The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-02-22

,iau from where l am writing, Bang
kok. Siam. is only four days away
and Burma is just around the ~
ner This island lies midway IN the
straits of Malacca. It is the chief
stopping place between the RACINE
and indian oceans, and it IS just
half way between China and lndla.
IT is the gateway of the east, where
the shaved heads Of the celeStlals
and the turbans of the Hindus bump
against one another. TO the north
and east all is Monaghan. to the
west and northwest everything In
dian.
/ came to Singapore rom Hong
kong. 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 a green archipelago,
at the back of which Singapore lay
like a picture before us. II was aft
ernoon and heavy black clouds hung
! over the palms. The mighty steam
ers coming in and going out left
. trails of smoke behind them. and as
we advanced the storm broke and a
peal Of thunder gave US a royal
salute. Then the air cleared and
we could see Singapore rising almost
straight up from the water.
Singapore's Shipping.
Big business blocks extend along
the shore for a 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 We're at anchor
discharging or taking on cargo. My
ship was one of the P. & @. line. and
ship was one of the 2. & O. line, and
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 work
ing on the new docks. Tens Of mil
lions of dollars have already been
spent to improve the facilities for
handling cargo, and the government
is now laying out millions more
Within the past two years 1t has
entered upon o scheme of expansion
which comprises about forty million
gold dollars, and the work of carry
ing his out is now under a In
cluded in it is a dock for repairing
vessels which will take in ships al
iIlOSl HING 10Ao GU lCSk III dIu dG-
commodate the largest steamer afloat.
Scenes at the Wharves.
But come with me for a walk along
the wharves, and see how the freight
is managed IN one Of the biggest
ports Of the orient. The laborers are
Of every shade of black, yellow and
brown. There are hundreds of Chi
nese whose cr~eam-colored skins have
been turned TO old gold by the trop-
ical sun. They wear little more than
b~reechcloths around their waists, and
carry great loads upon their Dare
shoulders. They load and unload the
coal and do the heaviest work Of all
kinds. Here is a ship taking on fuel.
A platform has been built from it's
deck to the wharf. It is an in
clined roadway, with an angle OF
forty-fv" degrees; but up and down
1t. as busy as ants, the yellow labor
ers trot. They work In twos. each
couple carrying a great bag Of coal.
slung to a pole which rests on their
shoulders. There are fifty thousand
tons Of coal In those warehouses ut
the back and q ship can be loaded in
two hours. That coal comes from
England. and 1t has travelled over
5000 miles to the Strait Of Malacca-
Among the other arc
Killings. as black as coal and az
straight as pine trees. It is thav
who drive the bullock carts from
Wharf TO wharf. or back into the civ
Ihey are lean. wiry fellows, with lone
na1r on their chests and limbs and
stra1ght black hair coiled around their
heads. They have regular featnro.
and their lips are as thin ana 80,
as high as our own. The,
oress IN white cotton, a single sheet
" when forms a whole suit. There
are hundreds of their race in ~
Guy ne are noted for their tbrift'
h az n th or them are bankers, who
daily dress costs less thar one do11on
a. - ,ney SIT half naked on the boxes
III which their money is kept.
me cart that man is driving ia
pulled by two bumped cattle like +he
sacred bullocks of India. The AMI
n nad are as white as snow, and as
~ ninoe as Jerseys. They walk
~ dIiSlOcTAfG and