ROUND THE WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 39

ROUND THE WORLD.

(From Our Special Commissioner.)

<. Hongkong, April 3.

Dear Pasquin,— Departing Calcutta as the sub rises very early in tbe month of March, steaming slowly down the sacred Ganges or the commercial Hoogley, one U presented with a veritable pano> rama picturesque in the extreme. It is a mighty water way, carrying as it does one of the largest tonnage, if not actually so, of any stream in the whole — 9, stream that can lay claim to cleansing more souls annually than many seas put together, for it is in the Ganges that the dusky native cleanses his soul — in more respects than one. Twelve hours' easy steam, passing en route villages innumerable, and we are onco again introduced to, the open sta, and with one longing glance wo turn to take cur farewell of India— Great, Grand, acd, Gorgeous India. Truly a great country and a great people. Two days' steam over plftoid seas afed we enter a new world — Burnish, a rac9 picturesque and pietty, its women fascinating,- its men sturdy but shockingly lazy.

Rangoon, its capital, like most Oriental citfea, is greatly cosmopolitan $ here, even more so, we see men and women of all nations. "Broken China" is admirably represented — indeed, Bur. mah's great commerce is governed and ruled by the wily Chinee, who, with his notorious cuaning an<l simple ways, is gradually gaining a monopoly in trade that' if it were in Australia would cause a revolution. , / Burmah is certainly a place to excite interest, and Rangoon in particular. Its drives compare more th.an favourably with anything in the East. Its foliage of tropical growth, abounding in natural and artificial lakes, aided with. British taste a series of drives have been- constructed that will ever do honour to their originators ; all added to by an incessant traffic of Burmese, clothed in typical garments, as3thetic in colours, which lend enchantment to the scene. Oartainly the climate is not of the best, but then we are approaching the tropics— as you've been there you know what that means.

A voyage of five days, notable chiefly for the immense amount of passing traffic, and we are safely landed (iv warlike language) at the " Key of the East," Singapore, one of the most wonderful towns (it's not a city) in the JSaat — in the whole universe for that matter. Existing under the rays of an unmerciful sun. one cannot wender at the "go as you please" manner in which every, thing is managed, but ia justice I might add that Singapore does not live — or rather ' exist" — for its day, it's the night. What a truly wonderful place to be sure, under gaslight, with its 10,000 rickshas plying the streets, rushing here, there, and there, with its myriads of Chinese lanterns. Inhabited chiefly by Chinese, its illuminations are perjpetual, for John seldom sleeps ; consequently from sunset to sunrine the town is one blaze of light and life of the Oriental type. Steamships, warships of all nations, ply in and out of the harbour with a perversity that is surprising, and if there is one place more than another that can give proof of the world's great nautical traffic, you can ' with safety commend Singapore— the road to the West, from North, South, and ' East.