AND THE MALAY STATES 
6 7 
It grew rough in the night and the pagan who pretended to look 
after my comfort slipped in and closed the port, which drove me on 
deck very early in the morning, to find the day lovvery and dark, with a 
high wind blowing. Toward night, however, the clouds had scattered, 
all except a great black mass that lay over Sumatra way. As the sun 
dropped behind this mountain of cloud, and sent its rays through it, 
lighting the interior, we looked into huge golden caverns, their crimson 
ceilings upheld by twisted columns and arches of fantastic design, while 
the light shining above the cloud mass decked the sky to its furthest 
horizon with wonderful combinations of gold and purple that held one 
breathless with awe and delight. 
After passing Malacca, which showed simply a white line close 
Xo the Water’s edge, so far away was it, and many islets covered with 
MALAY VILLAGE “PULO BRAM” SINGAPORE. 
[The huts all on supports, over water.] 
palms, we sighted Singapore about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. As the 
tide was not right, we couldn’t take the nearest channel, but were 
obliged to go outside of the strongly fortified islands that form natural 
breastworks for the fine harbor, and bv putting on all steam, we were 
able to get up to the P. and O. docks just as night fell. Those of us 
who were going to stop in Singapore went ashore at once, leaving 
our baggage to follow, and, in a square, box-like gharri drawn by a 
little Burmese stallion, we drove by the Malav fishing village, around 
through the Kampong Glam to Raffles Hotel, said to be the hotel de 
luxe of the East. There we had dinner and later took rickshaws and 
rode through the Chinese. Malay, and Japanese quarters, watching with 
eager eyes the strange street scenes, listening to and trving to remember 
