Singapore

an island at the southern end of the Malay peninsula, from which it is separated by a channel less than a mile in width, called the Old Strait. The island belongs to Great Britain. It has an area of 206,000 square miles. The city of Singapore near the southern extremity of the island is situated on a fine harbor. It is a free port of call, without even a custom house. All Malaysia markets here. Ships from England and India bring the goods of the western world is Singapore; ships from Japan and China bring the goods of the Pacific coast. Enormous quantities of merchandise are loaded and unloaded at the wharves six miles in length. Over fifty lines of steamers from the east and from the west meet here, like the caravans of old, to exchange cargoes of tin, sugar, pepper, nutmegs, mace, cubebs, sago, tapioca, rice, buffalo hides, rattan, gutta percha, india rubber, copra, tea, coffee, dyestuffs, tobacco, wine, spirits, cloth, opium, fish, coal, petroleum, hardware, cigars, preserved fruits, canned vegetables, and machinery. The export of Singapore is not less than $250,000,000 annually. It is called "The Liverpool of the East." Singapore is headquarters for the menagerie trade in pythons, tigers, pangolins, and other East Indian animals. Population, 250,000.