FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10960, 1 May 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

Mr John Latham (says the Mat aura Ensign) has received letters from his daughter, Mrs J. Walker Johnston, who left Gore m February last tq join her husband, who recently accepted a position on tbe survey staff of the Federated Malay States. Mrs Johnstop had a pleasant and uneventful voyage to Singapore m the U.S.S. Co.'s Aparima. ' &he errived at Singapore on March 2, and was duly met by Mr Johnston, who rowed out to the boat in"*a sampan. Her first experiences of the capital of the Straits Settlements were favorable, and m regard to the weather, up to the time she wrote it had not been uncomfortably hot; indeed, not so 'trying as Gore'during the heat of the late summer. Naturally, clothes are referred to, and the dress worn, she says, are the same as those favored m New Zealand, while she had not found it necessary tb use a sunshade. The buildings along' the water front are very fine, dnd the town hall, law courts, and post office, m the centre of the town, are all very handsome edifices. All the European hotels are good, generally three or four storeys high, and m close proximity to each other. " Each flat is from 14 to 16 feet m height, and the bedrooms all open out on to balconies; m fact, there are no passages, but balconies and verandahs instead. These, as a rule, are lined -with net flants, which help to give them a cool, resh appearance. At night the hotels are lit from basement to top with electric light, which gives a very gay effect. The ground floor and staircases are of marble, aud the Writer adds: "We dwelt m marble halls for a day'or two, and it wasn't a dream." Most of the shops are Chinese, and very "chinky-looking';' Tho shopper has to battle and -bargain lor everything, and if the childlike and bland shopkeeper asks 20 dollars for en article its value can safely be put down at about five dollars, and it can eventually be secured for that figure. The process is, however, a rather tedious one, and Mrs Johnston complains that it takes a: week to do a day's shopping:-: There are English shops where there is cn'.y one price; but these are dearer than m New Zealand, but have splendid stocks. The streets have no footpaths: foot-pas-sengers wander np and down the roads m the midst of. all the other traffic— and there is a fair amount of it m Singapore, and m Kaula Lampur (Federated Malay State). Mrs Johnston was greatly amused by the rickshaws, which are taken as a matter of course by- the older inhabitants, but reminded her of the gocarts of babyhood. One day Mr and Mrs Johnston took train to the other end ofSingapore (some 20 miles) and then a ferry across to Jahore, to visit the Sultan's palace, and; had a look round his f rounds arid ferneries, which are like airyland; and 'also visited the Mosque, duly taking off their shoes before going inside. This is a very handsome building, and some of the natives were worshipping at the time. Afterwards, afternoon tea at the Jahore hotel. This invariably consists of bread, butter, aid jam — never 'any cakes m that part of the world. ?'I don't believe there is ac nrfectioner's shop m. this part of the world," says Mrs. Johnston. Singapore was left the next day, and Luala Lam Sur reached .qri>t_* ! cfay following. * Mrf ohnston is warm in' her adrriiration of the town, pretty trees and pairing growing m the streets, and the town appearing much cleaner and fresher than Singapore. They proceeded to Kuala Kubu, where Mr Johnston "is stationed, >nd were, when the letter left, waiting for furniture m: order to take up their residence at their bungalow.