By Far The Most Conspicuous Of The Various Kinds Of People In
Singapore, And Those Which Most Attract The Stranger's Attention,
Are The Chinese, Whose Numbers And Incessant Activity Give The
Place Very Much The Appearance Of A Town In China.
The Chinese
merchant is generally a fat round-faced man with an important and
business-like look.
He wears the same style of clothing (loose
white smock, and blue or black trousers) as the meanest coolie,
but of finer materials, and is always clean and neat; and his
long tail tipped with red silk hangs down to his heels. He has a
handsome warehouse or shop in town and a good house in the
country. He keeps a fine horse and gig, and every evening may be
seen taking a drive bareheaded to enjoy the cool breeze. He is
rich - he owns several retail shops and trading schooners, he
lends money at high interest and on good security, he makes hard
bargains, and gets fatter and richer every year.
In the Chinese bazaar are hundreds of small shops in which a
miscellaneous collection of hardware and dry goods are to be
found, and where many things are sold wonderfully cheap. You may
buy gimlets at a penny each, white cotton thread at four balls
for a halfpenny, and penknives, corkscrews, gunpowder, writing-
paper, and many other articles as cheap or cheaper than you can
purchase them in England. The shopkeeper is very good-natured; he
will show you everything he has, and does not seem to mind if you
buy nothing.
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