Excerpt from Trade and Travel in the Far East: Or Recollections of Twenty-One Years Passed in Java, Singapore, Australia, and ChinaMy wanderings have been neither few nor short, and, perhaps, verify the old proverb, that a rolling stone gathers no moss. I have crossed the Ocean in forty different square-rigged vessels, have trod the plains of Hindostan, the wilds of Sumatra, and the mountains of Java, have strolled among the beauti ful hills and dales of Singapore and Penang, have had many a ga110p amid the forests and plains of Aus tralia, have passed through the labyrinth of reefs forming Torres Straits, and have visited the far famed Celestial Empire. My first idea, in endeavour ing to retrace my journeyings and adventures, was, that the personal narrative might serve to amuse a circle of private friends. But the notices relating to the Openings for Trade in the Far East, and to the subject of Emigration, together with the free stric tures upon the causes of the recent depress1on in our Australian colonies, will, I venture to hope, be not unacceptable to those who are interested in the exten sion of British commerce, and in the well-being of the rising communities which form an integral part of the mighty Empire now encircling the Globe.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.