34 A Visit to Singapore. 



occupant, and possibly a sort of epitaph, or maybe a wise saying 

 of Confucius or Budda, is cut in a single perpendicular line 

 down this stone, which is usually of granite, the other parts 

 of the wall being brick. I used to have the idea that good 

 Chinese considered it imperative to be buried in their native 

 land, but that is certainly not the case in Singapore, where the 

 Chinese burying places have become a grave question for the 

 authorities, and one over which they are racking their brains 

 to get a workable solution. 



Many of the streets, squares, and buildings in Singapore 

 are called Raffles, and not without reason, for the town of 

 Singapore owes its very existence to the ability and wisdom 

 of its first governor, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who was 

 made Governor of Java when it was taken from the Dutch 

 in 1 8 1 1, but had to leave when it was restored to them 

 at the end of the French war. Before leaving the East, 

 he, seeing the desirability of the English nation having 

 a port convenient to the Straits of Malacca for the protection 

 of their rapidly-growing shipping trade, made arrangements 

 with the Sultan of Jahors to take over the island of Singapore. 

 The result has fulfilled all the expectations of this able and 

 far-seeing politician, who began life as a clerk without influence 

 in the East India Company's service. Singapore is a free 

 port, and the whole government, municipal or otherwise, is 

 carried on by the money raised by licensing the sale of opium 

 and spirits. If any British subject, dissatisfied with his rates 

 or taxes, would only betake himself to the flourishing town of 

 Singapore, he would find himself in a place where, if he only 

 kept himself from spirits and opium, he would know nothing 

 whatever of the taxgatherer, while he would have free libraries, 

 museums and gardens. If the authorities in Singapore were 

 also allowed to licence gambling, I understand they could 

 double the revenue ; but that would not be permitted by the 

 British Government. 



Having given a graphic description of the country gene- 

 rally, and of how he spent his time in Singapore, along with 



