4 



surface r appeared tike a lake amongst low hills. It fa seemingly quite snrr&Qnded by jira- 

 jrle, I he man^reic predominating wherefer there has originally been a deep I nd en Hat ion 

 in Ihe shore, On ibe north I he opposite side of the Old Si rait pf Singapore (Saint Tarn* 

 ira/i) is completely deluded fi-otp - view, save at cue pain!,Jij P* Ubin, winch Kbc™ like a 

 densely wooded low hilly rattle- A broad bay on its shore is nearly filled by a low flat 

 island or mud hank, called PnIo Tam {properly Kiom)- r which ift covered by a thick sheet of 

 green gleaming mangrOTek We stood across the strait towards this Island ? passed its eas- 

 tern citrcmitv. and I Fn-n pwicoeded eastward along the *hnre of /'uio f/iin, Several rocky 

 points slightly project from it, and'thi^e ore cohered wilh tree* of no great fiiie> but 

 which, front thetr not being HO densely crowded as tropical junjh's gejirrnlly arc, -unite 

 Luxuriance with grace and freedom of rjrowth. The abundance and abruptness of llic rocky 

 masses which arc partially tisiblo, dollied Willi masse* and lirhras and wilh shrubs runted 

 in thdr defis, prevent the trees from i|j i ^imatiri(j ? mi hi? their trunks here and there into 

 view, and, by limiting their number a* in an artificial wood, ohVd space enough abort 

 fur the branches lo expand into full-leaved Ndde-sji rending canupt* ^ , uu the dark and cool 

 shadow* of which Ihe eye* dueled by I he radio dec of 1 he sea 4 wishfully lingers. The rocks ar* 

 howcrer less seen themselves than by iheie llicir effects, for Hueh k the profusion of shrubs, un- 

 derwood „ creeper*., an J pa rasi Lea of various forts, that the duad mineral massfa seem to be imbued 

 with botanic fecundity and wrapped in m lining; garment wn>en out of lh«ir ownhreasls* The 

 1 i 1 1 f i.- b:i \ * lH'Uvi>i«ri ihe Points .ir^ nraily fthlih-nik-d l-y b vr-l I- u f m-.-.n, ■ ■ ..link, hv lUtir 

 growth eilernallv, tend irunsUiiJlly lo mmtt ihe original irrrgiiJar, into a straight, coast line, 



Gno of cli.- min.it si rising fi xtures of ike lake like MncTY of the strait between Pufo Ubin 

 and ifie Sinxjnporm shore is Guvrang Sciv a broad pyramidal hill, which, as we approached 

 the cutern pitrtrnify of Puto Ubin, and the wide estuary of Johar* river on thn left or north 

 cast and ibe wider mouth of the old Singaporo *(rmit on the right or s&nth east gradually 

 Opened r - wan seen up the former at a distance of 8 or fl miles, Although termed by seamen 

 LiUh Joh<?r* hill, it is, in reality, higher than Mnrhukit or Jahpra hill which forms one of 

 the most prominent landmarks on entering the Htm i id of Sintjnpor* from ihe China sea. From 

 ibe regularity of its coin*, which from tht* point nf view sccrcif to descend iviih alrnoit pcr- 

 foct evcnneis on ail aide* to a IcYftl a little abate that aF the sea, and its apparent isolation f 

 It resemble* a to lean it litlL 



We s!ooti aero^ I lie strait between Pufo Uhin and P. Tikaiiij to the *mall inlets called P. 

 Sejrtiuit. On our return wt pulled close in to one of the poind* on the south side oF Pttta 

 Uirin* where there ore several Chinese quairymen ongaprd in spliuinfr granilo for the supply 

 ef 1 2 1 rj builders in town. \Ye were struck by the extraordinary appnaranee; of some of the 

 jrraniie rocks On tho beach. Their &idc* were uroavrd af fluted, pr^^uting regular tertLcal 

 fitmwf and ridvjes. A. little way in from ibe beach , and on the lower face of a bill, 

 stood a Tery larfln sre^k of which two face* were Tiaible, (lie remainder being concealed by 

 Iwuariant jungle , and the summit oirerhunjj with shrubs and trailing plants. At a lifilo 

 dUlanBc it was hardly pc^ible not to (ake it for a pari Son of an ancient temple rudely 

 iculpt tired out of I ho svM rock, since from its front stood out what occmcd to be * 

 range of cob^l uii^hapeu itna^us, On ascend in^j *° l * throuj]h the brushwood my amaucr 



