Mss Eur F594/10/12

Typescript volume covers the period 1930-1933. Describes purchase of the boat Jane Couldery, its faulty design and build, its first voyage where it was wrecked off Swatow, and the actions of the drunken Captain Warrild. Decision to build another boat the Medea, detailed description of design and build. Setting up in Swatow with Helen, and Agnes Baird. Leaving Swatow with Helen on board the Medea. Fitting ship in Hong Kong. Description of Hong Kong, and trip to test the boat, which showed its faults. Experience of typhoons. Arrival at Macao, with description. His comments on the British in Asia. Long trip to Singapore via Hainan Island and Tourane Bay. Comments on changes to Singapore, and it being 'semi-American' due to rubber boom. Diversity of people in Singapore. Trip to the Rhio [Riau] Archipelago. Further trip to Banka [Bangka]. Heat at Muntok [Mentok]. Slump in tin and pepper. Comments on the expansion of the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies. Description of Johore Baru, Changyi and Malacca. Moore Bennett’s views on the impact of the introduction of rubber into Malaya and Java on the local people. Visit to Port Dickson and Port Swettenham. Description of Malaya. Varieties of trees, woods, and marine wildlife. Workings of rubber estates. His comments on Helen’s character. Unrest in Europe and in China. Joined on board by Frank Cutter. Called at Malacca, Port Dickson, Port Swettenham and Georgetown, Penang, followed by the Langowyi [Langkawi] islands. Description of the islands. Visit to the Davidsons at Alor Star, Kedah State. Comments on 'forced immigration' of Chinese and Indian people into Malaya. Influence of plantation owners. Stuck on sandbank at Kampong Baru near Lumut. Frank Cutter left Medea at Tanjong Rhu to return to Chicago. Description of food, markets, surroundings, society etc. in Singapore. Changes happening at Seletar. Trip to see the East coast of the Malay peninsular. Difficulties on the Kuantang [Kuantan] River, Prahang [Pahang]. Description of collection of jelantan gum for chewing gum production. Description of the Sakai people and the changes to their way of life. People at Kuantan. Return to Singapore via Changyi [Changi]. Further journey along the Straits. News from North China, including the growing influence of Japan.

The volume is divided into sections entitled 'Chapter 4. Why I left China. Japan's Victims. Freedom. Jensen and his Fables. The design of the Jane. Her Construction. Registration Shanghai. We sail. Faulty work. Difficulties. Crew as ill as boat. Drunken skipper. Gradual break up of Jane. Swatow. Another breakdown. The Woods. Major. Wreck of the Jane. The Court of Enquiry. Pirates. Peter. Joan. Warrild. Crew'. 'Chapter 5. Design of Medea. Agnes. Our ménage. Swatow industries description. I agree build there. The estuary. Ah Leung, Ah Ho and Co. The Mayor. Graft. Exchange. Agnes goes bad. Removal. We breathe again. Pete and Joan leave us. Medea launched. Descriptions of her. The buoy in the estuary. We get ready'. 'Chapter 6. Voyage to Hong Kong. Causeway Bay. Ah King, Ah Ho and Paradise Row. Paddy's Market. Pokfullum. Ice creams. King's birthday parade. Aberdeen. Old Cemetery. Toho and Taipo. Plover Cove. Eric Woods. Mrs Clarke and White Cottage and its neighbours. Life in New Territory. Bride's Fall. Fanling. First Typhoon. Fishing. Finger fish. Dynamiting. Police methods. Mutsai. Logans. Wireless. Other typhoons. Medea fully fitted at Hong Kong. Goodbye Taipo. Macau description. The no-name ship. Changed methods and morals. The Sagres. Lorenzo. Delights and curiosities. Dog Racing. Pirates. On Holiday'. 'Chapter 7. Arrested. Finally leave. Hainan Island. Tourane Bay. Great peril. Off again. Fast going. Annam Current. Steering gear. Polu Aur. Singapore'. 'Chapter 8. Singapore changed. Boom and slump. Buildings. Capt. Miller. Shenondoah III. Farnstocks. Yacht Club. [Mr] St Paul. Swimming Club. Change Alley. We sail to Rhio after repairs. Archipelago. Sungei. Back again. 'Georges Pillipa'. We leave. Night on Equator. Amphitrite Bay. Burian and Behala Straits. Sea snakes. Banka Strait. Muntok. Tin Winning. Toba Ali. [Captain] Coots. Gaspar Strait. Koba. Pankel Penang description. Food. Peking 5 star [beer]. Sugi Leat. Malung Darung. Sumatra. Berhala. Durian. Main Straits. Singapore'. 'Chapter 9. Changyi. Haymans. Mess. NAFFI. We leave for North. Maur stakes. First Arch Squall. Malacca. Dutch and Portuguese remains. Wonderful colouring. Mud. Sail to P [Port] Dickson. Eclipse Moon. Call on residents. Go to supper at Club. Open air service. No mosquitoes. Dinghy racing. Meet D.O. and Mother at lunch. Port Swettenham. Crocodiles that are not. Great heat. Leave. Strong winds. Hit stakes. Return to Port Swettenham. Get off. Arrive Dindings. Beautiful country. Godfreys. Game Reserve. Mervins. Robinsons. Rubber Estates. The Pitts. Helen goes to Ipoh. King and Binty. Kampong Baru. Pankor. Chorlton Maxwell. Sardine fishery. The Swan. The Tow. Back in half a gale to Singapore'. 'Chapter 10. The Gulman. Metcalfs. Cutter. Repairs. Swimming Club. Leave for North. Seletar. Karimun. Maur. A long row. Malacca and ladies. Swettenham. Dindings. Penang. Economics. Description. Langowyi. Descriptions. Malay sports. Bellamy Brown & Holroyd Smith. Fishing. Japanese. Millars. Wild Pig. The Butangs. Description. Fish. Moorings. Oysters. Illness. Return. Dolphins Nose. St Marks Isl. Siam. Rest House. Milliars. Robinsons. Alor Star. Description Kedah. River. Penang. Dindings. Aground. The Hadji. Pangkor. A long trip. Well anchored. Release. Olivers. Brewer.'. 'Chapter 11. Farnstocks. Millars. Religious mixup. Malay cooking. Change Alley. Graveyard. Repairs. Singapore markets. Fruit. Fish. Improvements to Medea. Seletar rush workings. Orchard Road. Botanical Gardens. Coloured lilies. Monkeys. Public Press. Elimination Malays. Cutter sails. Col. Roberts and changed Changyi. Gangs of REs. NAAFI. Diana Cove. Mersing. Endau River. Rompin River. Kuantan. Doris. Windsors, Jelantang Gum & Mr Wrigley. Fergusons. Pahang. Miss Hunt. Monkeys. Peacocks. Rival Governments. Skipper of Lipis. Durian. Binti's family. Sakais and history. Ferguso. Arthurs. Lawrence & wife. Their Estate. George. Sultan's Party. Colonel Ayres'. 'Chapter 12. We sail for Seletar. Arrive Changyi. NAAFI, riotous nights. Tales. Jungle cures. We are guests of GOC. See Seletar in State. Lunch with Colonial Secretary. The White Swan. Merton Brown. Thornycrofts. Redolent and redundant planters. Vincent. Miller and the Money. Swift action. We get ready for sea. Painting and refitting. Hayman retiring. The Joanna and the Pilgrim Starr. St Paul. Peters. We leave Singapore. Klang. Brewer. Selangor and Binghams. Dindings. Lumut Penang. Vincent comes aboard. Ready to leave Straits'.

Images include: drawing of deck and interior layout of the boat Jane Couldery; sketch map of the China Coast, from Shanghai to the Gulf of Tonkin; pencil drawings of the yacht Medea, including deck layout and interior arrangements; sketch map of the 'Harbours, Bays and Coves of the New Territory', around Hong Kong; sketch map of 'New Territory' around Hong Kong; sketch map of the Canton River and West River Estuary; sketch of Singapore Town and Sea Front; sketch map of the Malacca Straits, showing the voyage of the Medea; sketch of Strait with part of the Johore Strait and Singapore Island; Langowyi Islands, sketch of Bass and Tyson Straits with Marble Island; sketch of entrance to the Malacca Straits; sketch of the Butang islands; sketch map of the Dinding River showing Lumut and Great Pangkor; sketch map showing Dindings, Pankor, Telok Anson, Leper Island.

The papers of Arthur Moore Bennett (1877-1950) contain his personal views and opinions, with explicit language and terminology which today are deemed unacceptable and offensive and may cause upset.