They
looked at all the eatables with a scrutinizing glance, but without
touching the smallest fragment.
Singapore is situated 58' (nautical miles) north of the line, in 104
degrees East longitude, and the climate, when compared to that of
other southern countries, is very agreeable. During the period of
my stay, extending from September 3rd to October 8th, the heat
seldom exceeded 83 degrees 75' indoors, and 117 degrees in the sun.
There is never any great variation in the temperature, which is the
natural consequence of the place being near the equator. The sun
always rises and sets at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. respectively, and is
immediately followed by full daylight or perfect night; the twilight
hardly lasting ten minutes.
In conclusion, I must remark that Singapore will shortly become the
central point of all the Indian steamers. Those from Hong-Kong,
Ceylon, Madras, Calcutta, and Europe arrive regularly once a month;
there is likewise a Dutch war-steamer from Batavia, and in a little
time there will also be steamers running to and fro between this
place, and Manilla and Sidney.
CHAPTER X. THE EAST INDIES - CEYLON.
DEPARTURE FROM SINGAPORE - THE ISLAND OF PINANG - CEYLON - POINTE DE
GALLE - EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR - COLOMBO - CANDY - THE TEMPLE OF
DAGOHA - ELEPHANT HUNT - RETURN TO COLOMBO AND POINTE DE GALLE.
I once more embarked in an English steamer, the "Braganza," of 350
horse power, that left Singapore for Ceylon on the 7th of October.
The distance between the two places is 1,900 miles.
The treatment I experienced on board this vessel was, it is true, a
little different from that on board the other, although it was
nearly as bad. There were four of us in the second cabin; {128} we
dined alone, and had a mulatto servant to attend upon us.
Unfortunately, he was afflicted with elephantiasis, and his
appearance did not at all tend to whet the edge of our appetites.
During the 7th and 8th of October, we held our course through the
Strait of Malacca, which separates Sumatra from the peninsula, and
during all this time we never lost sight of land. Malacca is, near
the coast, merely hilly; but further in the interior the hills swell
into a fine mountain range. To our left lay a number of mountainous
islands, which completely intercepted our view of Sumatra.
But if the scenery around us was not remarkable, the spectacle on
board the vessel itself was highly interesting. The crew was
composed of seventy-nine persons, comprising Chinese, Malays,
Cingalese, Bengalese, Hindostanese, and Europeans. As a general
rule, those of each country generally took their meals separately
with their own countrymen. They all had immense plates of rice, and
little bowls full of curry; a few pieces of dried fish supplied the
place of bread.
