tin: "_Ibi invenitur una insula in qua est unus
rex_ quem vocant Lamovich. _Civitas et insula vocantur_ Pontavich." Ram.:
"_Chiamasi la citta_ Malaiur, e cosi l'isola Malaiur."

All this is very perplexed, and it is difficult to trace what may have
been the true readings. The 30 miles beyond the straits, whether we give
the direction _south-east_ as in G.T. or no, will not carry us to the
vicinity of any place known to have been the site of an important city. As
the point of departure in the next chapter is from _Pentam_ and not from
Malaiur, the introduction of the latter is perhaps a digression from the
route, on information derived either from hearsay or from a former voyage.
But there is not information enough to decide what place is meant by
Malaiur. Probabilities seem to me to be divided between _Palembang_, and
its colony _Singhapura_. Palembang, according to the Commentaries of
Alboquerque, was called by the Javanese MALAYO. The List of Sumatran
Kingdoms in De Barros makes TANA-MALAYU the _next_ to Palembang. On the
whole, I incline to this interpretation.

[In _Valentyn_ (V. 1, _Beschryvinge van Malakka_, p. 317) we find it
stated that the Malay people just dwelt on the River _Malayu_ in the
Kingdom of Palembang, and were called from the River _Orang Malayu.--MS.
Note_.--H.Y.]

[Professor Schlegel in his _Geog. Notes_, IV., tries to prove by Chinese
authorities that Maliur and Tana-Malayu are two quite distinct countries,
and he says that Maliur may have been situated on the coast opposite
Singapore, perhaps a little more to the S.W. where now lies Malacca, and
that Tana-Malayu may be placed in Asahan, upon the east coast of
Sumatra.--H.C.]

Singhapura was founded by an emigration from Palembang, itself a Javanese
colony. It became the site of a flourishing kingdom, and was then,
according to the tradition recorded by De Barros, the most important
centre of population in those regions, "whither used to gather all the
navigators of the Eastern Seas, from both East and West; to this great
city of Singapura all flocked as to a general market." (Dec. II. 6, 1.)
This suits the description in our text well; but as Singhapura was in
sight of any ship passing through the straits, mistake could hardly occur
as to its position, even if it had not been visited.

I omit _Malacca_ entirely from consideration, because the evidence appears
to me conclusive against the existence of Malacca at this time.

The Malay Chrono