Federated Malay States Railways : pamphlet of ... - Sabrizain.org

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church carries a number of forgotten graves. It is
sad that there cannot be traced at present any
plate or drawing to show what was the original
appearance of " the church which because Afonso
de Albuquerque was very much devoted to Our
Lady he ordered his men to build, and gave it the
name of Nossa Senhora da Annunciada."
The scenery on that section of the railway
which lies between Rembau Station and Malacca
is, without doubt, the most beautiful on the whole
line, especially the piece between Malacca and
Tampin. It is, therefore, a pity to reach and
return from Malacca by the night trains, since the
views are lost. The road runs alongside the
railway most of the way, and is, for scenery, the
fairest in the Peninsula. The distant blue hills,
the rice-fields, the Malay orchards, every now
and then a bright river, or ponds full of lotus
provide views which will never be forgotten.
KUALA LUMPUR TO SINGAPORE.
What some account , the best dinner in the
Malay Peninsula is served on the train after leaving
Kuala Lumpur. It is advisable to defer going to
bed until Seremban is reached at half-past ten, as
passengers enter and alight there, but after
Seremban the very comfortable beds invite us. As
the speed over this section is not more than
twenty miles an hour it is not difiScult to sleep,
and, the temperature falling at night, it is cool.
It is unfortunate that the traveller, whether
going up or down the line, must pass during the
night the beautiful views of the Rembau valleys,
but with that exception the section between Johore
Bahru and Kuala Lumpur is quite uninteresting
and just as well passed in the night, nor is much
lost by passing up at night across the island of
Singapore to the ferry across Johore Strait to
— 39 —
Johore Bahru. Going
down, the train reaches
the ferry (as at Penang,
the launch which
ferries passengers and
baggage is part of the
train, and no attention
need be devoted to
baggage, for it will be
brought across and
re-entrained) at seven
o'clock, and the
traveller sees some-
thing of the interior
of the island of Singa-
Nakajlma.. Kuala Lujnpur.
Tapping Para Rubber.
pore. The principal station. Tank Road, is some-
what inconveniently situated at present too
far from the centre of the town, but one may
reckon on reaching a hotel with the baggage
a little after nine, in time for bath and
breakfast. It is advisable to telegraph from
Kuala Lumpur for rooms, in which case the
hotel runner will meet the train and take the
baggage. But in any case the gharis and rikishas
will take you to the centre of Singapore without
direction.
SINGAPORE.
The early history of Singapore rests upon
tradition, and from this it seems to be established
that " leaving Palembang in Sumatra, some Malays
settled in Singapore about 1360 a.d., under Sang
Nila Utama. The latest authoritative account of
this settlement describes the ancient kingdom of
Singapore or Tamasek as a mere offshoot of the
State of Palembang, which did not last for any
length of time, but came to a sudden and terrible
end in the year of the great Javanese invasion,
1377 A.D. The legends connected with the fall of
the city of Singapore on this occasion suggest that
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