the golden chersonese and the way thither-第23节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


tolerably　steady　between　80　degrees　and　84　degrees；　the　extreme　range
of　temperature　being　from　71　degrees　to　92　degrees。　People　sleep　on
Malay　mats　spread　over　their　mattresses　for　coolness；　some　dispense
with　upper　sheets；　and　others　are　fanned　all　night　by　punkahs。　The　soft
and　tepid　land　and　sea　breezes　mitigate　the　heat　to　a　slight　extent；
but　I　should　soon　long　for　a　blustering　north…easter　to　break　in　upon
the　oppressive　and　vapor…bath　stillness。

As　Singapore　is　a　military　station；　and　ships　of　war　hang　about
constantly；　there　is　a　great　deal　of　fluctuating　society；　and　the
officials　of　the　Straits　Settlements　Government　are　numerous　enough　to
form　a　large　society　of　their　own。　Then　there　is　the　merchant　class；
English；　German；　French；　and　American；　and　there　is　the　usual　round　of
gayety；　and　of　the　amusements　which　make　life　intolerable。　I　think　that
in　most　of　these　tropical　colonies　the　ladies　exist　only　on　the　hope　of
going　〃home！〃　It　is　a　dreary；　aimless　life　for　themscarcely　life；
only　existence。　The　greatest　sign　of　vitality　in　Singapore　Europeans
that　I　can　see　is　the　furious　hurry　in　writing　for　the　mail。　To　all
sorts　of　claims　and　invitations；　the　reply　is；　〃But　it's　mail　day；　you
know；〃　or；　〃I'm　writing　for　the　mail；〃　or；　〃I'm　awfully　behind　hand
with　my　letters；〃　or；　〃I　can't　stir　till　the　mail's　gone！〃　The　hurry　is
desperate；　and　even　the　feeble　Englishwomen　exert　themselves　for
〃friends　at　home。〃　To　judge　from　the　flurry　and　excitement；　and　the
driving　down　to　the　post…office　at　the　last　moment；　and　the　commotion
in　the　parboiled　community；　one　would　suppose　the　mail　to　be　an
uncertain　event　occurring　once　in　a　year　or　two；　rather　than　the　most
regular　of　weekly　fixtures！　The　incoming　mail　is　also　a　great　event；
though　its　public　and　commercial　news　is　anticipated　by　four　weeks　by
the　telegraph。

The　Americans　boast　of　the　rapid　progress　of　San　Francisco；　with　which
the　Victorians　boast　that　Melbourne　is　running　a　neck　and　neck　race；
but；　if　boasting　is　allowable；　Singapore　may　boast；　for　in　1818　the
island　was　covered　with　dense　primeval　forest；　and　only　a　few　miserable
fishermen　and　pirates　inhabited　its　creeks　and　rivers。　The　prescience
of　Sir　Stamford　Raffles　marked　it　out　in　1819　as　the　site　of　the　first
free　port　in　the　Malayan　Seas；　but　it　was　not　till　1824　that　it　was
formally　ceded　to　the　East　India　Company　by　the　Sultan　of　Johore；　and
it　only　became　a　Crown　colony　in　1867；　when　it　was　erected　into　the
capital　of　the　Straits　Settlements；　which　include　Malacca　and　Pinang。

Like　Victoria；　Singapore　is　a　free　port；　and　the　vexatiousness　of　a
custom…house　is　unknown。　The　only　tax　which　shipping　pays　is　1…1/2　per
cent。　for　the　support　of　sundry　lighthouses。　The　list　of　its　exports
suggests　heat。　　They　are　chiefly　sugar；　pepper；　tin；　nutmegs；　mace；
sago；　tapioca；　rice；　buffalo　hides　and　horns；　rattans；　gutta；　india
rubber；　gambier；　gums；　coffee；　dye…stuffs；　and　tobacco；　but　the　island
itself；　though　its　soil　looks　rich　from　its　redness；　only　produces
pepper　and　gambier。　It　is　a　great　entrepot；　a　gigantic　distributing
point。*　
＇*The　exports　and　imports　of　Singapore　amounted　in　1823　to　2；120；000
pounds；　in　1859…60　to　10；371；000　pounds；　and　in　1880；　to　23；050；000
pounds！　In　the　latter　year；　tonnage　to　the　amount　of　three　millions　of
tons　arrived　in　its　harbor。　It　must　be　observed　that　the　imports；　to　a
very　large　extent；　are　exported　to　other　places。＇

The　problem　of　raising　a　revenue　without　customs　duties　is　solved　by　a
stamp…tax；　land…revenue；　and　（by　far　the　most　important）；　the　sale　of
the　monopolies　of　the　preparation　and　retailing　of　opium　for　smoking；
and　of　spirits　and　other　excisable　commodities；　these　monopolies　being
〃farmed〃　to　private　individuals；　mostly　Chinamen。　It　is　rather　puzzling
to　hear　〃farmers〃　spoken　of　so　near　the　equator。　A　revenue　of　nearly
half　a　million　annually　and　a　public　debt　of　one　hundred　thousand
pounds　is　not　bad　for　so　young　a　colony。　The　prosperity　of　the　Straits
Settlements　ports　is　a　great　triumph　for　free　traders；　and　a　traveler；
even　if；　like　myself；　he　has　nothing　but　a　canvas　roll　and　a　〃Gladstone
bag；〃　congratulates　himself　on　being　saved　from　the　bother　of
unstrapping　and　restrapping　stiffened　and　refractory　straps；　and　from
the　tiresome　delays　of　even　the　most　courteous　custom…house　officers。

The　official　circle　is　large；　as　I　before　remarked。　A　Crown　colony
where　the　Government　has　it　all　its　own　way　must　be　the　paradise　of
officials；　and　the　high　sense　of　honor　and　the　righteous　esprit　de
corps　which　characterize　our　civil　servants　in　the　Far　East；　and　a
conscientious　sense　of　responsibilities　for　the　good　government　and
well…being　of　the　heterogeneous　populations　over　which　they　rule；　seem
as　good　a　check　as　the　general　run　of　colonial　parliaments。

The　Governor；　Sir　William　Robinson　（now　Sir　F。　A。　Weld）；　is　assisted　by
an　Executive　Council　of　eight　members；　and　a　Legislative　Council
consisting　of　nine　official　and　six　non…official　members；　including　Mr。
Whampoa；　C。M。G。；　a　Chinaman　of　great　wealth　and　enlightened　public
spirit；　who　is　one　of　the　foremost　men　in　the　colony。　Then　on　the　Civil
Establishment　there　are　a　legion　of　departments；　the　Colonial
Secretary's　office　with　a　branch　office　and　Chinese　Protectorate；　a
Land　Office；　Printing　Office；　Treasury；　Audit　Office；　Post　Office；
Public　Works　and　Survey　Department；　Marine　Department；　Judicial
Department；　Attorney…General's　Department；　Sheriff's　Department；　Police
Court　and　Police　Department；　and　Ecclesiastical；　Educational；　Medical；
and　Prison　Staffs。

It　is　natural　that　when　the　mail　has　been　worn　threadbare　and　no
stirring　incidents　present　themselves；　such　as　the　arrival　of　a　new
ship　of　war　or　a　touring　foreign　prince；　and　the　receptions　of　Mr。
Whampoa　and　the　Maharajah　of　Johore　have　grown　insipid；　that　much　of
local　conversation　should　consist　of　speculations　as　to　when　or　whether
Mr。　　will　get　promotion；　when　Mr。　　will　go　home；　or　how　much　he
has　saved　out　of　his　salary；　what　influence　has　procured　the
appointment　of　Mr。　　to　Selangor　or　Perak；　instead　of　Mr。　；
whose　qualifications　are　higher；　whether　Mr。　's　acting　appointment
will　be　confirmed；　whether　Mr。　　will　get　one　or　two　years'　leave；
whether　some　vacant　appointment　is　to　be　filled　up　or　abolished；　and　so
on　ad　infinitum。　Such　talk　girdles　the　colonial　world　as　completely　as
the　telegraph；　which　has　revolutionized　European　business　here　as
elsewhere。

The　island　is　far　less　interesting　than　the　city。　Its　dense；　dark
jungle　is　broken　up　mainly　by　pepper　and　gambier　plantations；　the
latter　specially　in　new　clearings。　　The　laborers　on　these　are　Chinese；
and　so　are　the　wood…cutters　and　sawyers；　who　frequent　the　round…topped
wooded　undulations。　The　climate　is　hotter　and　damper；　to　one's
sensations　at　least；　than　the　hottest　and　dampest　of　the　tropical
houses　at　Kew；　and　heat…loving　insects　riot。　The　ants　are　a　pest　of　the
second　magnitude；　mosquitoes　being　of　the　first；　the　palm…trees　and　the
piles　of　decaying　leaves　and　bark　being　excellent　nurseries　for　larvae。
The　vegetation　is　luxuriant；　and　in　the　dim；　green　twilight　which　is
created　by　enormous　forest　trees　there　are　endless　varieties　of　ferns；
calladiums；　and　parasitic　plants；　but　except　where　a　road　has　been　cut
and　is　kept　open　by　continual　labor；　the　climbing　rattan　palms　make　it
impossible　to　explore。

My　short　visit　has　been　mainly　occupied　with　the　day　at　the　Colonial
Secretary's　Lodge；　and　in　walking　and　driving　through　the　streets。　The
city　is　ablaze　with　color　and　motley　with　costume。　The　ruling　race　does
not　show　to　advantage。　A　pale…skinned　man　or　woman；　costumed　in　our
ugly；　graceless　clothes；　reminds　one　not　pleasingly；　artistically　at
least；　of　our　dim；　pale　islands。　Every　Oriental　costume　from　the　Levant
to　China　floats　through　the　streetsrobes　of　silk；　satin；　brocade；　and
white　muslin；　emphasized　by　the　glitter　of　〃barbaric　gold；〃　and　Parsees
in　spotless　white；　Jews　and　Arabs　in　dark　rich　silks；　Klings　in　Turkey
red　and　white；　Bombay　merchants　in　great　white　turbans；　full　trousers；
and　draperies；　all　white；　with　crimson　silk　girdles；　Malays　in　red
sarongs；　Sikhs　in　pure　white　Madras　muslin；　their　great　height　rendered
nearly　colossal　by　the　classic　arrangement　of　their　draperies；　and
Chinamen　of　all　classes；　from　the　coolie　in　his　blue　or　brown　cotton；
to　the　wealthy　merchant　in　his　frothy　silk　crepe　and　rich　brocade；　make
up　an　irresistibly　fascinating　medley。

The　English；　though　powerful　as　the　ruling　race；　are　numerically
nowhere；　and　certainly　make　no　impression　on　the　eye。　The　Chinese；　who
number　eighty…six　thousand　out　of　a　population　of　one　hundred　and
thirty…nine　thousand；　are　not　only　numerous　enough；　but　rich　and
important　enough　to　give　Singapore　the　air　of　a　Chinese　town　with　a
foreign　settlement。　Then　there　are　the　native　Malays；　who　have　crowded
into　the　island　since　we　acquired　it；　till　they　number　twenty…two
thousand；　and　who；　besides　being　tolerably　industrious　as　boatmen　and
fishermen；　form　the　main　body　of　the　police。　The　Parsee　merchants；　who
like　our　rule；　form　a　respectable　class　of　merchants　here；　as　in　all
the　g