Since our object could not be effected without communicating with their Rajah, and as another opportunity might offer at some future time of communicating with these people, it was abandoned for the present; and we steered into the bay, and anchored within a small island at the entrance, in time to observe the sun’s meridional altitude.  The evening was spent in pulling round the bay, the shores of which are low, and so overrun with mangroves, that landing was in most parts impracticable; but a small break in them being observed under a cliff, we put ashore to examine the country.  Here we found two streams of fresh water, one of which ran over the beach with some force; but they appeared to be only the drainings of the country, and to be merely of temporary duration.  The soil was here very good, but the trees and underwood were so thick that we did not venture far from the boat.  A native’s basket was found, and the usual signs of their having lately been hereabouts.  We also landed on a projecting point, at the bottom of the bay, to obtain bearings; and a second time under a remarkable cliffy point on the west side, from the summit of which another set of bearings were obtained, which completed the survey of the port; and we named it Raffles Bay, in compliment to Sir Stamford.

At night, the seine was hauled under High Point, and procured us a good mess of fish.

April 19.

We left Raffles’ Bay on the 19th in the morning, and ran along the western shore to the North-West point which we passed round; and, steering between it and a low sandy island, entered a bay, at the bottom of which was an opening, but we were prevented from entering it by shoal water.

The next point to the westward is Point Smith, and at the distance of a mile from it, is a ledge of rocks on which the sea constantly breaks.  We passed close round the reef, and hauled into a very considerable opening about six or seven miles wide, and at least five or six leagues deep.  At the bottom of this inlet was some higher land than usual, and among it two flat-topped hills were very conspicuous.  The eastern shore of the port, for such it proved to be, is formed by a succession of rocky points, between which were ranges of red cliffs, much higher than any we had yet seen, and, if possible, more thickly wooded.  As the day was far spent, we anchored on the east side under one of the cliffs, and during the night, the dismal howling of native dogs was heard close to the vessel, a noise that was very frequently heard by us whenever we anchored, and passed a calm night near the shore.

April 20.