ch. ii.] An Eastern Port. 19 



insight into the enterprise and trade of Singapore. You 

 hear a good deal about the price of sago or gutta and 

 rice, or about the chartering of steamers or sailing craft, 

 or the freight on home or export goods. You are sure to 

 meet two or three captains of trading steamers. Captain 

 Linguard, perhaps, after one of his trips to the Coti river 

 away on the south-east of Borneo, and then you will hear 

 something of the rubber-market, or of the pirates, of 

 whom, perhaps, few men know more than this energetic 

 " Rajah Laut," or " Sea King," as he is called by the 

 natives. 



Another maritime celebrity is Captain Ross, a genial 

 sailor, who owns the mail steamer " Cleator," which 

 runs between Singapore, Labuan, and Brunei, on the 

 north-west Bornean coast. Captain Ross is well ac- 

 quainted with the principal places in the whole Malayan 

 Archipelago ; and few residents have an equal colloquial 

 knowledge of their languages. He has been attacked 

 by pirates more than once in the old days, and is quite 

 a nautical authority in ever}'' waj\ That tall, dark young 

 fellow yonder, with the heavy moustache, is Captain 

 Cowie, who ran the gauntlet of the Spanish gun-boats so 

 successfully during the Sulu war, carrying rice, powder, 

 and arms for the Sultan's people ; and here one also 

 meets " old sea dogs " of nearly every nationality, but 

 more especially English and Dutch. 



One must of course look in at Emmerson's for tiffin, 

 and a glance at the home papers and telegrams. Tiffin 

 is much like breakfast, only nearly all the dishes are 

 cold. The curries here are excellent ; and a well-made 

 salud of fresh green vegetables is a treat, when the 

 temperature is 92 in the shade. The Raffles Institution 

 is well worthy of a visit an interesting museum of native 

 curiosities and natural history specimens having recently 



