SINGAPORE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 27 March 1922, Page 9

SINGAPORE.

THE LIVERPOOL OF THE EAST (By FREDERICK STCBBS. F.R.G.S.) Singapore, or Singhapura, the City of the Lion, an important Crown Colony, is situated on an island at the loot of the Malay Peninsula, the most southern point in Asia, only 70 or 80 miles from the Equator. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow strait, one mile wide, and commands the entrance to the China Sea. It is the centra of a vast population and a vast trade, the latter totalling about £177,000,000. It is not so beautifully situated as Hong Hong or Penang; nevertheless, it is a ver\" fine port, as well as a commodious one. Between the docks and the city a bold headland crowned by Battery Hill juts into the sea and forms the southern horn of a crescent which embraces tlie whole city. From this fortified headland to the Singapore River there is an unbroken mass of buildings facing the ocean. Behind these ote catches sight of public edifices and the spires of churches amid gardens and green fields, backed by the low hills, on one ot which stands Government House, and still further back the line Botanical Hardens. Not far from the latter is the Malay Cemetery. All such places are called in Malay "Kramat." meaning "Returned to the Mercy of God"—the beautiful term used to describe tbe death of a Mohammedan. This term seems to mc more beautiful than either "churchyard" or "cemetery" ("sleeping place"), though tlie latter is good, and some of .us hope that some day (not too soon!) it may truthfully be said of us that "After life's fitful fever he sleeps well." (I quote from memory only, and cannot verify the quotation. 1 hope to goodness Shakespeare did say this. It is good philosophy and good religion anyhow.) Along the wharves you have an almost unbroken line of ships— mostly British I was glad t'. observe —with docks, coal sheds, go-downs, and men of every colour and every conceivable garb loading and unloading. Outside, in the deep water, is the man-of-war anchorage. The narrow Singapore River is tightly packed with small, picturesque native craft.

A .MOTLEY CROWD. On shore, the streets are crowded with such a medley of nationalities and such a babel oi tongues as is to be round in few places in the world. It is said that no less than forty nationalities are represented. The city is the great distributing centre for Malaya. Every year 200,000 immigrants land, most of them passing on. The total population is 351.000, of whom only about 3000 are English, the rest being chiefly Chinese and Indians. There is a system of tramways, rather primitive and seldom patronised by Europeans, but the chief means of transport is by richshaw or gharry, the latter being a small Indian closed carriage drawn by one horse and driven by Tamils or by Malays. The rickshaws, of which there are 20,000 in tlie city, are drawn by perspiring, almost naked Chinamen. No other nationality would do this hard work. They generally wear nothing but a pair of trunks, sodden with perspiration, and seldom understaud any English. But they certainly work hard, and as a rule arc honest and civil. That they willJßemand more than their proper fare goes without saying. All sorts of cabmen do that. I have known it to happen even in Sydney and Aucklaud. But the difference between the two races is that if you give a Chinai——t his proper fare only he will still thank you, whilst the Australian or New Zealand cabman would certainly swear at you. 1 have tried it! As a rule, however, in the East, oue does give a trifle—but only a trifle —above the legal charge. The latter is quite low, and one can ride a considerable distance for five pence. The unfortunate thing is that in this climate one requires so many rides, in fact few Europeans walk. For the climate is not invigorating, and the city is widespread. During the three weeks I was there the temperature was about 85 degrees at noon, cooling down to 74 at night, and it rained every day, though not aU day. The death-rate is 47 per 1000! I confess I do not like Singapore.

HISTORY OF THE COLONY. The early history of Singapore rests upon tradition, tut even in 1»I9 it was only a small fishing village with a population of 300. A century before, in 1703, the Raja of Johore offered it to Captain Hamilton, who declined the present, though he remarked on its suitability for colonisation, "lying in the centre of trade and accommodated with good rivers and a safe harbour." It was first occupied, in 1819, by that great Englishman, Sir Stamford Raffles. At that time the Dutch were predominant in the Far East, and so long a s they held Malacca, which they did till 1795, they had no object in founding another city on the peninsula. But in 1818, threatened by the British with the loss of their supremacy, they occupied the island of Rhio. This made it necessary for the British to safeguard their interests, and on February (5, 1819 (the year Queen Victoria was born) Raffles, who was then Governor of Sumatra, signed a treaty with Johore by which the Sultpn ceded" Singapore to Britain. It was not taken from the Dutch, yet the latter immediately bestirred themselves to gst the British Government to remove Raffles, and nearly succeeded. The annexation was countermanded, Raffles was rebuKea; but he held on amidst all sorts of discouragements and rebuffs until at last it began to be recognised that by his patriotism and foresight lie had laid the foundations for a great colony and trade. No one can read the life of that great man (it has been published by' a Sydney bookseller) without recognising him as a genuine hero. He was vinflently attacked by politicians in England: he had been terribly afflicted in his family, both his wife and himself were constantly falling ill; three of his children died within six weeks—yet upheld by the consciousness of his own integrity, he fought for the interests of his country and nation until at length, completely worn out, he died in 1826. aged only 44. T mention the above facts—not only as a tribute to a great patriot—but also as another illustration of the fact that the British Empire has been built up—not by British Governments, but frequently in spite of them, HOW PIRATES WERE BEATEN. Up to the year 1874 the Straits Settlements were left very much to themselves, and were hardly known in England. The seas were infested by Chinese and Malayan pirates, who looted and murdered as they pleased. It is marvellous that British sailors could be induced to face the risks of those days. Then, with the advent of steam vessels, piracy was vigorously attacked and ultimately destroyed. The first encounter took place between the paddle-steamer Diana and a fleet of five pirate boats. When the Malays first sighted the steamer they

thought she was _ ship afire, so they joyously sailed towards her, encouraged in the idea by the fact that she lay still and waited for them. The first pirate boat, was allowed \r, range alongside, and there sunk. This, however, did not deter the others. But when tne ship began to sail towards them against the wind, they were horrified at such an unnatural proceeding and attempted to fiee. "The Diana, however, caught them up one by one and there was a great slaughter of pirates that day.