CRAP. X ] 



WELIrCULTirjTED BISTIilCTS. 



151 



Utida the thick sliade of some raango-trees close by the 

 house, several women-merchants were selling cotton qoods; 

 for here the women trade and work for the benefit of then- 

 husbands, a custom which Mahometan ^falays never a<lo]»t. 

 Fruit, tea, cakes, and sweetmeats were brought us ; many 

 questions were asked about our business and tl.e state of 

 trade in Singapore, and we then took a walk to look at the 

 village. It was a very dull and drear)^ place ; a collection 

 of narrow lanes bounded by high miul walls, enclosinfj; 

 Immboo houses, into some of which we entered and wer<» 

 very kindly received. 



During the two days that we remained here, I walked 

 out into the surrounding country to catch insects, shoot 

 birds, and spy out the nakedness or fertility of the land, 

 I was both astonished and delighted ; for as my visit to 

 tlava was some years later, I ]n\d never Ijeheld so beautiful 

 and well cultivated a district out of Europe. A slightly 

 undulating plain extends from the sea-coast about ten 

 or twelve miles inland, where it is bounded by a line 

 range of wooded and cultivated hills. Houses and villages, 

 marked out by dense clumps of cocoa-nut palms, tamarind 

 and other fruit trees, are dotted about in every direction ; 

 whiJe between tliem extend luxuriant riee-grouiids, watered 

 by an elaborate system of irrigation that would be the 

 pride of the best cultivated parts of Europe, The whole 

 surface of the eountry is divided into irregular patches, 

 following the undulations of tlie ground, from many acres 

 to a few perches in extent, each of which is itself perfectly 

 level, but stimds a few inches or several feet above or below 

 those adjacent to it. Every one of these patches can be 

 Hooded or drained at will, by means of a system of ditches 

 and small ciiannels, into which are diverted the whole ot 

 the atreams that descend from tlie mountains. Every patch 

 now bore crops in various stages of growth, some almost 

 ready for cutting, and all in the most tlourishing condition 

 and of the most exquisite green tints. 



Tlie sides of the lanes and bridle roads were often edged 

 with prickly Cacti and a leafless Euphorbia, but the 

 country being so highly cultivated there was not much 

 ruom for indigenous vegetation, except upon the sea-bcacli. 

 We saw plenty of the fiae race of domestic cattle descended 



