432 SINGAPORE. 



ficed suffered to be used for common purposes, such as handles of 

 knives, &c. 



Among the animals that are found in the Malayan peninsula, are 

 the elephant, rhinoceros, a variety of tigers, leopards, bears, monkeys, 

 alligators, guanas, and sometimes the tapir : there are one or two 

 species of deer, which are exceedingly small in size, and of delicate 

 proportions. Of birds there are a vast variety, including the argus- 

 pheasant, horn-bill, peacock, large vampire-bat, humming-bird, and 

 snipe. Snakes abound, many of which are venomous. 



The neighbouring seas afford a great variety of shells and corals ; 

 among the latter I may mention the cup of Neptune (Alcyonium), 

 which grows to a very large size, and is not found elsewhere. Our 

 collections, by the industry of the naturalists and officers, were much 

 increased here. 



The small island of Singapore is destined in all probability to 

 govern at some future period the whole of this country, and will, in 

 coarse of time, be one of the points from which they are destined to 

 receive the arts and civilization of Europe. It strikes me, therefore, 

 as incumbent on those who rule over this rising colony, to see that the 

 general administration may have a tendency to promote civilization. 

 I regret to say that I could perceive but little indication of any other 

 principle than that of gain. 



During my stay at Singapore, the subject of steam navigation was 

 much talked of, and many projects appeared to be forming by which 

 the settlement might reap the advantages of that communication, 

 when established between India and China. 



Some idea of the facilities that this method of transportation has 

 already furnished will appear from the fact that I received letters on 

 my arrival there, via England, only seventy -two days after their date 

 in the United States. This places the East in such close proximity 

 to Europe, that instead of looking for yearly or monthly accounts, as 

 was formerly the case, they are now on the watch for daily news. 



This has already, as may be supposed, altered the current of 

 trade, instead of specie, drafts being sent out by the ships with 

 orders for shipment of goods from China. The transactions pass 

 through banks, or are performed by purchase of government and 

 individual bills. Many believe that in a very few years the whole 

 commerce of these seas will be carried on by steam, which would afford 

 peculiar facilities for communicating with the ports of the Chinese 

 Empire, by the control it gives the commercial world in counteract- 



