408 SINGAPORE. 



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 facili- 

 ties for communicating with the ports of the Chinese Empire, by the 

 control it gives the commercial world in counteracting the monsoons, 

 which have hitherto regulated the routes of commerce. All that is 

 needed is capital to set it in motion. 



As vessels of war, the steamers have been particularly useful in the 

 British operations against China. The shallow and unknown coast 

 of that country, and its almost impenetrable rivers, could have been 

 rendered accessible by no other means. 



Singapore, as a port of supplies, offers many inducements, although 

 there are the same objections to it that apply more or less to all the 

 ports of the East. One of these is caused by the ravages of the 

 white ants. A portion of our flour was rendered entirely unser- 

 viceable, for these insects had literally perforated the barrels in all 

 directions ; and in rolling them over, the staves appeared like fine 

 sieves, through which the flour passed in every direction. This, 

 however, was only the case with that which had been stored in a dry 

 upper loft. The larger portion of this article, which had fortunately 

 been left on the ground-floor or basement of the storehouses, had 

 escaped this injury. The latter place was both cooler and damper 

 than the former, and these were the only apparent reasons why the 

 barrels had escaped uninjured. 



The climate of Singapore, notwithstanding its geographical and 

 local position, is considered as very salubrious: it is admitted by all 



