Page 427 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 3'.'5
and channels being minutely examined. These portions, with
separate surveys of the Paracels Islands and shoals, and the
coast of Palawan, w-ere sent home and published by the Cotn-t.*
A considerable delay then occurred, owing to the 'Antelope'
having been captured by tlie Frencli, and Lieutenants Ross
and Maughan being conveyed as prisoners to Batavia. On
their release and return to India, Captain Koss received charge
of a second Expedition for the survey of the China seas, which
was commenced in 1812, and Captains ^laughan and Crawford
subsequently joined him. About this period Lieutenant
Houghton was first employed as draughtsman on tliis service.
From that time forward, the survey was continued with all
despatch by these officers, in two cruisers ; the south-eastern
part of the China Sea occupying one season ; the Natuna,
Anaraba, and Tumbelau islands, with their channels, and parts
of the coast of Borneo, the Straits of Gasjuir and Carimata,
and neighbouring rocks, other two seasons. 'J'hen they sur-
veyed a portion of the coast of China, iVom the Great Lema to
Namoa islands, with parts of the Pescadores and the island of
Formosa, and made a cursory examination of the Bashee islands
and channels. A slight survey of the southern and eastern
coasts of Hainan was also made, and several of the iiarbuurs
were very carefully examined. The same was dt)ne with the
coast of Cochin China, for the purpose of testing the aecin-acy
of the charts made by ^I. Dyot, an intelligent French otlieer in
the service of the king of that country.
In 1818 and 1811), Captain Ross and his coadjutors were
employed on the survey of the entrance to the Straits of
Malacca, and the north and south sands within. The party on
this duty assisted in forming the new settlement of Singapore,!
under Sir Stamford Rallies, and constructed minute charts of
the harbour and the adjacent coasts and islands. Connected
with the general survey, the officers were engaged in various
detached duties. On one occasion. the two surveying vessels
were ordered to accompany the ships of Lord Amherst's Em-
bassy to the Gulf of Pecheli, when they proceeded to the
mouth of the Peiho rivei-. On their return, the officers, when
detached from the other ships of the Embassy, visited and
made separate siu-veys of parts of the coast, and two or three
* There were also published "Direolions to aeeoiiiijain- the Chtirt of tlio South
Coast of Cliina, by Daniel Ross and I'hilip Maughan, J;ieutenants of the IJom-
bay Marine." Printed by order of the Directors of the Jiiwt India Company.
(London, 1808.)
t Singajiore owed its establishment as a free port to tlio suggestion of tlio
enlightened Sir Stamford Ratllo.s, then G^ovcrnor of Heneooleii, who found a rtwly
response from the Manpiis of Hastings. "You found it," said the Sinj{n|H>ro
residents in an address to the Governdi-tronenii on his leaving India in 1H2.'»,
" loss than four years ago, a village of two hundred Malayan lishennon, and it is
now a colony of one thousand industrious inhabilanU collected from every
quarter."