The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-20
The New Malaysia
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

Mongolian, to the west and northwest everything Indian.
 I came to Singapore from Hongkong. We skirted French China, went by the Gulf of Siam and then coasted the Malay peninsula, whose palm trees could be seen quivering in the hot breeze. We passed wooded islands and entered a sapphire sea surrounded by green ar chipelago at the back of which Singa- pore lay like a picture before us. It was afternoon and heavy black clouds hung over the palms. The mighty steamers coming in and going out left trails of smoke behind them, and az we advanced the storm broke and peal of thunder gave us a royal salute. Then the air cleared and We could see Singapore ris- ing almost straight up from the water.
 singapore's Shipping.
 Big business blocks extend along the shore for mile or more The city has about five miles of docks and the harbor Is one of the busiest of the world. The wharves are so built that ships can steam right up to them, and scores were at anchor discharging or taking on cargo. My ship was one of the P. and O. line, and we had to go to the upper end of the city before we came to the pier, We passed vessels going out on their way. to Australia, great liners coming in from Ceylon and a royal Dutch packet vessel bound for Borneo, the Celebes and New Guinea.
 As-we neared our anchorage we could see the Chinese coolies working on the new docks. Tens of millions of dollars have already been spent to improve the facilities for handling cargo, and the gov ernment is now laying out millions more. Within the past two years it has en- tered upon scheme of expansion which comprises about forty million gold dol lars and the work of carrying this out is now under way. Included in 1t is a dock for rdpairing vessels which will take in ships almost 300 feet long and accom- modate the largest steamer ahoat.
 Scenes at the Wharyes.
 But come with me for walk along the wharves, and see how the freight Is managed in one of the biggest ports of the c,ient. The labcrers are of every shade oi flack yellow and brown. There are Eundi eds of Chinese whose cream-colored skins have been turned to old gold by the tropical sun. They wear little more than breechcloths around their waists, and carry great loaos upon their bare shoul- sers They load and unload the coal, and Go the heaviest work of all kinds. Here is a ship taking on fuel A platform has been built from its deck to the wharf. It is an inclined roadway, with an angle of 45 degrees; but up and down it, as busy as ants, the yellow laborers trot. They work in twos, each couple carrying a great bag of coal, slung to a pole which rests on their shoulders. There are 50 900 tons of coal in those warehouses at the hack, and ship can be loaded in two h ours. That coal comes from England, a;,d it has traveled over 5000 miles to the S'rait of Malacca.
 Among the other workmen are Kings, ss black as coal and as straight as pine trees. It is they who drive the bullock carts from wharf to wharf, or back into the city. They are lean. wiry fellows. with long hair on their chests and limbs and straight black hair coiled around their heads. They have regular features, and their lips are as thin and their fore heads as high as our own. They dress n white cotton, single sheet of which forms a whole suit. There are hundreds of their race in the city. They are noted for their thrift and many of them are bankers. who have thousands to lend, al- though their daily dress costs less than $, ..nd they sit half naked On the boxes in which their money is kept.
 The cart that man is driving is pulled hy- two bumped cattle like the sacred bullocks of India. The animals are as white as snow, and as clean limbed as Tersey. They walk liee aristicrats were they in Holy Benares, on the banks of the Ganges, they would be fed daily uron rosebuds and garlands of flowers. Down here the god irlammon rules, and