382 
SINGAPORE. 
I have mentioned that on our arrival, the whole of this motley popu¬ 
lation seemed engaged in a festival. With the Chinese it was that 
of the New Year, and with the Hindoo Mussulman the feast called 
“ Marama,” or the search for and finding of the grandchildren of 
Mohamed. The Chinese, on such occasions, give themselves up 
entirely to gambling; and the first day and night I was on shore, 
this part of the town might be considered as a vast gambling-shop. 
During this holiday they are allowed to gamble as much as they 
please, but what restriction is put upon the open indulgence of gaming 
at other times, I did not learn, but from appearances I should suppose 
it was not very severe. 
The extent to which gaming was carried by the Chinese, could not 
fail to astonish any one who had not been brought up to it. It was 
extraordinary to see all engaged in such an exciting vice; and to 
watch the different individuals was amusing. Gaming was going on 
in every shop, and frequently in each particular corner, under the 
colonnades, in the bazaars, and at the corner of almost every street a 
variety of games were playing. Of several of these I had no know¬ 
ledge ; some were performed with cards, and others with dice. The 
stake seemed generally to be in small copper coin, called pice, about 
five hundred to the dollar, each of which is valued at three cowries; 
but although this was the usual betting coin, the stake was sometimes 
silver, and at times to a considerable amount. Those who have not 
seen the Chinese play, have never witnessed the spirit of gambling at 
its height; their whole soul is staked with their money, however small 
it may be in amount, and they appeared to me to go as earnestly to 
work as if it had been for the safety of their lives and fortunes. 
Almost every one has formed to himself an idea of a Chinese; but 
to be well known, he requires to be seen on his own soil, or where he 
is in intercourse with his countrymen. The different individuals of 
this race seemed to us to have a strong resemblance to each other, 
and although this may in part be owing to similarity of dress, it is also 
due to their bodily conformation. The flat chest, in particular, is 
peculiar, at least to the labouring class. All of them seem active and 
attentive to their business, of whatever kind it may be, and as far as 
outward expression and action go, as harmless as lambs. It is some¬ 
what remarkable, that the very sign which was put upon them by their 
Tartar conquerors to mark them as a subdued race, should now have 
become their national boast; for nothing seems to claim a Chinaman’s 
attention so much as his long queue, and the longer and blacker it is 
the more it appears to claim his admiration. We frequently saw it 
touching the very heels, and tied at the end neatly with a bit of riband. 
/ 
