Next to the Chinese, the Klings, or natives of the Coromandel coast, are in the greatest request as boatmen, coachmen, pedlars, porters, and house-servants, by Europeans as well as by their own successful fellow-countrymen. From their habits of extreme sobriety, they speedily save money, and generally return home, although a certain number continue permanent settlers in Singapore. The Armenians resident here are the most like the European mercantile community;
the Arabs are the descendants of those Mahometan priests and merchants whom the Portuguese found here when they first visited this quarter of the globe, and are recruited from time to time, but on the whole rarely, by fresh arrivals from their mother country.
One very marked peculiarity of the population of Singapore is the enormous disparity between the numbers of the sexes. The proportion of females to males is as one to seven. The most probable explanation of this phenomenon is the circumstance that hitherto the emigration of females from China has been entirely prohibited, and consequently almost all the Chinese residents, who constitute by far the majority of the whole population, are unmarried. Among them the proportion of females to males is as one to thirteen.
The health of Singapore is not always so bad as at the period of our visit; indeed, judging by perquisitions made for the purpose, the climate may rather be regarded as salubrious, particularly since the immediate vicinity of the town has been so extensively cleared. The outbreak of cholera was entirely new, and on that account an all the more appalling visitation. The temperature is tolerably equal throughout the year. Observations carried on uninterruptedly during five years give an average of 81° 3. Fahr. for the hottest month (May), and of 79° 5. Fahr. for the coldest (January). Once only during the five years (in June) did the thermometer attain a height of 87° 2. Fahr. and once only in January did it fall as low as 74° 8. Fahr. By comparing the present range
of temperature with that of thirty years since, it appears that since the foundation of the settlement it has gained three degrees in temperature, a phenomenon which may be ascribed to the increase of buildings, and to the large clearings for a distance of five miles round the town, and perhaps also to the spot itself where these observations were made being exposed.
There is no regular rainy season in Singapore. Rain falls every month throughout the year, the heaviest falls occurring in August and December. According to observations carried on during four years, the annual rainfall averaged 93 inches. The tolerably regular distribution of the rain throughout the year imparts to the vegetation a freshness that makes the change of seasons pass almost unheeded.
In Singapore as elsewhere the members of the Novara Expedition experienced from all classes of society the most cordial and hospitable reception. Every one bestirred himself to point out to us everything that was worth knowing, or that the city could present of interest or deserving special attention. After a cursory stroll through the most frequented streets, with their dense crowds of people, which sufficiently proved to us that trade was in fact the chief occupation of the inhabitants, we turned our attention to the shops of some of the Mahometan merchants, when our eyes were dazzled with all the most various products of India.
In one of these we were shown some exceedingly valuable diamonds from Borneo, one of which weighed 17 carats, and was worth £4000 sterling, while another of 19 carats, but less
pure and brilliant, was for sale for £2000. The seller, a Mahometan, himself wore on his finger a diamond-ring which our companion estimated at £1000. In the stores of several other merchants we saw the Malay servants sitting cross-legged on the bare floor of the porch, with huge heaps of Spanish dollars before them, which they were busy counting. The Spanish or Mexican dollar is here almost the only medium of exchange, payments being made all but exclusively in that currency, whereas gold, even English, is but sparingly used, and then with ill-concealed reluctance! The utter want of any other recognized medium of exchange than silver makes all extensive money transactions exceedingly onerous, owing to the expense of transmitting the precious metals, in consequence of which any one wishing to pay in a certain sum of a few thousand dollars in cash, must employ a convoy for the purpose of transporting the money![30]
Although, as already remarked, the chief business of the island is purely commercial, and although, ordinarily speaking, every branch of industry merges in that predominant occupation, there is yet one manufacture in Singapore which calls for most special notice. This consists in the preparation