AND ISLANDS OF JOHOllE. 
61!) 
to the eastward till lost in the fog 1 which rests over the China Sea, 
is a beautiful sheet of water, about nine miles in breadth and, un¬ 
like the western portion of the Strait opposite Singapore island, 
its smooth surface, more resembling that of a lake than an arm of 
the ocean, is not interrupted by a single island.* The parallels of 
stratification and elevation, for on the whole they are here nearly 
coincident, on which the Teloh Blanga range, Bl&k&ng Mafci, the 
S&kijangs and the Sambos are disposed, separate these two strong¬ 
ly marked divisions of the Strait; and it is worthy of note that the 
portion of Singapore island lying to the north west of the insular 
part of the Strait partakes of the same character, being nothing 
but a series of irregular peninsulas separated by numerous creeks, 
which penetrate close to the granitic elevation of Bukifc Pand&n and 
Bukit Tim ah. 
Of the character presented by the Strait as we proceeded to its 
eastern entrance, I will only say here that it is throughout bor¬ 
dered by land of very slight elevation, covered with continuous 
dark forest, and having the surface uneven from the number of low 
hills and hilly ranges. In this respect the mainland does not dif¬ 
fer from the islands. It has three hills which rise boldly above 
the general level, Gunong Bauf (749 feet highj) Marbukit§ (601 
feet) and Bukit Santa|j (645 feet). In the same way Bukifc Pi¬ 
rn ah (530 feet) and some less elevated hills protrude above the 
Singapore level, and Gunong Bentan^[ (1212 feet) and Bukit Ki- 
jang** (759 feet) above that of Pulo Bdntan.'ff Battam and Bentan 
are in general somewhat more elevated than Singapore, but the con¬ 
figuration of all the land on both sides of the Strait follows one plan. 
It is a congeries of hilly ranges separated by narrow vallies opening 
into small alluvial plains or marshes, which are penetrated by salt 
water creeks. The coasts of the eastern division of the Strait are 
more abraded than those further west. They are exposed to the 
strong currents and heavy waves of the China sea, and tiie difference 
of exposure is at once apparent on reaching Tanjong Ping rang in the 
* There are a few small ones close to the shore of Battam which the 
eye does not distinguish. 
■f Little Johore hill. 
% All these heights are from trigonometrical measurements by J. T, 
Thomson, Esq. 
$ Johore hilt, [[ Barbukit. 
*|[ Bintang large hill. ** Bin tang Small hi!!. 
Tf Bintang island. 
l 2 
