284 
THE CHINESE IN SINGAPORE. 
The different trades and professions of the Chinese in Singa¬ 
pore, are School-masters, Writers, Cashiers, Shop-keepers, Apothe¬ 
caries, Coffin-makers, Grocers, Gold-smiths, Silver-smiths, Tin¬ 
smiths, Blacksmiths, Dyers, Tailors, Barbers, Shoemakers, Basket- 
makers, Fishermen, Sawyers, Boat-builders, Cabinet-makers, Archi¬ 
tects, Masons, Manufacturers of lime and bricks, Sailors, Ferrymen, 
Sago manufacturers, Distillers of Spirits, Cultivators of plantations 
of Gambler, Sugar, Siri, Pepper, and Nutmegs, Play actors, Sellers 
of cakes and fruit, Carriers of burdens, Fortune tellers, idle vagabonds 
who have no work and of whom there are not a few, beggars, and, 
nightly, there are those villains the thieves. 
The above different trades and professions may be classed un¬ 
der four divisions. 
1st. Those whose profession it is to teach come under the de¬ 
signation of Su, the literate. 
2d. The cultivators of fields and gardens come under the de¬ 
nomination of Long or husbandmen. 
3d. Those engaged in handicraft business belong to the class 
called Kong, mechanics, or manufacturers. 
4th. Those who trade and open shops are designated Siang, 
merchants. 
In my opinion, the greatest number of married men are to be 
found among the Malacca born Chinese ; next to them among the 
Hok-kien shop keepers, then the Tio-Chin, then the Khe, and 
lastly among the Macao Chinese; but Shop keepers chiefly can af¬ 
ford to marry. As for common laborers and coolies and those who 
have no fixed employment very few among them get married. 
The Chinese who congregate here are a mixed mass from all 
parts ; the unmarried ones among them are very numerous, and the 
married ones very few. Though the number of the la ter is very 
small still I cannot with any certainty state it; upon a general calcu¬ 
lation I should suppose there were about 2000 mairied Chinese. 
The number of Chinese who return annually to China is probab¬ 
ly 3,000 ; ot this number a large proportion come hither from other 
parts to procure a passage to China, 
