SINGAPORE HOTEL. 277 



He had been found in a wild state in the deep forest of 

 Johore, where he had existed upon fruit and roots, and 

 pi'esumably had never seen a human soul. I have no 

 doubt that in Barnum's possession this man would have 

 turned out a mine of gold, although not a pleasant 

 subject to look upon, rather like some of those hideous 

 Santos one meets with in the Nubian desert. 



All the plantations were SM^arming with birds of 

 various colours, especially the pretty Singapore spar- 

 row, and in a village 1 espied some fine Manilla ducks, 

 with enormous red combs, also numbers of Cochin- 

 ( 'hina fowls. On my return to the palace after a most 

 delightful drive, the steward of the Maharajah presented 

 me, in the latter's name, with a roll of silk, of tartan 

 pattern, which had been woven by the ladies of his 

 harem from cocoons produced on his estate. After a 

 polite speech in return I took my departure, and 

 reached the hotel at Singapore as the gong was 

 announcing dinner. Here, on taking my seat, I was 

 much pleased to find the amiable captain of the 

 " Emu," which had six weeks before brought me fronj 

 Galle, occupying a chair next to me. We now 

 exchanged our experiences since we had parted. 

 I listened to some of his amusing accounts of the 

 eccentricities of various passengers, and made him laugh 

 in return by telling him of the quaint incidents of the 



