3O SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR. 
This is a very fair traveller’s description of a passage through 
the narrows of New Harbour but it is not applicable to one round 
Singapore Island. That a traveller should not have appreciated 
that Singapore is not a part of the main-land needs no explanation. 
Linschoten regarded the Sélat Tébrau as a river. 
A. D. 1604 
Emanuel Godinho de Hredia in his Declaracam de Malaca, written in 
1613 and published with a French translation by M. Leon Janssen at 
Brussels in 1882, gives three sketch maps of the end of the Peninsula. 
The one on page 61 is headed Discripsao Chorographica dos 
- estreitos de Sincapura e Sattam Ano 1604, and gives the following 
places: Tanion buro (Tanjong Bulus) Pulo Cucob, Rio Pule 
(Sungei Pulai), Salat Tubro (Selat Tebrau), Pulo Ular, blacan mati 
(Blakang Mati), estreito novo (new straits), estreito velho 
(old straits), Xabandaria (on Singapore island probably near the 
mouth of the Singapore river, meaning Shabandar’s i.e. Harbour 
Master’s office), Tanjon Ru, Sune bodo (Sungai Bedoh), Tana meva 
(Tanah Merah), and Tanjon Rusa (at Changi). Additional names are 
given on the other sketches as follows:— Estreyto Sincapura (Sin- 
gapore Straits in the same position as estreite velho above) Siquijam 
(Pulau Sakijang St: John’s Island), Pedra Branca (Horsburgh light) 
Rido de Jor (Johore River), Cotabatu (Kota batu), Batusawar, and 
Ponta Romania. 
The sketches clearly show that three passages were known :— 
the old and new straits and the Selat Tébrau and that the old strait 
was New Harbour and the new strait the present main straits. It 
should be noted that no place names are given near the last, whilst 
on the South of Singapore are noted the residence of the Malay 
official and the places where wood and water were obtainable. Val- 
entyn (J. S. B., R. A. S. Vol: XV p. 134) says “on the 5th of May 
(1606) two prahus of the king of Johor with the Shahbandar 
of Singapore Seri Raja Nagara reached our fleet,” and it is in- 
teresting to note that in the Sejarah Malayu ( page 250 Shellabear’s 
Romanised edition 1910 ) we are told of the stout defence offered by 
the “ penglima raayat Raja Nagara batin Singapura,’ against at- 
tacks by Portuguese from Malacea. The presence of a Shahbandar 
implies visits by foreign ships and traders. 
AvoD wots 
Bocarro 428. Yule op: cit: s.v. Governor’s Straits.’ 
1615. The Governor sailed from Manilla in March of this year 
with ten galleons and two galleys...... On arriving at the straits of 
Sincapur...... and passing by a new strait which since has taken 
the name of Estreito do Governador, there his galleon grounded 
on the reef at the point of the strait and was a little grazed by 
the top of it. 
The Governor came to grief in the present Singapore straits. 
A Dt 700 
A new Account of the East Indies by Captain Aiexander Hamilton... 
...who spent his time there from 1688 to 1723...... Edinburgh 1727. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
