and India. The city is divided into the Chinese, Malay, and European
quarters, with a population of sixty thousand, and is elaborately
fortified. A moment's thought will recall to the reader's mind a fact
which is of interest in this connection. England has established and
maintains a line of outposts from the Mediterranean to the far East,
commencing at Gibraltar, thence to Malta, Aden, Ceylon, Penang,
Singapore, and Hong Kong, thus completely dominating the south of Asia,
and giving her a clear road to India, besides making her power always
realized and respected in the East.

There is no disguising the fact that the Chinese, attracted to Singapore
by its freedom from commercial restrictions, and its advantages of
position, have contributed very largely to make it what it is, the most
prosperous settlement in the East. It literally swarms with pigtails,
the Chinese composing nearly half of the population. We cannot afford to
ignore the commercial value of this race, however much we may dislike
them personally. Opium dens are conspicuous here, over the doors of
which is printed in English, "Licensed Opium Shops." It seems that these
Mongolians cannot or will not do without the subtle drug, while there
are many people who do not use the article, but who contend that it is
not injurious except when taken to excess. An intelligent resident,
however, admitted that opium was in one way or another the cause of most
of the crime among the class who habitually use it. It is the Chinaman's
one luxury, his one extravagance; he will stint himself in food,
clothing, amusements, everything else, to add to his hoard of dollars;
but this fascinating, artificial stimulant and narcotic combined he will
not deny himself.

An Englishman, who joined the ship at Singapore, related a tiger
adventure, which had occurred here not long previous to our visit. There
was ample evidence that one of these much-dreaded creatures had made his
lair not far away from the town. Our informant had come hither with a
friend on a hunting excursion, and resolved, if possible, to secure the
creature's hide. Three or four days before a native woman had
disappeared from the suburbs, and it was resolved to take advantage of
the trail which was made on this occasion to track the beast through
the jungle. The sportsmen, with six native beaters, easily followed the
track, the animal's fore paws evidently sinking heavily into the ground
with the weight of the body