< C H A PT ER V III. •
Island of Singapore.—Geographical description and physical aspect.—
Natural productions.— Climate.—Agriculture.—;Manufactures.—
Trade.—Population.—Wages and profits.—Description
of the town".—Markets.—Administration.—Civil and
military establishments.—Revenue.—History of the settlement.
H a y i n g not only seen a good deal of the new
and interesting settlement of Singapore, during
the voyage of which I am now rendering the narrative,
but having afterwards been charged with
its local administration for a period of near three
years, my reader will reasonably expect that I
should render some account of it: I shall therefore
devote this separate chapter to the subject..
The Island of Singapore, of an elliptical form,
is about twenty-seven miles in its greatest length,
and fifteen in its greatest breadth, containing an
estimated area of about two hundred and seventy
square miles. The whole British settlement, however,
embraces a circumference of about one hundred
miles ; in which is included about fifty desert
islets, and the seas and straits within ten miles
of the coast of the principal island. Singapore is
separated from the mainland by the old strait of