ls, and papers, and to look at the shops. There are not
many Malay specialities to be bought here; most of the curiosities
come from India, China, and Japan, with the exception of birds of
Paradise from New Guinea, and beautiful bright birds of all colours
and sizes from the various islands in the Malay Archipelago.

The north-east monsoon still blows fresh and strong, but it was
nevertheless terribly hot in the streets, and we were very glad to
return to the cool, shady rooms at Government House, where we
thoroughly appreciated the delights of the punkah.

There are very few European servants here, and they all have their own
peons to wait on them, and carry an umbrella over them when they drive
the carriage or go for a walk on their own account. Even the private
soldier in Singapore has a punkah pulled over his bed at night. It is
quite a sight to meet all the coolies leaving barracks at 5 a.m., when
they have done punkah-pulling.

At four o'clock Mr. Douglas called to take us for a drive. We went
first to the Botanical Gardens, and saw sago-palms and all sorts of
tropical produce flourishing in perfection. There were many beautiful
birds and beasts, Argus pheasants, Lyre birds, cuckoos, doves, and
pigeons, more like parrots than doves in the gorgeous metallic lustre
of their plumage. The cages were large, and the enclosures in front
full of Cape jasmine bushes (covered with buds) for the birds to peck
at and eat.

From the gardens we went for a drive through the pretty villas that
surround Singapore in every direction. Every house outside the town is
built on a separate little hill in order to catch every breath of
fresh air. There is generally rather a long drive up to the houses,
and the public roads run along the valleys between them.

It was now dark, and we returned to dine at Government House.

_Sunday, March 18th_.--At six o'clock this morning Mabelle and I went
ashore with the steward and the comprador to the market. It is a nice,
clean, octagonal building, well supplied with vegetables and curious
fruits. The latter are mostly brought from the other islands, as this
is the worst season of the year in Singapore for fruit. I do not quite
understand why this should be, for, as it is only a degree above the
line, there is very little variation in the seasons here. The sun
always rises and sets at six o'clock all the year round; for months
they have a north-east monsoon, and then for months together a
sout