SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR. 33 
that steam is likely to come into use this ready-made harbour 
as a depot for coals would be invaluable. I had the position 
surveyed and sent it with my report to the Admiralty. As it 
was, a forge was landed and artificers employed under commo- 
dious shades all under the eyes of the officers on board.” 
These repairs on the Maeander were therefore the first re- 
pairs done in New Harbour... *so it was Keppel who first sailed 
through New Harbour* and Singaporeans often said that it should 
not haye been called New Harbour, which meant nothing, but 
Keppel Harbour. This was eventually done on the 19th April 
1900 when the old Admiral was on a visit to Singapore. 
A visit to the Indian Archipelago in H.M.S. Maeander Capt. the 
Hon. Henry Keppel, London 1853, page 16, 
While preparations were making [May-August 1848] for the 
establishment at Labuan the Maeander refitted in the snug and 
picturesque New Harbour which appears to have been over- 
looked in selecting the first points of settlement; the only objec- 
tion to it as a harbour is the intricacy of the Eastern entrance; 
a difficulty which by the introduction of steam has become of 
little consequence. No place could be better adopted for a coal 
depot ; and as a harbour for a man-of-war to refit it is most con- 
venient. The forge can be landed, boats repaired and artificers 
employed under commodious sheds and all under the immediate 
eye of the officers on board. It has another great advantage over 
Singapore Roads, in the latter anchorage a ship’s bottom becomes 
more foul than in any other [ know of, perhaps from the near prox- 
imity to the bottom; this is not the case in New Harbour in which 
there is always a tide running. Although it has the appearance 
of being hot and confined, surrounded as it is by high land we did 
not find it so in reality ; generally there is a current of air inside 
while the ships in the stagnant and crowded roads are becalmed. 
It will be seen from the above quotations that the gallant Admiral 
made no claim to have been the first to sail through New Harbour 
He doubtless know of the number of ships which had used the passage 
and he does not even say that he used it himself on this occasion. 
In fact it appears probable that he did not. 
AED 1857. 
Anecdotal History of Singapore page 649. 
- On the 19th of March H.M.S. Raleigh Capt. Turner bearing 
the broad pennant of Commodore Keppel C.B., sailed into New 
Harbour... As the old admiral was in Singapore when this 
chapter was being written he was asked .. . if he remembered 
how it came about that he sailed the Raleigh into New Harbour 
instead of into the Reads. He said that it was because he had 
surveyed New Harbour while he was in the Maeander and had the 
same Master (navigating officer) with him in the Raleigh who had 
* The italics are mine. 
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9TI, - 
