1819. 
Oct. 4. 
314 SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
perfect enough to give us an idea of its form, 
and for us to recognise its resemblance to some j 
we had seen on the East coast. 
A curious implement was found on the shore, 
the use of which we could not at all conjecture, un- 
less it had belonged to the Malays ; it was fifteen 
feet long and five inches in diameter, and com- 
posed of three saplings firmly and closely united, 
and covered with grass secured to it by rope 
twisted of strips of bark ; it might have been a 
fender for the purpose of hanging between the 
Malay proas, when moored together, to prevent 
their being injured by their sides coming in 
contact. 
The shores and hills were thickly scattered 
over with large masses of a dark red-coloured 
sand-stone, covered with a crust of quartz , the lat- 
ter substance was not, however, found in a crys- 
tallized state. Every thing bore the most parched 
and arid appearance ; the country was certainly 
seen by us at the most disadvantageous season; 
but, although the hills are thickly wooded, the 
dwarf and stunted habit of the trees is a proof, if 
we had required it, of the shallow and unproduc- 
tive quality of the soil. The smoke of three, or 
four large fires were noticed on the opposite side 
of the bay, the flames of which blazed up as the 
sea-breeze set in. Recent and numerous tracks 
