THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO 339 



there are several here, each devoted to a particular portion of 

 the population — Portuguese, Chinese, and wild Malays of the 

 jungle. The gentleman we were with is building a large 

 church, of which he is architect himself, and superintends the 

 laying of every brick and the cutting of every piece of tim- 

 ber. Money enough could not be raised here, so he took a 

 voyage round the world, and in the United States, California, 

 and India got enough subscribed to finish it. It is a curious 

 and not very creditable thing, that in the English possessions 

 of Singapore and Malacca, there is not a single Protestant 

 missionary; while the conversion, education, and physical and 

 moral improvement of the non-European inhabitants is left 

 entirely to these French missionaries, who, without the slight- 

 est assistance from our Government, devote their lives to Chris- 

 tianizing and civilizing the varied population under our rule. 



" Here the birds are abundant and most beautiful, more 

 so than on the lower Amazon, and I think I shall soon form 

 a fine collection. They are, however, almost all common 

 species, and are of little value, except that I hope they will 

 be better specimens than usually reach England. My guns 

 are both very good, but I find powder and shot actually 

 cheaper in Singapore than in London, so I need not have 

 troubled myself to bring any. So far both I and Charles have 

 had excellent health. He can now shoot pretty well, and 

 is so fond of it that I can hardly get him to do anything 

 else. 



" The Chinese here are most industrious. They clear and 

 cultivate the ground with a neatness which I have never seen 

 equalled in the tropics, and they save every particle of 

 manure, both from animals and men, to enrich the ground. 



" The country around Malacca is much more beautiful 

 than near Singapore, it being an old settlement with abun- 

 dance of old fruit and forest trees scattered about. Monkeys 

 of many sorts are abundant ; in fact, all animal life seems more 

 abundant than in Brazil. Among the fruits I miss the de- 

 licious oranges of Para and the Amazon. Here they are 

 scarce and not good, and there is nothing that can replace 

 them." 



