We called upon governor Ibbetson, who presides over this island, Malacca, and Pulo Penang, and were received by him and the Honourable Mr. Bonham with much hospitality and kindness; and subsequently, by the Honourable Sir Benjamin H. Malhin, the recorder, and lady. The situation of the governor’s house is upon a hill, which overlooks the town and the numerous islands in the straits. It is a most delightful situation; the approach to it, from the base of the hill, is lined on the right side, by nutmeg and other spice trees, &c., being the garden belonging to the government; but owing to some cause, they do not succeed well—the fruit does not arrive at maturity. The country in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, excepting in the direction of the new harbour, and a few other spots, is still in a state of nature, the soil giving an ungrateful return for the labour of the husbandman. Fruit succeeds well, even the delicate mangusteen; but wheat, coffee, and pepper have repeatedly failed, or the crops have been so inconsiderable, as to be unworthy of attention. Gambir, alias catechu or terra japonica, succeeds well; it is used as a die, or chewed with areca. Esculent plants and farinaceous roots, natural to a tropical climate, are here in perfection. This island is about twenty-seven miles long, and from five to fifteen miles in breadth. It is separated from the Malay peninsula by the old strait of its own name, being from one fourth to a mile and half in width.
About three leagues south of the settlement is an extensive chain of islands, very thinly inhabited by a race of savages. This open space of water is a continuation of the straits of Malacca, and is called the strait of Singapore; it is the high road of commerce between the eastern and western parts of Asia. The town of Singapore was founded by the British in 1819, and was then only the resort of fishermen and pirates; and was carefully avoided by the regular traders. The year following its occupation, it was visited by nearly seventy thousand tons of shipping, and of this amount, about one fifth were native vessels, belonging principally to the various islands in the Indian Archipelago. The establishment of this as a free port, most seriously affects the commerce of Batavia; it has drawn from it a most valuable native trade.
The town is formed upon a regular plan, the streets intersecting each other at right angles; the streets and roads are in excellent order, the former having sidewalks. There is a great number of well-built houses of brick, which are stuccoed, and have tile roofs. Many of the houses have galleries or porticoes, and the grounds are prettily laid out with trees and shrubbery. On the less valuable streets, the houses and shops are built of wood, and covered with tile. On the outskirts, the houses are thatched, and more particularly those inhabited by the Bugis and Balinese, and the poorest class of Chinese. A good wooden bridge connects the peninsula or western part with the eastern. On this creek, or arm of the sea, into which empties a rivulet, are situated the principal warehouses; and here small vessels discharge their cargoes into very convenient and well arranged buildings. The quays are built of stone, with very convenient slips, and good cranes for landing goods. The island being situate within a degree and a half of the equator, no material change takes place—a perpetual summer reigns—flowers never cease blowing, and fruits are ever in blossom or progressing towards maturity. It is an old saying, that not a day passes at Singapore without rain; but it has been well ascertained that the rainy and fair days are about equal in number throughout the year; although in some years it has rained about two hundred and forty days, or two thirds of the year. November and December are the coolest and most rainy months; the thermometer then falls occasionally as low as 72°, and in the hot and dry months of April and May, it attains to 90°. The climate is remarkably salubrious, and fevers and dysentery, which are so fatal within the tropics, are here of rare occurrence, owing, it is supposed, to the free current of air which passes through the straits; but wherever its beneficial influence is excluded, those diseases are very fatal; and this is the case about that beautiful and romantic spot, the new harbour, situate but a few miles to the westward of the town. The island is also free of those dreadful scourges, storms and hurricanes, and violent gusts of wind.
I visited (in company with Captain Lambert, and the commander of the Peacock) the person who is styled the sultan of Johore, who ceded this and other islands to the British, for the sum of sixty thousand dollars, and an annuity of twenty-four thousand per year. He was formerly chief judge to Sultan Mahomet, of Johore. At his decease, he seized upon this part of his possessions. The sultan’s residence is surrounded by a high brick wall, having strong gates, guarded by soldiers. Within it is a new mosque; a hall of audience, neatly built; with many other houses of brick and thatch. We were conducted into the hall, which is used as a banqueting place also; and shortly after, we heard the loud breathing of a person who seemed in deep distress, endeavouring to ascend the staircase; finally the sultan made his appearance, and with great difficulty reached the centre of the room. I verily thought he would have died within the first ten minutes, of suffocation. He was most grossly, or rather beastly fat, and reminded us of the Anthropophagi, or men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders; for neck, he had none. His eyes were enormously large, and they had the terrific appearance of having started from their sockets. He was truly a most disgusting and frightful object. After he was able to breathe a little freely, the usual compliments passed, and inquiries made, a feast was brought in, consisting of a great variety of articles, which were neatly served up by numerous waiters. Two fine lads, his sons, accompanied him; they were handsomely dressed, wearing turbans, and armed with daggers. The sultan expressed himself gratified with the visit, and we then took leave.
POPULATION OF SINGAPORE.
The population, on the first of January, 1833, was ascertained to amount to twenty thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight persons. Of these, fifteen thousand one hundred and eighty-one were males, and only five thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven females. This motley group are made up of—one hundred and nineteen Europeans; ninety Indo British; three hundred native Christians; thirty-five Armenians; two Jews; ninety-six Arabs; seven thousand one hundred and thirty-one Malays; eight thousand five hundred and seventeen Chinese; one thousand eight hundred and nineteen natives of Coromandel; five hundred and five Hindoos; six hundred and forty-five Javanese; one thousand nine hundred and twenty-six Bugis, Balanese, &c.; thirty-seven Caffrees; two Parsees. The country and plantations contain seven thousand three hundred and sixty-two; the islands, which form a dependancy, of which there are about fifty, contain one thousand and seventy-two; total, eight thousand four hundred and thirty-four: which leave for the town of Singapore, twelve thousand five hundred and forty-four, exclusive of the military and convicts, which amount to about one thousand.
Singapore is merely a mart for the exchange of merchandise for the products of Europe, India, and China, the Indian Archipelago, and of the neighbouring states—the imports from one part forming the exports to another. The total value of imports, for the years 1831 and 1832, was seventeen millions, eight hundred and nine thousand nine hundred and forty-eight sicca rupees; and the exports, fifteen millions, fifty-one thousand five hundred and seventy-three. Of this amount, nearly one eighth, or about nine hundred thousand dollars in value, was conducted by native vessels. The fixed exchange of sicca rupees, is two hundred and ten and a half for one hundred Spanish dollars. The currency is the Spanish dollar divided into cents. The common weight is the pecul, of one hundred and thirty-three and a third pounds, avoirdupois, divided into one hundred catties. The English gross hundred is also used, as well as the neat hundred. Salt, rice, and coarse, or unpearled sago, by the koyan, of about forty peculs.
In the harbour, there may be frequently seen vessels from England, France, Holland, and other parts of Europe; from the Brazils, Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, New South Wales; from Arabia, and various parts of British and Portuguese India; from Siam, the Malay peninsula, Camboja, and various ports in Cochin-China, from the gulf of Siam to the gulf of Tonquin, (Tung-king;) from Macao, and various parts of the provinces of Canton and Tokien, the former being called the “Red-headed Junks,” and the latter the “Green-headed,” owing to their being distinguished in this manner by being painted with these colours; from Manila, Dutch and native craft from Java, Banca, and Bulembang; and by Malay craft only, from the river Campar, and other eastern ports in Sumatra. But the most important branch of the trade with the Indian islanders, is that conducted by the Bugis of Wajo, a state of the Celebes.
The Bugis write and speak a different language from either of the other tribes of the Celebes, either of Macassar, Mandar, or Kaili. They have a code of civil and criminal law, referring to a state of government and society, of a patriarchal character; and they have also a code of maritime laws, dated in the year 1087, of the Hejera, (Hegira,) from which I have made some extracts. Wajo is situated nearly in the centre of the Celebes, and the Bugis live on the northern banks of an extensive lake, about twenty-four miles in breadth. The outlet of the lake is a river, which falls into the bay of Boni, and is navigable for boats of twenty tons. This people are the sole native carriers of the Archipelago, possessing an industry and enterprise far beyond the generality of the Malayan tribes. They carry on an extensive trade with all the ports in the Celebes; to Bonivati; to the eastern and western coasts of Borneo; to the islands of Lombok, Bali, Sumbawa, Flores, Sandal Wood, Ceram, Timor, the Arrows, New Guinea, &c. These bring gold-dust, bird’s-nests, tortoise-shell, camphor, paddy, bichos do mar, rattans, pepper, shark’s-fins, fish-maws, agar-agar, (sea-weed,) garro-wood, mats, pamore, iron, striped and Tartan cotton cloths, oil, tallow, mother-of-pearl, shells, &c., &c. Their cargoes are valuable, and vary from ten to forty thousand dollars. They take, in return, opium, British and Indian piece-goods, fire-arms, powder, Siamese iron-pans, &c.; Chinese coarse earthenware, &c., &c.