examination op the coast op 
356* 
On asking the headman of the Siamese in Malay, if he could point 
out any other places where coal was to he found inland, he said he 
could not, and that he had never heard of any one else having seen 
any. I then asked him if he knew if there was any to he found on 
any of the larger islands outside, telling him, at the same time, that 
I did not care whether he informed me or not, as I was going to the 
whole of them to examine them myself, and to look after pirates at the 
same time. After giving him a small present of Java tobacco and 
two bottles of brandy, he acknowledged that there was some on the 
next Point to the northward,. Tanjong Bombong, distant about 6 ov 
• * 
'7 miles. 
On the morning of the 3rd I manned two boats and went to Tan¬ 
jong JBombong with Colonel Law. It being nearly high water when 
we arrived, we landed on the north part, where there is a beach of 
coarse sand and shells, with a small plain behind covered with Buf- 
faloe grass. We found this point to be of a circular form with a few 
trees only on its side, which connect it with the low swampy main 
land. On returning to the S. W. part we found the tide had fallen 
greatly, winch exposed a reef extending to the S. W. On the top 
of this reef, wliich is mostly formed of sandstone, there appeared to 
he a bed of coal, lying in a N. W, and 8. E. direction, in extent 
100 yds. This is also to be found at half tide. In using crow bars 
the stone gave way, hut not so readily as that on Tanj ong Patong. Un¬ 
fortunately we found nothing but sandstone underneath, with a thin 
layer of what resembled coal on the top, -|th. of an inch thick. At 
only two places what resembled trees like those on Tanjong Patong 
were to be met with, but without the red flag stones overlying. Af¬ 
ter. having broken the black crust, it appeared as if the rock had been • 
paid over with hot pitch. Here we picked up what samples of coal 
we could, and returned to the Steamer. 
On the morning of the 4th. finding that nothing more in the shapes 
of coal was to be found in this vicinity, we steamed out towards the 
south end of Pulo Lontar. On reaching it I manned all the boats, 
and despatched them to examine Lontar and several other small Is¬ 
lands on its cast side, In the evening the boats returned without, 
