The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-05-13


if you are SO disposed, you
may consider the subject OF
British rule on the one hand,
and the various aspects of the Chi
nese question on the other. If you
are student of languages you will
be able to hear half the tongues OF
the world spoken in less than an
hours walk, ranging, say from Paris
ian French to Pigeon English; you
shall make the acquaintance of every
sort of smell the human nose can
manipulate, from the sweet perfume
of the lotus blossom to the diabolical
odor of the Durien; and every sort OF
cooking from dainty vol-au-vent to
q stuffed rat. In the harbor rne ship
ping is such as, feel justified in say
ing, you would encounter in no other
port of it's size in the world. 1t
comprises the stately man of war and
the Chinese junk; the P. and o., the
Messagerie Maritime, the British
India and the Dutch mail boat; the
homely sampan, the yacht of the
globe trot ting millionaire, the collier,
the timber ship, and in point of fact
every description of craft that plies
between the barbarian east and the
civilized west. The first glimpse of
the harbor is one that will never be
forgotten; the last is usually associ-
set eyes on it again. He who would,
of his own free will, settle down for
life in Singapore, must have acquired
the tastes of a salamander and the
sensibility of frog.
Among it's other advantages, Singa-
pore numbers the possession OF a null
tiplicity of hotels. There is stately
Rafles, where the globe trotters do
mostly take up their abode, also the
Hotel de PEurope, whose virtues l
can vouch for; but packed away in
another and very different portion of
The town, unknown to the wealthy
G. T., and indeed known to only few
of the white inhabitants of Singapore
itself, there exists small hostelry,
owned by lynx-eyed Portuguese,
which rejoices in the name of the
Hotel of the Three Desires. Now,
every man, who by mischance or de-
liherate intent has entered its doors,
has his own notions of the meaning
IF it's name; the fact, however, re-
mains that it is there, and that it is
regularly patronized by individuals
of a certain or uncertain class, as
they pass to and fro through the
gateway of the further east. This in
itself is strange, inasmuch as it is
ha 70, !, N
dollars by selling liquor that is as
bad as it can possibly be, in order
that he may get back to Lisbon be-
fore he receives that threatened knife
thrust between the ribs which has
been promised him SO long. There
are times, as / am unfortunately able
to testify, when the latter possibility
is not so remote as might be expect
ed. Taken altogether, however, the
Hotel of the Three Desires is an ex.
celient place to take up ones abode
provided one is not DESTROYS of at
tracing too much attention in the
city. AS a matter of fact, its patrons
for some reason of their own, are
more en- evidence after nightfall thar
during the hours of daylight. They
are also frugal of speech as rule
and are chary of forming new &C
quaintances. When they know each
other well, however, it is surprising
how affable they can become. 1t i:
not the smallest of their peculiaritie!
that they seldom refer to absen
friends by their names. A will ash
B when he expects to hear from
Him, and c will inform d that "tht
old man is now running the show
and that, if he doesn't jump from Cal
cutta inside a week, there will bt
trouble on the floor" Meanwhile the
landlord mixes the drinks with hi.
own dirty hands, and reflects con
tinually upon the viliainy of certain
American third mate, who, having
borrowed five dollars from him, wa.
sufficiently ungrateful as to catcf
typhoid fever and die without either
repaying the loan, or, what was
worse, settling his account for the
board and lodging received. Manuel
for this was the proprietor's name
had one or two recollections of sim
liar sort, but not many, for, as rule
he is careful fellow, and expert
ence having taught him the man
ners and idiosyncrasies of his custom
crs, he generally managed to emerg,
from his transactions with credit tt
himself, and what was of much more
Importance, a balance on the RICH
side of his ledger.
The time of which l am now writ
Il.
test and, in every respect, the worst
month of the year in Singapore
Day and night the land was oppressed
by the same sitting heat, swelter
ing calidity possessing the character
istics of steam laundry, coupled
with those of the stokehole of 81
OCEAN liner in the Red sea. Morning