The evening world., 1903-08-12
TELLS OF LIFE
IN FARTHER INDIA
SWettenham Now Visiting
Mrs. Henry SiegeI, Describes
Social Customs in the Straits
Settlements.

II Is a far cry from an island settle
ment in Further India, where the
Accommodating Thermometer frequently
marks n~inety-three in ones bedroom.
and h calling hours are fixed ut
between IL and 2 A. NJ. that one may
avoid sunstroke, to the cool and seaues.
tered shade OF an American country
seat. And II Is a long Journey, but one
which apparently had no terrors for
Lady Swettenham, wife OF Sir Frank
Swettenham. British Governor of the
Straits Settlement. as Singapore and
Its adjacent stands are known. who
has just arrived in America for the
f1rst time on a visit to Mrs. Henry
Siegel at Driftwood. her country place
ut Mamaroneck.
Lady Swcttenham came to New York
by way OF London. and when an Even
ing World reporter saw her had inst
returned from n visit to the New York
Stock Exchange.
Since her marriage in 1878 this hand
some blond English has lived on
and of. as she herself put It, In tho
straits settlement and on the Malay
Peninsula. Much OF her time during
that period was spent at Singapore,
though she passed several months each
year In Malacca and Penang, two prin-
clpal cities of the Peninsula.
i went out to Further India before
ohe railroads" said Lady swettenham.
w have no railroad in Singapore now.
which you know Is an island about
ffteen miles across. But the first rail-
road built on the Malay Peninsula to
transport tin from the mines in the in
terior TO the coast. whence It could be
taken to Singapore, was completed Just
q year after my arrival.
Exciting Times There.
Several years before tina there had
been some very exciting times In the
Straits. The Penlnsular war was
Then raging, and my husband lived in
the very midst OF II. But II was all
over when got there. l have enjoyed
life on the Peninsula extremely. how
ever. My husband, besides being Gov
ernor OF the Straits. is High Commits
sioner OF the Malay Peninsula. Eng
and does not W tho Peninsula. you
know. 1t Is divided up among a num-
Der OF native rajahs, but we have q
iva ~ ANlc AZ olHkuppEc,
far away as II Is. differs very little
from that IN London or New York.
Society there Is made up OF govern
ment officials. military men, foreign
consuls. large merchants and visiting
naval officers. Singapore Is one OF Eng
lands largest coaling stations, so all
the great vessels stop there. There is
besides a gunboat stationed in the har-
Dor, So we mover lack for dancing men.
No Americana There.
There are practically no Americans
in Singapore. I remember only the
Consul and his family. and do not re-
call a single American merchant. So
ciety Is very cosmopolitan. 1t does not
differ from that of London. Paris or
New York, save. perhaps, that as there
are fewer OF us and we are all exiled in
a strange country we feel the need OF
being bound closely together, and there
are more genuine friendships with us,
The native population consists largely OF
Chinese and Malays.
People do not rise early in Singapore,
We keep very late hours at parties
and enjoy the beneht OF the cooler nigh
air as much as possible.
but every one rises IN time to make
social calls. The hours for calling in
Singapore are from II to . o'clock. or
1 tina time. We call luncheon 'tifln,'