its own name, which is of small breadth throughout,
and scarcely a quarter of a mile wide in its
narrowest part. Fronting the island, on its southern
side, and at the distance of about nine miles,
is an extensive chain of islands, all desert, or at
least inhabited only by a few wild races, of which
nothing is known but their bare existence. The
intervening channel is the high road of commerce
between the eastern .and western portions of maritime
Asia,—the safest and most- convenient track
being so near to Singapore, that ships in passing
and repassing go very nearly through the roads.
The aspect of Singapore presents, in general, an
undulating surface; the highest hills not exceeding
two hundred feet in height,-and the generality not
being of half this elevation. The site and neighbourhood
of the settlement are composed of red
sandstone, with occasional beds of shale, cellular
clay iron ore, jaspery iron ore, and conglomerate.
The northern and eastern portions of the island,
however, which are adjacent to the continent, are
composed of granite. With the exception of iron,
no metals have been discovered; but it is highly
probable that tin exists here, in common with the
neighbouring countries.
The rivers of Singapore are not numerous, and
those which exist are mere brooks. Their absence,
however, is compensated by the frequent salt creeks
which indent its coasts, and in several cases penetrate
the island to the extent of three, and even of
five and six miles. I t is upon the banks of one of
these, navigable for the largest cargo-boats, that
the commercial part of the town is so conveniently
situated.
The exceptions were so trifling when we first occupied
it, that the whole island may be described
as having been covered with one universal and
mighty forest. The trees of which this consists are
various, and many of them- as yet undescribed by
botanists. Amidst this variety, those fit for economical
purposes do not exceed five or six in number.
Of these the timber is strong and durable, and,
if not fit for the purposes of naval architecture,
well adapted for every object of house-building.
The wild quadrupeds found in the island may
be shortly enumerated. There are numerous monkeys
of several species; bats, among which are
the vespertilio and galiopithecus ; several species
of the viverra; a newly described animal, which
has been named Ictides; an otter; two species of
cat, one oi which is new ; several species of squirrel,
including the sciurus volucella, which is fully
as large as the domestic cat; the porcupine, the
common rat, the sloth, (bradypus didactylus,) the
pangolin, the hog, two species of deer, viz. the
moschus pegmasus, a little delicate creature, smaller
than an English hare, without horns, and frequent
in many countries of tropical India, and the Indian
roe (cerVus munjac). To this imperfect list may
be added, since it is ruminant and mammiferous,