CAB7-4 — Page 300

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Appendix No. 4.

SINGAPORE.

Island.

Town.

Mount Palmer.

Singapore Roads.

Fort Canning Hill. Pearls Hill. Military establish- ments.

Mount Faber.

Blakang Mati.

New Harbour.

Tanjong Paggar Works.

Pulo Braui.

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Topographical Description of Singapore.

The island of Singapore presents very few marked elevations. Its surface consists for the most part of small rounded hills averaging about 100 feet in height, the valleys between which are only a few feet above the sea level. Bukit Timah, the highest point, has an elevation of about 530 feet.

The town of Singapore is situated on a flat alluvial plain, which stretches along the shore of an open bay on the south-eastern part of the island. This bay, which is about 3 miles in width, from Tanjong Katong on the east to Tanjong Paggar on the west, receives the waters of two small streams, the Singapore river and the Kallang river, the latter of which unites at its mouth with two smaller rivers, the Rochore and the Gaylang, whilst the former runs through the centre of the town and divides it into two distinct portions. That portion on the southern side is the chief commercial quarter, and is provided with ample quays and wharves for the landing and shipment of mer- chandize. A quay, about 600 yards in length, stretches from the mouth along the right bank of the river, which, for a distance of over a quarter of a-mile, here assumes the form of an elliptical basin about 150 yards in maximum width. This basin, which cannot be seen from the bay, on account of a projecting spit of land on the southern side of the entrance to the river, is generally covered by hundreds of native small craft engaged in transhipping goods between vessels in the roadstead and the warehouses which cover a large area in this quarter of the town.

On the left bank of the Singapore river are situated the public buildings, whilst to the eastward, as far as the Kallang river, stretches a native town, called Campong Glam, which is the oldest portion of Singapore. From Tanjong Rhoo, a narrow spit on the south side of the entrance to the Kallang river, the coast to Tanjong Katong (a distance of about 4,000 yards) and for some miles beyond is flat, and the country behind presents no particular elevation.

A

Along the western shore of the bay, to the southward of the town, and from thence to Tanjong Paggar, are several hills; the principal of which, Mount Palmer, is about 110 feet above the sea. sandy spit lies to the south of Tanjong Paggar, for a distance of about 600 yards, and from its southern extremity to Tanjong Katong runs the 3 fathom line. Immediately outside this line, and at a distance of about a mile from the shore, are the Singapore roads, in which vessels of the heaviest burden can lie in perfect safety, in a depth of water varying from 7 to 12 fathoms, Parallel to the roads and at a distance of about 2 miles from the town is a shoal, some 3,000 yards in length and 450 in breadth.

To the westward of the town are several hills, for the most part occupied by houses of the European portion of the population. The most prominent of these on the northern side of the Singa- pore River is the site of Fort Canning, which is 156 feet above the sea, and about half-a-mile distant from the shore. Pearls Hill, on the southern side of the river, and about the same height as Fort Canning Hill, is occupied by the military store establishment. The Sepoy lines, formerly the quarters of a native regiment, and now partly appropriated as a general hospital, are on the southern side of Pearls Hill. About 3 miles from the town to the westward are the Tanglin barracks, containing accommo- dation for one European regiment.

At the southern extremity of Singapore Island is a range of hills called Mount Faber, running north-west and south-east, and about a mile in length. The most easterly point of this range is about 2,500 yards from Mount Palmer, and the highest point of Mount Faber is 357 feet above the sea. Between this and Fort Canning the country is low and undulating, and is well commanded from these two points.

Off the southern extremity of the island of Singapore lies Blakang Mati, a triangular-shaped island, 23 miles in length and half-a-mile in average breadth, and the south-eastern and south-western sides of which are in prolongation of the adjacent shores of the main island. The highest point on Blakang Mati is Mount Serapong, near the eastern end of the island, and about 300 feet above the sea level.

Between Blakang Mati and Singapore Island runs a channel, of a minimum depth of 6 fathoms, known as the New Harbour, along the northern shore of which are a succession of wharves, docks, coaling depôts, and fitting establishments. From Mount Serapong a fine command is obtained over the roadstead, the harbour and establishments therein, as well as upon the approaches thereto. The eastern entrance to the New Harbour between Blakang Mati and Tanjong Paggar is about a mile in width, the breadth of the channel being about 600 yards. Immediately inside the entrance are the Tanjong Paggar works, consisting of a wharf, capable of berthing a dozen vessels at a time, out of the action of the tide, and having sufficient water alongside for the heaviest ships; a dock, 450 feet in length, and 65 feet in breadth at the entrance; a large machine shop, having the appliances necessary for effecting the heaviest repairs to steamers and iron vessels; extensive coal- sheds, capable of containing 30,000 tons; and commodious warehouses.

*Near the eastern entrance also, between Mount Serapong and Mount Faber, lies Pulo Brani, an irregular-shaped island, the highest point of which is about 170 feet in height. On the northern side Naval coal stores, &c. of this island are the naval coal stores, and on the southern side is a small dock. Opposite Pulo Brani and at the foot of the Mount Faber range are the wharves of the Borneo Company, Jardine's Company, and the Peninsular and Oriental Company. The total length of these wharves is about 600 yards.

Still further to the westward, and near the western entrance to the New Harbour, which is only about 300 yards wide, are the wharves, docks, fitting shops, and coal sheds of the New Harbour Dock Company. Here are two docks, 415 feet and 459 feet long respectively, whilst the wharves will accommodate five or six vessels.

These wharves, docks, and machine shops are now constantly made use of by Dutch ships of war, which are sent here from Acheen to repair and refit, and may of course also be used by vessels of the Royal Navy. Their situation is most advantageous, for it will be seen that the New Harbour is covered on the sea side by the Blakang Mati and on the land side by Mount Faber, with its adjacent hills; the entrance from the westward is very narrow, whilst the outer shoal and Pulo Brani partially

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