At Singapore. 291 



the best of testimonials of character, and my own observation 

 does not kick against it in any manner or form, I shall with- 

 hold my opinion as to how far the hullabaloo against the 

 Mongolian invasion is justified or not. Of course, I always 

 expect to have to look after my pockets when I am in John 

 Chinaman's company ; I may regard theft as a sin, but he 

 does not. It is simply a matter of education, and John in 

 time must learn better, as he is learning, and will go on to 

 learn. 



The great houses of the European merchants Scotchmen 

 predominating in the ratio of five to seven are confined to 

 the central and best portion of Singapore, near which is 

 " The Plain," a fine promenade, with cathedral and public 

 buildings around, and a wide and well-shaded lower road 

 parallel with and close to the beach. Here, in cool even- 

 tide, the fair European ladies take their drives in gharry, 

 waggonette, or buggy, reclining languidly after their manner 

 when once they deign to take wings to the East. Here the 

 white robes and scarlet sashes of the Government House 

 peons, and the pronounced colours of other great folk's 

 liveries, flash amongst the green trees ; here the young 

 gentlemen of the place in spotless white trousers, gossamer 

 morning coat, and solar topee, saunter and smoke their 

 Manillas. 



The wonderful markets, provision shops, and thickest 

 centres of native population, are not far off, an inner harbour 

 and canals full of broad-sterned sampans and sharp-prowed 

 Malay proas penetrating into their very midst. You can 

 buy almost anything you require at Singapore : costly goods 

 at the European repositories, and odds and ends, chiefly 

 Brummagem, at the petty Chinese stalls and shops. Native 

 hawkers, their heads covered with large circular discs of 

 straw-work, pointed on the outer centre like an ancient 



