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. 



