At eight o’clock in the morning of the 6th, being close under the east side of Kercolang, we saw a canoe with a matt sail coming towards us:  the natives soon came under the stern without any signs of fear.  There were twelve Malays in this canoe, who were all cloathed:  the outriggers of the canoe, which were long and slight, would not permit them to come alongside, but a jacket and a hatchet being given them, and signs made for them to go on shore and bring something to eat, they left the vessel and went towards the shore, where we followed them.  Before they landed, a still larger canoe, with fifteen Malays in it, went to the canoe which had left us; and as we were not more than two miles from the shore, Lieutenant Ball and myself went in the jolly-boat and joined the two canoes; on this, two of the Malays jumped out of the canoes into our boat, and went immediately to the oars:  such a step could not be misunderstood, it was saying, “we put ourselves entirely in your power without any precaution.”

When we came near the beach, observing the surf to break on it, we made signs for the canoes to go on shore, and bring us some cocoa-nuts and plantains, as we saw vast quantities on the trees.  They were very desirous for our boat to land; but that not being agreed to, they left a native in the jolly-boat, and one of our men went on shore in the canoe:  he soon returned with several canoes which were laden with cocoa-nuts, yams, plantains, sweet potatoes, rice, a little flour, and several other articles, all which we purchased for axes and other barter:  soon afterwards we returned on board, and were followed by upwards of an hundred canoes.  At noon, a breeze springing up from the northward, we made sail, and many of the canoes followed us to a considerable distance.

The latitude of the north end of Kercolang is 4 deg. 28’, and the longitude of the center 126 deg. 31’ east.  This island is between eighty and one hundred miles in circumference, and is in general of a very good height:  the face of the country seems to be steep hills and extensive vallies, and every part of it was covered with trees and verdure:  there were also some cultivated grounds which had a very pleasant appearance.  These Malays wore no erid or cress, nor did we see any offensive weapons amongst them, excepting two which were on the beach, who had something like halberts in their hands, but whether they were of iron or wood we could not discern.  The houses stood on posts; they appeared to be well built, and neatly thatched.

Their canoes were also neatly made, being hollowed out of trees, with bamboo outriggers on each side to prevent them from oversetting; a piece of wood is left at the stern, which projects like a proa, to break the water before it comes to the bow:  each canoe has a mast, on which they hoist a square piece of matt as a sail.  Their fishing-hooks and lines are mostly European, and it is possible that there is a Dutch resident on the island, as we saw a small Dutch flag placed before a house to the northward of the place where we went with the boat; though it is natural to suppose, that if any European had been there, he would have come to the boat, or that the natives would have made us understand there was one on the island.