OF THE ISLANDS NEAJt SINGAPORE, 
573 
Mati, Serdpong, and Ayer Bandera. The inhabitants are ot 3 
classes, Bugis who inhabit Blakang' Mati and Ayer Bandera, and 
detached houses on the hill; Malays who inhabit Serapong ; and a 
few Chinese in Blakang Mati. The Island is skirted by mangroves, 
and covered with pineapples and fruit trees, principally Jack, Chum- 
padak, and Guava. 
Let the reader now turn to chart No. 1. fig* a, on Blakang Mati, 
and he will observe that kampong Ayer Bandera, is situated at the 
foot of Bukit Seiapong, which is about 308 feet in height, and rises 
rather precipitously on the east. It was used as a signal station 
for vessels until two years ago, when the signal staff was removed 
to the Island of Singapore, on account of the unhealthiness of the 
former station. The hill is almost conical and covered with pine¬ 
apples, and a few fruit trees. At its base, where the convicts and su¬ 
perintendents of the signals resided at night, and where atone time 
about 60 Bugis were located, there is an irregular flat about 200 
yards in length ; on one side bounded by the hill, on the other by 
the beach, at each extremity about 20 yards in depth from the beach 
to the bill, and in the centre about 89. During my residence in 
Singapore, now 8 years, this locality has been considered eminently 
unhealthy, and various reports have reached those living in the 
town, of the numerous deaths in its scanty population. But as on¬ 
ly natives were attacked and died, Europeans not living there, but 
little attention was paid to the remarkable fact, that so near 
to one of the healthiest stations in India where remittent fever was 
not known, there should be an island where remittent fever was en¬ 
demic to such an extent that every one who resided there, however 
short the time, was attacked, and so severe in its type, that nearly all 
who were attacked died. Of the 3 men, and a superintendent who 
were attached to the Flag Staff, three fourths regularly died off; but as 
these men were only convicts, they continued to be regularly sacrificed 
to the carelessness of those who ought to have examined into such 
wholesale manslaughter, nor perhaps, would these disastrous facts 
have been noticed, if it had not come at last to this state, that 
they could not get men to live there. Then, but not till then, was 
the flag staff removed. To shew that I have not exaggerated 
aught, I beg to give the following extract from a letter of the Re¬ 
sident Councillor at Singapore, to the Governor, dated 27th. Janu¬ 
ary 1845 No. 109. Para. 2d. “(at Biakan Mati) of late the casuai- 
“ ties have been quite appaling, Shaik Cassini who was employed 
