But if the scenery around us was not remarkable, the spectacle on board the vessel itself was highly interesting.  The crew was composed of seventy-nine persons, comprising Chinese, Malays, Cingalese, Bengalese, Hindostanese, and Europeans.  As a general rule, those of each country generally took their meals separately with their own countrymen.  They all had immense plates of rice, and little bowls full of curry; a few pieces of dried fish supplied the place of bread.  They poured the curry over the rice, and mixing the whole together with their hands, made it into small balls which they put into their mouths with a small piece of fish; about half their food used generally to fall back again into their plates.

The costume of these people was very simple.  Many of them had nothing more than a pair of short trousers on, with a dirty old turban, and even the place of this was sometimes supplied by a coloured rag, or a cast-off sailor’s cap.  The Malays wore long cloths wound round their bodies, with one end hanging over their shoulder.  The Chinese preserved intact their usual costume and mode of life; and the coloured servants of the ship’s officers were the only ones who were occasionally well and even elegantly dressed.  Their costume consisted of white trousers, wide upper garments, also white, with white sashes, silk jackets, and small embroidered white caps, or handsome turbans.

The manner in which all these poor coloured people were treated was certainly not in accordance with Christian principles.  No one ever addressed them but in the roughest manner, and they were kicked and cuffed about on every occasion; even the dirtiest little European cabin-boy on board was allowed to act in the most cruel manner, and play off the most ignoble practical jokes upon them.  Unhappy creatures! how is it possible that they should feel any love for Christians?

On the 9th of October we landed on the small island of Pinang.  The town of the same name lies in the midst of a small plain, which forms the half of an isthmus.  Not far from the town rises a picturesque mountain range.

I received five hours’ leave, which I devoted to riding about in all directions through the town in a palanquin, and even going a little distance into the country.  All that I could see resembled what I had already seen at Singapore.  The town itself is not handsome, but the contrary is the case with the country houses, which are all situated in beautiful gardens.  The island is intersected by a great number of excellent roads.

From one of the neighbouring mountains there is said to be a very fine prospect of Pinang, a part of Malacca, and the sea, and, on the road to the mountain, a waterfall.  Unfortunately, the few hours at my disposal did not allow me to see everything.

The greatest portion of the population of this island consists of Chinese, who perform all the manual labour, and engross all the retail trade.