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

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and Government House gates. Opposite these
gates is Tank Road, which leads to the principal
railway station in Singapore. Continuing further,
we come to Orchard Road Market, which can easily
be recognised by the handsome fountain in front
of it, and then to Tanglin, the leading residential
district of Singapore. Few of the houses can be
seen from the roads, owing to the exuberant vegeta-
tion. Most of them are provided with spacious
grounds formed into gardens and tennis courts.
Keeping to Orchard Road and turning to the
left we come to the Barracks, with its golf links
and drill grounds. Here the English regiment is
stationed. Next to the Barracks are the Botanical
Gardens, described elsewhere, and on the left of the
Gardens Tyersall, with its ornamental grounds,
the Singapore residence of the Sultan of Johore.
Beach Road crosses the canal and runs past
Raffles Hotel and right away on past Raffles
Reclamation and the Volunteer headquarters
and Chinese Volunteer Club (opposite which
is a fine Chinese temple) to the busy shops of
the Asiatic eastern quarter. Parallel to Beach
Road, in which are the brass shops, runs North
Bridge Road. Of the streets between the two the
most interesting is Rochore Road, for here are the
bird and animal shops. Amongst the birds are
innumerable doves in cages, whose value is accord-
ing to the sound of their coo and according to the
number of rings on their legs— 37, 41, 44 and 47
are lucky numbers, and if the rings are raised high
the bird is accounted good. Ten dollars {/^i 3^-. ^d.)
is not too high a price for a really good bird,
according to Malay fanciers. Here is a list of birds
and beasts you shall see in Rochore Road, if you do
not mind smells— Java sparrows, grey with pink
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beaks, monkeys, white rabbits, fowls with feathers
growing reversed, porcupines, tiger cats, bears,
cassowaries, pigeons, purple gallinules, cockatoos,
two gibbons, black and silver, sitting folded in each
other's arms, most fascinating of all monkeys,
snakes, guinea-pigs, parrots green, parrots red,
parrots blue, purple parrots, parakeets, little tiny
birds in sapphire blue, old gold and crimson, deer,
golden pheasants, hornbills, the slow loris, civet cats,
squirrels, all of them shrieking or twittering or
cooing and apparently very pleased with themselves
in spite of close quarters. Singapore sea front is
crescent shape and the eastern horn ends in a point
called Tanjong Rhu, covered with tall casuarina
trees. Behind this lies, on a sandy beach, five
miles out of Singapore, Tanjong Katong, where are
seaside hotels. The drive out to this place is
pleasant, once the Asiatic town is left behind.
The road runs through the characteristic mangrove
swamp of the Malay Peninsula and then through
coconut groves and rubber estates. The hotels
stand on grassy lawns amongst coconut palms, and
a stroll along the beach in the direction of
Singapore past the disused fort offers a very fine
view of the anchorage and town from the east.
There are many picturesque drives either for
motors or carriages in Singapore. To the reservoirs
at Thompson Road is one. Another is out to the
Gap, two hours return by motor, or along Tanjong
Katong and the East Coast Road along the sea to
Bedoh, returning by the Changi Road. This is a
two-hour motor run. The drive to the reservoirs is
the shortest of these for a carriage, say two hours,
and as it is not necessary to return the same way a
great deal of the prettier portions of Singapore are
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