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.
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