Diary entries by Clarence McElroy during his trip to Asia.
. . .of the Portuguese Gov. Went to the wall & gate which marks the boundary between the Chinese & Portuguese. It is about ½ mile from the City. Went to the house where the lottery is located & also went to one of the fan-tan gambling houses & saw them playing. Lottery is licensed & pays for the privilege $150,000 per year. About 20 gambling houses are also licensed & they pay $450,000 a year license. The cost per day to a gambling house is about $250. This is the Monte Carlo of the East & especially for the Chinese who are inveterate gamblers.
Jan. 13”
We left Hong Kong today at 12 o’clock sharp on the Derfflinger of the N.G. Lloyd lines. The day was bright & beautiful & cool.
Jan. 17
We reached Singapore today at 3 P.M. being 4 days & 3 hours cruising from Hong Kong. The voyage has been smooth & the weather pleasant.
Singapore is located at 1°21’ north of the Equator & is situated on an Island of the same name. The Island is 27 miles long by 14 wide & is not mountain but rather hilly.
The City is very attractive but is scattered over much territory stretching along the water front. I judge some four or five miles.