378 SINGAPORE. 



showed great want of knowledge respecting the resources and geo- 

 graphical position of the various islands. 



This false step has been prejudicial to the interests of Great Britain, 

 and has entailed upon the fine islands of Borneo, Celebes, Banca, &c, 

 the benighted policy that has so long been pursued by Holland. Banca, 

 from which England has thus excluded herself, by all accounts is said 

 to possess the best tin mines in the world. In this treaty of March, 

 1824, signed at London, it was mutually agreed that piracy should be 

 extirpated from the Eastern seas; but the practice has probably ex- 

 isted to full as great if not greater extent in the few years that have 

 since elapsed, as at any previous epoch. 



It cannot but appear evident that the political relations with Hol- 

 land, which have existed, and still continue to exist, in these islands, 

 have had little effect in improving the state of civilization ; for although 

 that nation has been in possession of power for nearly two hundred 

 years, yet the natives of the several islands are not found to be more 

 advanced in the arts or sciences, nor their comforts or conveniences 

 of life in any degree improved by its influence, although thousands of 

 Europeans have grown rich upon their labours. This is no doubt one 

 of the usual effects of a monopoly; and these islands, which are blessed 

 with all the abundance of God's providence, have by the grasping hand 

 of avarice been impoverished, and made the seat of bloodshed and 

 want. Slavery is as prevalent, and as openly countenanced, as on 

 their being first taken possession of. It would be difficult for any one 

 to point out what good the policy of Europe in the East has brought 

 upon the islanders, in return for the riches that have been derived from 

 them. 



It might be expected that English law and English justice would 

 exist at a place where the authority of Great Britain avowedly exists, 

 and over which its flag waves ; but this is not the case in Singapore. 

 No rights of property in the soil are acknowledged ; no security and 

 no redress are to be had against the will of the public officer. He 

 may tear down a resident's house, and there is no preventive for the 

 wrong. Instances have occurred where the very soil has been dug off 

 a garden by his order, and against the wishes and consent of the 

 owner, because it so pleased the dignitary to will that it should be level 

 with the street, which had been graded a foot or two below the level. 

 On expostulation and inquiry, no redress would be given, or damages 

 allowed. Fortunately, neither the land nor building is of great value, 

 for a hundred dollars in Singapore would go as far in the construction 

 of a building as a thousand with us. 



Of the society we saw but little ; what we did see appeared to be 



