Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-01-11

Equator, and steam1ng past the NicO-
bar Island into the Straits Of Malacca,
with Sumatra on our right and the
Malay peninsula on our left. 1t was
dark as we passed Penang, city and
island, one of the British Straits Set
Elements" but next day we reached
the more important island Of Singa-
pore. The Captain took the steamer
into Singapore harbOr for water and
gave US Just four hours to see the
town. AS. however, the town lies
two miles back from the harbOr,
and as we were half an hour bag
Cling with the Jews, Malays, negroes,
and Cinnamon who thrOnged the wharf
for conveyance, we only had time to
drive up and come right back. I noticed
that we drove over low fats, which at
high water are covered by the tide,
but which twice a day form q broad eX-
panse of mud and refuse, rendering the
city very unhealthy. However, 1 also
noticed that on each side and back of
the city were very beautiful wooded
heights from which peeped many bun
galOws, and it is in that pleasanter To-
cality that the rich Europeans reside.
Folks who suffer from cold feet or
chi1Is ought to go to Singapore. 1t is
located right on the equator; the heat
is excessive and does not vary five de-
grees during the entire year.
Steaming eastward from Singapore,
we began to enter the archipelago
islands, islands, islands-large, small,
and all sizes between, volcanic and
otherwise. Passing down the Java Sea
we passed Karimata and Bamea, both
mountainous islands with their SUBMITS
completely hidden away in the clouds,
and for long time we had the large
islands of BOrneO and Java on our left
and right respectively. For two whole
days we were steaming through these
nayriads of islands, and among them
got a good view Of Mount BatOr, q very
active volcano. We saw the smoke and
flames very distinctly, though BatOr
was unusually quiet as we passed it.
The sail through the warm blue waters
Of the still Indian Ocean Is mighty
pleasant, and as one hardly ever loses
sight of land there IS nothing tedious
about the trip.
Now, although navigation of the
waters of the deep has been brought
down to a pretty fine science, there are
still some Out-Of-the-wav quarters where
shippers have to go very slow, and
sometimes have to stop altogether.
Torres Straits Is one Of these places
where the most nOrtherlv point of Aus
tralia comes very close to the shores of
New Guinea. These straits are full Of
treacherOus reefs and currents and hid
den shoals, which have already proved
fatal TO many a gallant craft. However,
each successive trip of a steamer with
an intelligent captain lessons these
dangers, for both the Queensland
(Austraha) Government and the En-
glish Home Government are. preparing
reliable charts for mariners who navi-
gate the intricate channel of Polynesia.
No, fast steaming is not one of the Of
lenses of steamers which navigate
Asiatic waters, but it is, perhaps, bet
ter to "be slow and sure, or, IN the
words of the immortal Davy Crockett,
"Be sure you're right, then 60 ahead 3"
Our captain agreed with Davy and
came to an anchorage toward evening,
where we lay until daylight. Then we
steamed on, and about noon I got my
first sight Of Australia country /