Singapore old Straits and New Harbour. 
By WARREN D. BARNES. 
It has long been a tradition that the old straits of Singapore 
were the Sélat Tébrau between the Island and the Johore mainland 
and a new tradition is now springing up that the passage through 
New or Keppel Harbour was discovered by the late Admiral Keppel. 
The object of this paper is to show that both these traditions are 
without foundation of fact and that the old Straits of Singapore are 
none other than the present Keppel Harbour. 
It is unnecessary to point out in detail how ill-adapted are the 
Johore straits for sailing vessels making a passage; the western 
entrance is by no means easy, the distance is long and ships using 
the channel would be exposed to strong tides, be liable to be be- 
ealmed and, most important of all, beat the mercy of the pirates who 
haunted these waters for centuries. On the other hand the passage 
through the New Harbour is short and not particularly difficult. If 
it had not been used in former times some explanation of so singular 
a fact would have to be found. 
The most convenient way of examining the question will be to 
deal in chronological order with the principal historical references 
to these Straits. 
A. D. 1486. 
Hsing-ch’a Sheng-lan 
(W. P. Groeneveldt, Notes on Malay Archipelago and Malacea in 
Essays relating to Indo-China, Second Series Vol: I. page 203). 
The strait of Lingga is situated to the North-west of Palem- 
bang (San-bo-tsai), high mountains face each other as the teeth of 
a dragon and between these the ships pass. 
(Earlier than 15th century ) 
Charts from Wu-pei-pi-shu with sailing directions (The Seaports of 
India and Ceylon by George Phillips) China Branch R. A.S. New 
Series vols. XX. and XX1I.) 
Starting from Malacca with a course of 120° to 135°, in five 
watches the ships will be off Arrow-shooting Hill; then with 
a course of 120° to 135° in three watches Pulau Pisang will be 
reached and with a course of 135° in five watches more Carimon. 
Thence with a course of first 100° to 120° and later 120° Long- 
waist Island is reached and the ship comes out of Dragon-teeth 
Gate left. From Dragon-teeth Gate with a course of 75° to 90° 
in five watches the ship will reach Pedro Branca. 
The words Léng-gé-mtiy ( Amoy dialect ) translated by Groen- 
eveldt ‘the straits of Lingga’’ mean dragon-teeth gate; strait, or 
passage and in the Amoy dialect ‘‘dragon-teeth” is the name given 
to the two upright pegs in the bows of a ship through which the 
cable runs. The passage in question cannot be the Straits of Ling- 
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60, I91I, 
