ABSTRACT
THE following lines appear in a little book printed in Singapore in 1898:*
“The real heroes of British history in this part of the world are such splendid men as Sir Stamford Raffles and the first Rajah Brooke of Sarawak. Their names will never be forgotten, but much useful work in preparing the way for our gigantic commerce of to-day has been done by brave men whom none will remember. The trading captains of the old days made their money very fast, and got as much of it as they wanted, but they seldom succeeded in keeping it. Their fortune was generally entrusted to some one or another who made away with it in the end. Many trading captains have been lost in uncharted seas, murdered by pirates, or stricken down by fever in the midst of their career. They led a stirring life of it, did useful work, and were altogether an interesting race of men.”
