The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-07-06

The Road Across Singapore, Where Tigers
Kill Three Hundred People Every Year.
The Sultan's beautiful Palace and Ills
Lillin. for Europeans.
England has already II strong hold upon
the Malay peninsula, but among the tribes of
Maacca, which are not subject to her, is that
Of Johore. Johorc is bigger than Massachl-
sets. and it is governed by IL sultan, who has
absolute power and is one of the few indie
pendent Malay rajallS still living made an
excursion 10 Johore; visited the capital and
there met this most noted Malay ruler. lcav-
ing Singapore at sunrise, our carriage was
driven Ivy Malay coachman, and we had IL
gray whskcred, barcfootcd East Indian in !,
red gown and turban as Il guido. We drove
for miles on u road as level us tho floor and
as wei kept as Il race track, through planta-
tions ot cocoanuts and coffee
COCoANuTS AND COFFEE
We first passed great estates with beautiful
grounds and wide drives, and then on out
into the Jungle. The green coroanuts hung
ly the bushels in great lunches from the top
of tall palm trees, each of which was from III
10 100 fee. high. and with trunk of from
6 to II inches in diameter The bark was
grayi,li white, and there were no leaves
until the Very top upon which the cocoanuts
grow Some of these groves had thousands
Of trees, and they all looked as though they
wcrc drunken Oh their own milk They
luu,cl in every direction. and tho tops of
some seemed Ia embrace those of Others in
maudlin ,ioility. The coffee estates consisted
of green bushes about eight feet high with
many branches, and the coffee grows close to
the branch. and the yellow fruit is the sia.
of small damson plums; each plum contains
two seeds, surrounded by pulp and tho"
seeds are the coffee grains. They arc cult.
waited. AID the estates shovel that thcv had
hcen hut lately plowc,l.
This road across the island uf Sm~aporo
was lined with Jungle which was at times
81 thick that yuu could not see more than
two feet h"yond the roadway. When it is r,,.
mpmbcrc'l that 300 people are killed every
year hereby tigers, and that the lower part ut
the Malay peninsula is the home of the wild
beast, it will lc s2anthal ll. possibilities were
both numerous aud unpleasant. We passed.
through II number of Malay Chinese villugrs.
and we saw many black skinned natives of
Java with nothing. but brc"rl clouts upon
them, working upon the roadway. Now and
then we would meet n cart drawn hy heavy
Indian builocks, with great humps of fat six
inches high above their shoulders, and with
their black skinned driver in Il turlHn, sitting
or standing upon the heavy cart tongue.
These hullocks push the cart along with tlr
front of their shoulders. Their yok,.s do not
come around the neck, us do those of our
oxen, and they get over the ground three
time, as fast. They are the beasts of burden
in this part of the world. They do all the
carting aud hauling and they are among The
most picturesque sights of this picturesque
country. Their drivers are straight, lean
wry men, who scowl at you rs you pass
and who, with all their black skins, have
features ns regular as the best you will find
IN your city. l snapped my camera upon
ono of them as lie passed, and the black
skinned driver swore at mo in IIinlostanrc
Us did SO.
IN AN AMERICAN ROCKING CHAIR
Half way across the island, our driver
stopped and changed tho horses of our car
riaee for IL relay which had been GENT ol
ahead. Then tho Malay irhu whipped VI
and We rode OH through more villages ant
more Jungle until we came to the straits o
Singapore, on tho opposite side of whicl
was the main land and Johorc A Chimes,
boat carried us across these and we were
landed at the Wharf of the s,lltan's palace
y beautiful lawn of many acres slopes b,
half dozen terraces to the waters clgc
Above this lies the palace, which is rcachrC
l'y winding drives, and away to tho RICH!
shine the blue and yellow buildings of til,
t city Of .loiorr, which the sultan has BULL
/ within the last few years for his capital, am
which he laid out in the original Jungle Til,
palace is Il large gray and white two story
building, with wide portcocs and many larg'
| windows looking out upon tho water. 1t is
| perhaps, :OU feet long and MT least half thu
depth.
Soldiers, i'll 4 costume half European, kccl
| guard in front of it, and others in turban
march up and down through its various cor
| ridors. Some of these soldiers are div
brown Malays, others are as black as ebony
and tho officer who received my letters an,
| took them in To the sultan was dressed il
European clothes, with Malay surong OF
skirt shining out under his coat. After wait
ing Il rioment the sultan himself appeared
y tail. tinn looking, hroud shouldcred, light
yellow inali with gray hair, black eyes anG
gray mustachc. lie Wore II suit of white
duck with q lavender skirt reaching to hi.
knees, and with bracelets of solid gold rop,
as thick rs your finger around each of hi,
wrists. There were diamond rings on liS
fingers, and he had II seal brown plush t,uba,
cap on his head. lio spoke English perfectly
shook hands with me cordially and gave me
Il seat in an American rocking chair in hi
audience chamber, while he took another for
himself at my side. He talked of the de
Cadence of the Malay people, and said that
the Chinese made much better workers. He
necdcd them for the development of his king
dom, aud he was glad to have their imlmi.la-
tirn.
He talked Of his travels and told Inc he
needed only to visit America to complete his
tour of tie world. He had visited in England,
and had been 50 well entertained that he was
always glad To give Europeans a welcome
when they came to his kingdom.
lie had visited China and Japan, and while
in England he had gone one day to Liverpool
to see lady friend oil for America. ~ went
down to the ship" said he, ''and put my
friend Oh board. 1t was only seven days to
New York, and had remained might have
visited your country. am very sorry did
not do So for | think America is great and
yolr people are a grcte and kind people.
They give us the telegraph, the electric light,
and they are at The front in invention.
ike them and lave many friends in Amer
ca.-Frahk G. Carpenter.