20 



SINGAPORE. 



[chap. 11 



I believe, therefore, that all the peoples of the \'iarious 

 islands can he ^'ouped cither with - the Malays or the 

 Papuans; and that these two have no traceable affinity 

 to each other. I believe, further, that all the races east of 

 the line I have dra^m have more affinity for each other 

 than they liave for any of the races west of that line ; — 

 that, in fact, the Asiatic races include the Malays, and ail 

 have a continental origin, while the Pacific races, including 

 all to the east of the former (except perhaps some in the 

 Northern Pacific), are derived, not from any existing con- 

 tinent, hut ft'om lands which now exist or have recently 

 existed in the Pacific Ocean. These prelimiQary obser- 

 vations "will enable the reader better to apprehend the 

 importance I attach to the details of physical form or 

 moral chamcter, which I shall give in describing the 

 inhabitants of many of the islands* 



(A BEBTTOH OF THE TOWN AKD ISLAND AS SEEN DITRIKG 8ETEIIAL TISFTS 



Europe than the town and island of Singapore, lur- 

 nishing, as it does, examples of a variety of Eastern races, 

 and of many (Merent religions and modes of lifa The 

 government, the garrison, and the cliief merchants are 

 English ; but the great mass of the population is Chinese, 

 including some of the wealtliiest merchants, the agricul- 

 tniists of the interior, and most of the mechanics and 

 labourers. The native Malays are usually fishermen and 

 boatmen, and they form the main body of the police. The 

 Portuguese of Malacca supply a large number of the clei-ks 

 and smaller merchants. The Khngs of Western India ore 

 a numerous body of Mahometans, and, with many Arabs, 

 are petty merchants and shopkeepers. The grooms and 

 washermen are all Bengalees, and there is a small but 



CHAPTER IL 



