits, with proper remarks on the tides and currents. From the 

 Phoenix we this day learn by our boat which returned from her, 

 that there are two Spanish Frigates at Manila, both sickly, bound 

 shortly to Spain by way of Cape Horn. That the forces of Manila 

 are considerably increased, and great pains taken in their discipline. 

 That the fort is put into a very respectable state of defence, the works 

 being new modelled and repaired. The present Governor is reckoned 

 an active clever man, who encourages cultivation and trade. Some 

 specimens of a white rope made of grass, and some of the material 

 itself prepared for twisting, were brought us, which seem to be very 

 strong, but I understand decays in fresh water. They make a very 

 good sort of canvass of it. I am inclined to think that if the long 

 grass, which grows on the beds of all the great rivers on the coast, 

 was properly prepared, it is the same, or at least would be equiva- 

 lent to it, in strength and durability, as it possesses a remarkably 

 strong fibre, very fine and silky. We also got a small supply of 

 chocolate and biscuits from the Phoenix. This day a duel was 

 fought between Ensign Deacon, of the 17th Battalion, and Captain 

 Turnbull of the Mary, Transport. 



[ The Straits Branch of the Eoyal Asiatic Society is indebted to 

 Mr. W. E. Maxwell for the above interesting paper. Mr. Max- 

 well found it when looking through some papers at the India 

 Office Library, and copied that part of Captain Lexnon's Journal 

 which describes the passage of the Expedition through the Straits 

 of Malacca, — Ed.] 



