298 



of cloth thrown carelessly over the shoulders, and 

 generally coTering the front of their persons. 

 The countenances both of the men and of the 

 women were, for tht most part, intelligent and 

 interesting; and indicated a de,^ee of under- 

 sainding superior to the Malays in general ; &c/' 

 I now come to a description of the modern town 

 of Singora, for the materials of which I confess 

 mysell" indebted to the published journal of liie 

 Rev. gentlemen, whom I have qnoted hitherto 

 as my authority for the more recent aecnont of 

 these settlements on the east coast of the Penin- 

 sula, 



The to%VD of Sinj^ora is therein described as be- 

 ing' composed of three camjmn*^:^, inhabited se- 

 verally by Chinese, Sianie.«e, and Malays. The 

 first is situated on the left • hand side of the river 

 the second on the right, and the last further up 

 the bay, and not visible till boats have pasf>ed the 

 Siamese town/* This passage clearly mdieates 

 that the Clunese division is nearest to the month 

 of the river, and it is said to contam aboot a thou- 

 sand inhabitants and to constitute the focus of 

 trade. The houses of this class are here sub- 

 stantial brick dwellings, each having, although 

 forming a continuous street, its own party walls. 

 The doors and windows are covered with brick 

 and mortar in order to check the spread of fire, 

 whiLstsoch, as cannot afford the exf»enceofan 

 entire brick dweiiiog, generally construct, within 

 their nUiip houses, a strongroom of about JO feet 

 square of the above materials^ which they consid 



* It i« probBble tivat fJie loot note of - ' o eiiually anivJk-a- 



blt> lit-re, but, haviug no ^^t-nwual kayuj . uart, of Sbgori; thkf 



h, Qi couru, mere coDjrcture. ' 



