. The governor wore
the decoration of the Legion of Honor and was most dignified in his
bearing.

A smooth sea and fair breeze made the next two days and a half fairly
enjoyable, but the heat was overpowering at times; the nights were spent
by many on deck, where the firmament could be enjoyed, as the Southern
Cross was seen in its great beauty. Singapore, the next stopping place,
afforded us a fine drive in a chariot through the country. These
vehicles seat comfortably four persons, a charioteer, who drove, and an
outrider seated behind. Their turkey-red calico sacques, with a white
cheese cloth skirt and high red turban, gave them a showy appearance,
while the diminutive animal which drew us in the most submissive fashion
plodded his way over the well-rolled roads of red clay. The tropical
growth of trees and shrubbery almost hid from view the bungalows of the
better class of people. These buildings were one story in height,
surrounded by wide verandas, the roofs of which were thatched with huge
palm leaves, while the bamboo split in two formed excellent gutters to
convey the water to the ground. Dates hung in profusion upon the trees
alongside of the road, and bananas half as long as your arm were offered
you, the taste of which is very unlike ours. The palm and rubber trees
grow like the forest trees in our own land. The red and white arbiscus,
running wild over trees and house, with the ox-eyed daisy, almost as
large as the sunflower, and the marigold, which is the flower that the
Indian idolater uses in his worship, grows in profusion here. The
abundant moisture from frequent showers, followed by a blazing sunshine,
produces that tropical luxuriance for which this portion of the Orient
is celebrated. To sit upon the steamer's deck at early dawn one sees
close to the horizon in the north the Pole Star, in the south a few
degrees higher the constellation of the southern cross is in full view,
while on land the scene of the greatest activity is at this hour. The
rude cart, drawn by cream-colored, humped-back, reversed-horn cattle,
driven by a coal-black Tamil in a bright red turban and perhaps a loin
cloth, lends interest to the picture, and the superb shoulders of the
natives are well exhibited, as they unload from barges drawn close to
the steamer's side huge sacks of coal, which they heave to one another
till they reach the hold of the vessel. This is performed mostly by
women with a weird chant of "heave ho" that