Present Trade of Singapore. 141 



history of the world's trade. From a desolate haunt of 

 piratical foes, the island has been converted into a flourishing 

 emporium; about 1000 foreign vessels, and fully 3000 Malay 

 prahus and Chinese junks, flit backwards and forwards annu- 

 ally witli all sorts of merchandise and produce, while the 

 value of the goods annually exchanged here amounts to about 

 £11,000,000. Such is the change that has come over the 

 old unhealthy, ill-omened Malay pirate abode : thanks to a 

 clearly defined Free Trade policy ! If a doubt should still ob- 

 trude itself as to these brilliant results of the utmost freedom and 

 absence of restriction upon trade, it must give way before the 

 spectacle presented to the view of the astonished beholder in 

 the harbour of Singapore, the Alexandria of the 19th century! 

 Unfortunately, however, our stay in this harboui', so in- 

 teresting in a scientific as well as in a commercial point of 

 view, was sensibly curtailed by the prevalence of such ex- 

 ceedingly unfavourable conditions of the public health. 

 Hardly had we cast anchor ere an officer of the English 

 frigate Amethyst came on board to salute, and to inform us 

 that for several weeks past the cholera had been ravaging 

 the city, especially what is known as the Chinese quarter. 

 In another war-ship then in the harbour, the screw corvette 

 Niger^ several of the crew had already succumbed to the 

 pestilence; and even in our own immediate neighbourhood 

 was anchored a sliip with flag half-mast high, a melancholy 

 siornal that the ano^el of death was once more seekino^ victims. 

 Our original plan of passing several weeks at Singapore had 



