A Voyage to New Guinea and the Moluccas, from Balambangan
Including an Account of Magindano, Sooloo, and Other Islands
Cambridge Library Collection - Maritime Exploration Series

In 1770, Thomas Forrest (c.1729?c.1802) was involved in establishing a new free port at Balambangan, Malaysia, which would improve the British East India Company's trade routes eastwards. In 1774 he agreed to lead an expedition on the Company's behalf to find out more about the waters between Malaysia and New Guinea. This 1779 publication (reissued in the Dublin edition) tells the story of Forrest's fifteen-month voyage in a small local vessel crewed by Malaysians, exploring the archipelago between the Philippines and present-day Indonesia. A French translation appeared in 1780, and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt referred to the book fifty years later. Forrest describes the islands, their populations, and their vegetation, including different spices. He discusses relations between local rulers, and the rivalries between the British and the Dutch, particularly as regards control of the spice trade. The book also contains a substantial vocabulary of the Maguindanao language.

Dedication; Introduction; Part I: 1. Intention of the voyage; 2. Departure from Balambangan; 3. Account of the island of Gilolo; 4. Tuan Hadjee returns on board; 5. Sent a boat to the island Salwatty; 6. The Batchian officers refuse to proceed to New Guinea; 7. Description of the north coast of Waygiou; 8. Arrival of the Banguey Corocoro; 9. Departure from Dory harbour; 10. Departure from Bo; 11. Departure from Ef-be harbour; 12. Departure from Leron; Part II: 1. Of the island Magindano; 2. Geographical sketches of places on the banks of the rivers Pelangy and Tamantakka; 3. Description of the coast of Magindano; 4. The history of Magindano; 5. Arrival at Coto Intang; 6. Account of Subudan Watamama; 7. Celebration of a festival at the sultan's palace; 8. The island Bunwoot is granted to the English; 9. Description of the coast of Magindano south of the bar; 10. Of the great Lano or lake; 11. Sent the galley to Bunwoot to be repaired; 12. Ask leave to depart from Magindano; 13. Account of the islands Sangir; 14. Of the island Sooloo; 15. An account of the cinnamon tree in Ceylon; 16. Sail for Kamaladan harbour; 17. On the north part of Borneo; 18. Directions for sailing down the north-west cost of Borneo; A vocabulary of the Magindano tongue.