e bright. Just
as soon as we left the main avenue we began to see life as it is in
Singapore after dark. The first native street was devoted to small
hawkers, who lined both sides of the narrow thoroughfare. Each had about
six feet of space, and each had his name and his number as a licensed
vender. The goods were of every description and of the cheapest quality.
They had been brought in small boxes, and on these sat the Chinese
merchant and frequently his wife and children. A flare or two from cheap
nut oil illuminated the scene.

Passing in front of these stands was a constantly moving crowd of
Chinese, Malays and East Indians of many races, all chaffering and
talking at the top of their voices. At frequent intervals were street
tea counters, where food was sold, evidently at very low prices. Ranged
along on benches were men eating rice and various stews that were taken
piping hot from kettles resting on charcoal stoves. One old Chinese
woman had a very condensed cooking apparatus. Over two small braziers
she had two copper pots, each divided into four compartments and in each
of these different food was cooking.

Back of the street peddlers were the regular stores, all of which were
open and apparently doing a good business. As in Hongkong, the Chinese
workmen labor until ten or eleven o'clock at night, even carpenters and
basket-makers working a full force by the light of gas or electricity.
The recent events in China had their reflex here. All the makers of
shirts and clothing were feverishly busy cutting up and sewing the new
flag of the revolution. Long lines of red and blue bunting ran up and
down these rooms, and each workman was driving his machine like mad,
turning out a flag every few minutes. The fronts of most of these stores
were decorated with flags of the revolution.

The most conspicuous places of business on these streets were the large
restaurants, where hundreds of Chinese were eating their chow at small
tables. The din was terrific, and the lights flashing on the naked
yellow skins, wet with perspiration, made a strange spectacle. Next to
these eating houses in number were handsomely decorated places in which
Chinese women plied the most ancient trade known to history. Some of
these women were very comely, but few were finely dressed, as in this
quarter cheapness seemed to be the rule in everything. Around some of
these places crowds of Chinese gathered and exchanged comment apparently
on attrac