Another excursion by favor of the Messrs. Heard and of Captain Arthur
H. Clark of the steamer “Suwo Nada,” plying between Hong Kong and
Singapore, was made to Singapore. On the way, we stopped at Saigon, a
French port in Cochin China, from which the French were then compelling
the enemy to retire. Rice is largely exported from this place, and
opium is received to an amount which tells a fearful story. Here we saw
noble specimens of tigers, which are declared by authors of high repute
to have destroyed on an average one man a day through the year, not
many years ago, in some parts of the East Indies. They swim over to the
islands from the main lands. They approach their victim from behind,
felling him with a blow upon the head.
Singapore is about eight days by steamer from Hong Kong, including the
visit to Saigon. At Singapore you feel that you are in the East Indies,
from the luxuriant foliage, the birds of marvellous plumage. We were
politely taken to the country seat of Dr. John Little, by his brother,
Matthew Little, Esq., where we found ourselves in a forest of cocoanut
trees. The fruit is brought in loads to the mill, where a long blade in
a frame separates the outer covering, and the nut goes through several
processes by which every part of it is turned to use. The saying is
that the cocoanut serves ninety-nine purposes. The rough husk being
subjected to a powerful pressure is at once reduced to a fibrous state
ready to be worked into coir mats or spun into cheap ropes. The natural
bend of the husk, adapting it to the human head, it is sometimes
carefully prepared, and dyed, then worn. We were entertained in a
sumptuous manner with true East Indian bounty. We rode home after nine
o’clock in the evening, listening to every sound, the rustling of every
tree and brake, prepared to see a tiger spring upon the horses. We were
glad to see the lights of the town in exchange for the long, solitary
road which, however, with all its imaginary or real perils we would not
willingly have failed to travel. At the residence of Cyrus Wakefield,
Jr., and Temple R. Fay, we were superbly entertained, and from these
gentlemen we received very many favors. Among them, a box of corals
which had attracted my notice as I passed through the packing room of
the counting house of Messrs. Bousteed & Co., and which awakened a
hopeless desire to purchase, I afterward found was in preparation for
us.--Mr. Vaughan and Mr. Hanna laid us under great obligations by their
beautiful hospitality.
A principal road runs close by the sea, is well shaded, and abounds
in delicious odors from the gardens. The house and grounds of a
rich Chinaman, Mr. Whampoa, are visited by foreigners as objects of
interest. Rare East-India plants, ponds filled with the pink lotus,
vines trained or trimmed in fantastic shapes, such as eagles, deer,
lions, and many others, on frames, trees with great variety of foliage,
make the place attractive. A six-legged turtle which we examined was
an object of much interest to its owner. He is a venerable man, speaks
English well, gives free admission to visitors introduced by any one
with whom he is acquainted.
It made us feel that we were indeed in Eastern regions to be
contiguous, as we were one day, to the residence of a Rajah, the name
savoring of Oriental life.