90 M. SEEMANN’S JOURNAL. 
beasts is indeed great. In one of my excursions I came to a Gambir 
plantation, which, being situated rather far in the jungle, is very often 
subject to their visits. Only the night previous to my arrival, a large 
tiger had come close to a hut in which ten of the Chinese labourers 
were lodged, commencing there a most terrible howling. The people 
tried, by hissing, clapping their hands, and beating of metallic vessels, 
to frighten it away. But the animal, nevertheless, continued its howling, 
and already prepared for an attack on the slight cane-hut, when the 
ten, now almost driven to despair, gave such a yell that made the 
woods resound, and the tiger abandoned the prey. 
. Some contend that tigers show a predilection for coloured men, as, 
ever since the establishment of the colony, no European has been killed ; 
but I think we may ascribe it to the circumstance that white men do 
not expose themselves so much as the coloured races, nor enter the 
forest without being armed and in parties together. It is also stated, 
that the tigers recruit their declining numbers by swimming across the 
narrow strait which separates Singapore from the mainland of Asia. 
This, however, is disputed by others, who maintain that all the tigers 
are bred in the island; be this as it may, it is certain that they are very 
numerous, and that the Government, in order to lessen the accidents 
resulting from their depredations, has been compelled to offer a reward 
of fifty Spanish dollars for every tiger killed. The hunters are, there- 
fore, well paid for their trouble. Besides the prize, they obtain eight 
or ten dollars for the skin of the animal, and realize about an equal 
sum from the flesh, which is eagerly bought by the Chinese, who eat it 
with the hope that it will make them strong. 
Elephants are not now indigenous ; only a few domesticated ones are 
kept in the plantations for working; on the adjacent mainland, how- 
ever, both elephants and tapirs (Tapirus Indicus) abound. One of the 
latter—in comparison with which the American species, the Macho de 
monte, or Gran bestia, of the Panamians, is a mere dwarf—was, during 
our visit, offered for the sum of 150 Spanish dollars. It certainly 
would have been an excellent specimen for any zoological collection. 
The feathered tribe is numerous and brilliant ; and fish, I think, 
exist almost in as great a variety as in China. Of snakes, mosqui- 
toes, centipedes, scorpions, and similar tormentors of mankind, Singa- — 
pore has its due share. The scorpions are larger than I have ever - 
seen elsewhere. One I caught in the jungle was nearly seven inches 
