394 SINGAPORE. 



ingly handsome race, dress after the English fashion, and generally 

 speak English or the Portuguese fluently. Some of them, that I had 

 occasion to visit, were extremely courteous, but spoke of the inhabi- 

 tants of Singapore generally as of a low class. 



The Armenian church is one of the finest buildings in the place: 

 service is held in their church every morning at six o'clock. 



Just before our arrival, one of the Armenians was detected in an 

 extensive forgery, by the water-mark of the paper. It had not been 

 decided what punishment was to be inflicted upon him, and it was 

 an act of which the government was not prepared to take cognizance. 

 From what I heard, I was inclined to oelieve that the influence of his 

 friends was so great, that by their intercession the punishment that is 

 so ready at all times to be inflicted on the poor, would not be inflicted ; 

 yet even-handed justice to all is here made a great boast of. 



Parsees are not numerous at Singapore, but they rank among the 

 most wealthy of its inhabitants. They are dressed partly after the 

 Eastern and partly after the European fashion. They excited our 

 attention as being worshippers of fire, which they venerate as emble- 

 matical of the Deity. They are of various shades of colour, and 

 generally more robust and portly than the other races. Many of them 

 speak the English language. 



Some persons, who were said to be Arabs from the east coast of 

 Africa, were also pointed out to me, who were quite different from all the 

 other races. They had what would be termed woolly hair, with large 

 whiskers, and one of them was remarkable for his large blubber lips. 

 Their complexion did not strike any of us as being much darker than 

 that of the Hindoos or Malays. Their face was long, and the nose by no 

 means prominent: one of these had a strange appearance about his 

 head, and it was some time before it was discovered that it was owing 

 to his beard and whiskers, which were long, being in gray and black 

 stripes. Although it was undoubtedly done by some artificial process, 

 yet it seemed quite natural. 



Individuals of the Caffre tribe, from the east coast of Africa, were 

 also met with ; and it is said that there are many of them in Hindoo- 

 stan, whither they have been carried by the English from Mozam- 

 bique ; but they are rarely met with so far east as Singapore. They 

 resembled those seen by us at Rio, though we had no opportunity of 

 identifying them by their tattooing. 



The Chinese burial-place is about a mile from the town, situated on 

 the side of a hill, at the apex of which is the josh-house, which, as 

 usual, is filled with hideous idols. This building has a light and 

 pretty effect, principally arising from its situation. 



