Excerpt from An Anecdotal History of Old Times in Singapore, Vol. 1 of 2: With Portraits and Illustrations From the Foundation of the Settlement Under the Honourable the East India Company, on February 6th, 1819, to the Transfer to the Colonial Office as Part of the Colonial Possessions of the Crown on April 1st, 1867

I had the columns of the history cut out of the newspaper, sewn into a book, and interleaved. This was sent to Mr. W. H. Read, who passed it 011 to Mr. James Guthrie, who died lately at an old age. Their remarks, additions, and corrections were added to others which came in from various quarters, owing to the publicity in the newspaper. The result was that by the kindness and good-nature of many of the old residents of the place, I had the loan of a great number of papers, books, documents and pamphlets, of all kinds, age, and descriptions; some coming to pieces with usage, some eaten through by white ants, and all more or less snfiering from the mis-directed energy of insect life. All these papers, with much other material that came to light after the papers were first written, have been worked into this book. It has been carried down to the Transfer in 1867, as the principal mark of an epoch in the story of the place. Occasionally later events have been added, where they seemed likely to be useful, as showing the result at the present time of what was then done.

This work then had been in gradual growth for over twenty years when the first chapter was put in the hands of the present printers; and has been over a year in the press, from various causes, which may explain some of the allusions to the present day, which vary from July, 1901 to September, 1902.

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