Like other cities in the East Singapore is a mixture of beauty and
squalor. In the region of the banks, steamship offices, and wholesale
houses there are many handsome buildings: but in the Chinese districts
that make up the greater part of the business section, for the Chinese
merchants far outnumber all others, there are narrow crowded streets,
small houses, and large and variagated smells. There is also a
notorious and wide-open red-light district that is a disgrace to a
modern and supposedly civilized town.

While the saloon is not particularly in evidence the indulgence in
_stengahs_ (Malay for _half_), or whiskey and sodas, is well-nigh
universal among the European population, not always excluding the women
and clergy. Since alcohol is said to be particularly dangerous in the
tropics it would be interesting to know the total effect of this general
indulgence. It is generally conceded that after a few years of tropical
life Europeans must go home to recuperate; it would be interesting to
know if the use of strong alcoholics bears any relation to the frequency
of these necessary trips to temperate regions.

[Illustration: PART OF A CHINESE FUNERAL PROCESSION.]

Certainly life seems easy and pleasant in Singapore, especially among
government officials. About eight or nine o'clock in the morning a
stream of rickishas, carriages and automobiles carries the men down town
from their pleasant and often very handsome homes uptown or in the
suburbs. Many of the finest of these homes are owned by wealthy Chinese
merchants. About five in the afternoon the stream sets in the other
direction, carrying those whose day's work is over back to their cool
villas or to some recreation ground where tennis, cricket, golf, or
football may be enjoyed for an hour or two before dark. Dinner is
usually between seven and eight and is over in time for evening
entertainments which begin late. Although too far from the beaten tracks
frequently to enjoy first-class dramatic talent, there are the
ubiquitous "movies," and for the transient visitor the Malay and Chinese
theaters are of great interest.

[Illustration: PART OF A CHINESE FUNERAL PROCESSION.]

An excellent race course provides entertainment of that sort at frequent
intervals. For the more serious-minded the extensive Raffles Museum and
Library is centrally and beautifully located.

The beautiful Anglican Cathedral is the largest church in the city, and
many other denomination