SINGAPORE 



SINGAPORE. 



5S3 



jiriioa). Only the summits of the higher grounds are barren, but on 

 their slopes and in the depressions between them the soil frequently 

 has a considerable degree of fertility. Tropical fruits succeed very 

 well, such as the mangusteen, pine-apple, cocoa-nut, orange, and 

 mango. The tropical vegetables, as the egg-plant, different kinds of 

 pulse, the yam, the batata, different varieties of cucumber, and some 

 others, grow very well, but the climate is too hot for most European 

 vegetables. Large quantities of rice are imported from Sumatra and 

 Java, and fruits from Malacca. 



The animals of Europe have been introduced, but most of them are 

 few in number, as pasture-grounds are scarce. The Chinese however 

 keep a great number of hogs. Of the large quadrupeds of the conti- 

 nent tigers only are met with on the island. The loss of human life 

 caused by the attacks of tigers is considerable. There are several 

 kinds of monkeys, bt, and squirrels; also the ietides, the porcupine, 

 the sloth, the pangolin, the wild hog, and two species of der the 

 JfoKkiu pyfftncc**, which is smaller than an English hare, and the 

 Indian roe (Ccrcut Munjac). Birds are numerous, especially different 

 kinds of pasaere-i, climbers, and waders. Tortoises are common. The 

 coral-reefs and shoals in the vicinity of Singapore furnish that delicate 

 fern-like sea-weed called ' aggar-aggar ' (Fucui tacckariniu) in abun- 

 dance, and it forms an article of considerable export to China, where 

 it is used in making thin glues and varnishes. It is made into a very 

 fine jelly by Europeans and the native Portuguese. 



In 1819, when the British took posseauon of the islands, the popu- 

 lation amounted to about 150 individuals, mostly fishermen and 

 pirate*, who lived in a few miserable huU : about 30 of these were 

 Chinese, the remainder Malays. In l-4, when the first census was 

 taken, the population was 10,633 ; in 1852 it was estimated at 59,043, 

 including Europeans, Indu Britons, Native Portuguese, Christians, 

 Armenians, Arabs, Chuliahi, and Klings from the coa*t of Coroman- 

 del; natives of Hindustan, Bugis, and Baline**; Malays, Chinese, 

 Javanese, Kaffir*, Siamese, Jews, Pane**, and Bayaoeae. The 

 Europeans are few. The Chinese are more than 80.000 in number, 

 and the Malaya about 12,000. The military force, which oonsista of a 

 detachment of the Madras native rrgimeut, with a small company of 

 artillery, numbers about 600. The Europeans and Chinese constitute 

 the wealthier classes. The Europeans are for the most part merchant*, 

 shopkeeper*, and agent* for mercantile house* in Europe. Moat of the 

 artisans, labourers, agriculturist*, and shopkeepers are Chinese. Toe 

 Malaya are chiefly occupied in fishing, collecting seaweed, and cutting 

 timber, and many of them are employed as boatmen and sailor*. The 

 Bugis are almost invariably engaged in commerce, and the native* of 

 India a* petty shopkeepers, boatmen, and servants. The Chuliahs 

 and Kling* are daily labourer*, artisan*, and petty trader*. The 

 Kaffirs are the descendants of slave*, who have been brought by the 

 Arabs from the Arabian and Abyssinian coast*. The meet useful are 

 the Chineee settler*. 



The town of tiagaport stands on the southern shores of the island, 

 in I' 17' 22" N. lat., 10" 61' 46' E. lone, on a level and low plain of 

 inconsiderable width, fronting the harbour. It extend* about two 

 mile* along the shore, but only 1000 yard* inland, where it is inclosed 

 by bill* from 100 to 150 feet high. The eomsMrcial portion of the 

 town oocupie* the weetirn extremity, and is separated from the other 

 parts by a lalt-creek. called the Singapore River, which is navigable 

 for small craft, A good wooden bridge connect, it with the eastern 

 part, which contains the dwelling* of the Europeans, the public 

 onto**, and the military i siilim*eii> Contiguous to this portion of 

 th* town i* the government-bouse, which i* built on a hill The most 

 eaeUru part is occupied by the sultan of Jahore. the Malay*, and 

 Bugis. The whole of the wanton***, and all the dwelling-houses in 

 th* principal streets in their vicinity, an built of brick and lime, and 

 moled with red tile*. The more distant dwelling-hoo*** are built of 

 wood, but roofed with tiles. Th* town contains a Missionary and an 

 Armenian church, a court-boo**, jail. La*om home, bath*, concert- 

 room*, several native school*, nod the Singapore Institution founded 

 by Sir Stamford Raffle*, for the cultivation of the language, of < bin*. 

 Siam, and the Malay Archipelago. The institution comprises English, 

 Malay, and Tamul schools, with upwards of 70 pupil.. Ships lie in 

 the road* of Singapore at the distanee of from one to two mile* from 

 the town, according to their draught. With the aesistanee of lighter/-, 

 cargoes are discharged and taken in with scarcely any interruption 

 throughout the year. Th* lighten convey the good* to the river of 

 Singapore, when they discharge them at a convenient quay, and at the 

 door of the principal warehouse*. 



If the commerce of Singapore were limited to the produce of the 

 place, it would give employment to very few vessels. Catechu or 

 gambier, pepper, coffee, snitmeg*, and a fcw of the fiuer fruits, are its 

 1 product* ; and thai*, together with the pearl sago and iron 



[.i. i... pal 



DpleioeaU, birds'-nesU, trepang, tortoise-shell, and a large quantity 

 of agger agnr, form the only native export*. But Singapore has risen 

 into great importance a* the emporium of Southern Alia and the 

 Indian Archipelago. All the nation* that inhabit the countries bor- 

 dering on the Indian Ocean resort to it with the produce of their 

 agljenlture and manufacturing industry, and take in exchange such 

 goods u are not grown or produced in their own countries. All of 

 them And there a ready market. There i* usually also an abundant 

 apply of European good*. This has partly arisen from the harbour 



of Singapore having been declared a free port, in which no export 

 or import duties, nor any anchorage, harbour, or lighthouse fees are 

 levied. 



The commerce of Singapore may be divided into the Eastern trade, 

 that of the Straits, and the Western trade. The Eastern trade, or 

 that which is earned on with the countries east and south-east of 

 Singapore, comprehends the commerce with China, the Spanish settle- 

 ment of Manila, the independent tribes of the Indian Archipelago, the 

 Dutch settlements on the island of Java and at Rhio, and the countries 

 of the peninsula beyond the Ganges which lie east of the Malay 

 Peninsula. The most important branches of this commerce are thoae 

 with China, Java, and .Siam. 



The commerce with China is entirely carried on in Chinese vessels. 

 They leave their respective ports during the north-east monsoon about 

 January, and return with the south-west monsoon, which blows from 

 April to October. From Canton the voyage is performed in from ten 

 to twenty days, and from Fokien in twelve or fifteen days. The junks 

 bring annually from 2000 to 2500 emigrants to Singapore. The prin- 

 cipal articles of import are camphor, crockery, raw eilk, tea, joss- 

 sticks, alum, hardware, and tobacco. The exports to China consist 

 chiefly of guns, betel-nut, birds'-neste, beche-de-mer, cotton-twist, 

 British cottons, iron, tin, opium, rice, black pepper, woollens, garro 

 and lakka wood, and sapan wood. 



The commerce between Singapore and Manila is carried on partly 

 by Spanish and partly by American and English vessels. The imports 

 from Manila into Singapore comprise hemp and rope, cigars, sugar, 

 tea, sapan-wood, and a number of minor articles. The exports consist 

 chiefly of opium, iron, and British cotton goods. 



The trade with Celebes is almost exclusively in the hands of the 

 Bugis of Waju, a country on the western side of that island, the 

 inhabitants of which have colonised many islands of the Indian 

 Archipelago, and carry on what may be called the foreign trade of the 

 countries in which they have settled. They disperse the good? 

 obtained at Singapore over most of the islands emit of Celebes as far 

 as the coast of New Quiuea, and also over that chain of islands called 

 the Lesser Sunda Islands. Their country vessels, called ' prahus,' 

 arrive at Singapore during the prevalence of the eastern monsoon. 



The commerce between Singapore and Borneo is almost exclusively 

 carried on by native vessels, many of which are of great size ; some 

 of them are managed by Bugis. This trade is protected from pirates 

 by the establishment of a British station at the port of Labuau. 



An active commerce i* carried on between Singapore and the rival 

 settlement of the Dutch at Khio, about sixty miles east-south-east. 

 The direct commerce between Singapore and Java is limited to the 

 three ports of Batavia, Samarang, and Surabaya ; but European and 

 India goods may be shipped from these places to any other Dutch 

 settlement on the island of Java, or on the other islands of the archi- 

 pelago, the Moluccas exccpted. The commerce between Singapore and 

 Siam i* mostly carried on by the Chinese who are settled in that 

 country, and in junks built at Bang-kok and other places. The com- 

 merce with Cochin China is carried on by the Chinese settled at 

 Kangkao and Saigun in Camboja, and at Quinhon, Faifo, and Hud in 

 Cochin China. 



The commerce of the Straits is carried on with the Malay peninsula, 

 the island of Sumatra, and other neighbouring islands. The harbours 

 on the eastern side of the peninsula which trade with Singapore are 

 Pahang, Tringanu, and Calantan, and this trade is rather active. On 

 the western side the principal trade is with Penang, or Prince of Wales 

 Island, and iil The commerce between Singapore and the island 

 of Sumatra i* almost entirely limited to the ports along the eastern 

 coast of the island ; there is hardly any commercial intercourse with 

 tue Dutch settlements of Bencoolen, Padang, and Trappanuli, which 

 are on the western coast. The commerce of the eastern coast is 

 divided between Singapore and Penang. The harbours which have 

 intercourse with Singapore are Campar, Siack, Indragiri, lambie, 

 Ahsn, and Batu Bara. 



Th* weetern trade of Singapore comprehends that with Calcutta, 

 Madras, Bombay, the island of Ceylon, and Arabia ; with the Cape of 

 Oood Hope, Mauritius, and Australia; and with Europe and America. 

 The commerce carried on with Calcutta is the most valuable. The 

 commerce with Madras has been on the decline for several years, 

 British manufactures having superseded the Madras piece-goods which 

 formed the principal article of trade with that place. The commerce 

 with Bombay i* more important. The trade with Arabia is carried on 

 by veatel* which sail annually with Mohammedan pilgrims, who 

 assemble at Singapore from Java and the neighbouring Malayan states. 

 Th* trade with the United States is inconsiderable. The trade with 

 Continental Europe is principally carried on by vessels under the 

 French, Belgian, Hamburg, Bremen, and Danish flags. 



The commerce of Singapore with Oreat Britain in of considerable 

 amount. In 1863 the declared value of the goods exported from Oreat 

 Britain to Singapore was 595,5661. The principal articles imported 

 into Oreat Britain from Singapore are caoutchouc, gum, gutta-percha, 

 hides, mace, nutmegs, pepper, mother-of-pearl, oils, raw silk, sago, tin, 

 and tortoise-shell. 



The affair* of the settlement are administered by a governor, assisted 

 by a council of several salaried members. A Recorder s Court has been 

 established in Singapore. The revenue is raised from government 



