A noose was passed over his head, and he was drawn forward so that his nose was at the bars of the cage. Then the sponge was again applied, and he was forced to inhale the chloroform, whether he wanted to or not. He lashed about from side to side, and sometimes it seemed as though he would tear the cage to pieces with the violence of his demonstrations. All this time he was breathing the narcotic; but it was nearly an hour before he was fairly under its influence, and another hour was required to reduce him to a state of quiet. Even when he had ceased to lash around so as to threaten injury to the cage, his body was constantly giving convulsive twitches, and these did not end for several hours. The gentleman who superintended the operation said that the snake was the worst patient he ever saw under the influence of chloroform, and the hardest to manage.
They took another drive into the country, over a road that had been newly opened. Their way led them near a native village, where the houses were thickly thatched with grass and strips of palm-leaf, so as to keep out the heavy rains that frequently occur. It is said that at Singapore more than half the days of the year are favored with showers, and the records show that in some years they have had two hundred and odd rainy days. The rain cools the air, and it is probably owing to the rain and wind that there are so few cases of fever among the Europeans. Sometimes the wind develops into a lively squall that sets all light things in motion and fills the air with clouds of dust. It frequently happens that the papers on the desk of a merchant will be sent flying about the room, and possibly out of the window; and there are stories of valuable documents and notes of the Bank of England being whisked away, so that their owners never saw them again.
KLINGS AND CHINESE.
They saw groups of Klings and Chinese along the road; and in one instance four of the former were holding a discussion over a basket of fruit, and making things so lively that the boys thought there would be a fight. The Klings do not bear a good reputation among the Europeans, and are not on friendly terms with the Chinese. They are first-class rascals in all their dealings where they can take advantage; and, if there is no danger of receiving punishment, they are almost certain to be insolent. On the other hand, they are cringing to their superiors, and make the utmost professions of friendship, while ready at any moment to indulge in the meanest treachery. The Chinese, with whatever disagreeable qualities they possess, are much to be preferred to the Klings.
NATIVE NURSES AND CHILDREN.
Frank and Fred were amused at the costumes of the native nurses, whom they occasionally saw in charge of European children. They were more noticeable for their comfort in the hot climate of the tropics than for elegance of design; and it was evident that the expense of keeping one of these nurses in clothing was not great. The native children go quite naked until five or six years of age, and even later; and it was not an uncommon sight to see a woman bearing a water-jar, and followed by a little urchin entirely destitute of clothing, in marked contrast to the European children, who were dressed after the custom of the country whence their parents came.