Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-10-08

EdltOT fFeSS'
In my last letter tried to give you some idea
of life on board ship, and endeavored to partially
describe some of the cities visited on my way to
Manila. l left off think after short descrip-
tion of Colombo, Ceylon. After leaving Colombo
our ship was headed for Penaugua, an important
shipping city on the Malay Peninsula Sumatra,
governed by the Dutch, and the Malay Peninsula,
monty known the Straights Settlement
governed by Great Britain. In due time we ar
rived at Penangua, about ten p. M. On board
our ship was a cabin steward who had cold and
little fever. He happened to be the steward
who cared for my cabin, as well as others. The
Health officer came on board, examined the
steward and pronouncing his case serious, ordered
him taken ashore. and we were pronounced a
ship with serious cases of bubonic plague on
board, so no one was allowed to come on board
or leave for shore. The mail was landed and in
about two hours we sailed away for Singapore,
arriving at Singapore about thirty-sx hours
later, about nine in the morning. We were now
at our most southern point, being about ninety
miles north of the equator. Singapore is on an
island and is rather pretty city. great many
small but very beautiful islands are seen all
sides, covered with tropical trees and shrubs, on
all of which are seen beautiful residences, great
many of which owned by Chinese. Here we
do not see so many Tassor Coolies or laborers,
but mostly Chinese. After our steamer laid in
quarantine for while, the Health officer steamed
along side and thoroughly examined the passen-
gers and crew, pronouncing us free of bubonic
plague or other diseases At once the yellow flag
was lowered from our mast. 1t is needless to say
all heaved grateful sigh of relief 1t was not
pleasant to be cooped up in a ship in this hot
climate, with plague on board and we immedi-
ately steamed into the harbor and in about an
hour tied up to the wharf. After a short wait we
were informed we could go ashore that the
steamer would not leave until ten next morning
We gladly donned our lighter clothing, put on
white sun helmets and went ashore. We were
four miles from the business portion of the
town. There were two modes of conveyance for
reaching the town, one by pony and carriage and
rickshaw. chose the carriage, the price being
forty cents. Immediately upon landing we were
forcibly struck by seeing many Chinese Coolies;
they were everywhere and fine looking
lot of men-not the small, puny Chinese we are
accustomed to see, but large men, well built and
active, all scantily clad, in fact nothing on but
thin pants, and that not reaching to the knee
and cloth around the loins. About three hun
dred of these Coolies at once commenced to take
freight out of the ship and carry coal aboard.
The mode of loading coal is to have large wicker
basket carried on the bare shoulders of the Cool
les, the basket suspended on a bamboo pole, per-
haps four inches in diameter, each end resting on
the shoulders of Coolie. These baskets hold
from $50 to IT'S pounds of coal. With this load
the two Coolies trot up steep plank to and over
the side of the ship. In this manner they carried
six hundred tons ship in seven hours
Fancy any of our laborers doing such work with
the sun directly over their heads, the thermome-
ter registering $50 in the shade yet these Coolies
kept continually at work and always chanting
some kind of a song. We left the docks and in
time came to a standsill before the leading house
of the town, The Rollers, owned by two China
men. Here we had an excellent lunch or dinner
in courses, costing eighty cents. The dinner
consisted of fish, beef, mutton, game birds. vege
tables, ice cream and tea or coffee also an abun-
dance of native fruit, including bananas and
oranges. After this repast we bought some post
cards to send to our friends, changed some money,
we sat down under the cool, shady porches for a
while, watching the CONTINUED stream of rick
shaws and carriages, well other vehicles,
passing and repassing, almost in every instance
the driver or Coolie was Chinaman. 1t is won
derful the endurance these Cinnamon display,
hauling rickshaw. One took me back to the
ship, four miles, in twenty-eight minutes for
twenty-five cents. We saw some very elegant
turnouts, fine horses and carriages footmen and
coachmen in livery; in almost every carriage one
or more Chinamen-sometimes Chinese ladies.
After inquiring about this l learned that the
wealthy people the city were mostly Chinese.
They own the factories stores, mines and mel-
ters, and more strange than all, they are loyal
British subjects.
Singapore, or the Straights Settlement is the
greatest tin producing district in the world. Here
are the greatest Mines tin smelters and tin de-
posts in the world. Tin here is in vast deposits,
four feet of the surface and going down in the
earth 200 or more feet. Most of this vast wealth
is owned by these Chinese. l learned that re-
Gently a large company from San Francisco,
came here and erected large tin smelling works,
costing million of dollars to erect, intending to
smelt the ore here and send the block tin to
America for in our tin plate mills. When
the smeter completed and ready to run the
Provincial COVER nment informed them that they
could not export the block tin unless they paid
export duty of S107, which of course they had to
do Up to this time no one paid or thought of
paying export duty, yet Britain believes in non
protection free trade. This does not look like
it.
After resting and feeling quite cool we took
stroll around. We could not but admire the
beautiful turnouts, mo matter who occupied the
carriages), as well as the beautiful Burgaloves.
always surrounded by beautiful shade trees, some
covered with large crimson flowers or berries, all
magnificent and green. But with it all were
constantly reminded that it was Singapore if
nothing else would remind us our nostrils would
for Chinatown was at one end and the Malay
towns with native settlements scattered
here and there along the shores, and all were
filthy. Opposite one part of the harbor on a
beautiful level spot, the English were playing a
game of cricket, although the sun was pouring
down. 1 was informed that the better class of
Cinnamon also played cricket here. After taking
in the sights darkness set in and we took rick
shaw out to the ship, to find the Coolies still
Continued ON Eishth nnae