In the early 1770s, Thomas Forrest was employed on the establishment of the East India Company settlement on Balambangan Island, north of Borneo. When the Company council began to make enquiries into further opportunities in the region in 1774, Forrest volunteered his services for an expedition westward. On 9 December, he sailed aboard the Malay ship Tartar, visiting Cenderawasih Bay in New Guinea, the Sulu archipelago, Waigeo, Mindanao and the Bacan islands, returning to Aceh in 1776. Each of the locations were well-known to Europeans so Forrest’s voyage was one of navigation, surveying better the coasts and improving the Company’s geographical knowledge. His efforts were warmly received and in 1779, Forrest published this account of the voyage.