a A VISIT TO THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAGO. 



twice in every montti, the stcaui-vessels of tJie Butch from 

 Batavia, of the Spanish from Manilla, and our own from 

 Chilian to meet the Etiropcaii mail. The number of 

 squace-rigged vessels that anchor annually in the roads 

 exceeds a thousand- The island measures twenty-seven 

 miles in length by eleven in hreadth. A few yeiu-s ago it 

 was a dense jungle : on every hill may now be soeu the 

 residence of some hospitable merchant, surrounded by 

 plantations of nutmeg or other spice trees. Excellent 

 roads intersect the island ; and substantial bridges are 

 thrown across its streams — for w^iicli luxuries of 

 eomraimication much credit is due to the present 

 energetic and excellent govcnior^ Colonel Buttorwortli, 



On the .9th June the Pkleifethon steam-frigate sailed 

 with the engineer, Mr. Scott, and Mr, Hosken the 

 3iarboiu'-master, as the pioneers of the new settlement 

 at Labuan. 



The June mail, which arrived on the 7th August, 

 brought our new commander-in-chief, Sir Fraivcis Collier, 

 as well as the gratify uig intelligence that Her Majesty 

 had been pleased to confer the Order of the Bath on 

 Mr. Bi^ooke— of which he was made Knight Commajider— 

 ami the Lieutenant-Governor of Labuan was directed to 

 invest Sir James accordingly. Tlie ceremony was 

 performed on the 22nd of August, a very great event in 

 fc^incaporc, Mr. l^apicr representing Her Majesty with 

 becoming dignity : the whole business was moi^ amusing 

 than imi>ositig, and iinished in the evening with a IjalL 



