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Walking Tours
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By
the Belly of the Carp
Every Saturday 6.00 -8.00 pm
Twakows, tongkangs, boats of every size plied the river as pepper, rubber, rice, silk and porcelain from all ends of the world converged. Where it all began, the lifeline of Singapore’s reputation as ‘emporium of the east’. It took one Raffles, 3 months, 200 labourers and no Farquhar to make it work....This is the tour that takes you overland, underground and through water to make sure you’re soaked, drenched and wringing wet with history, trivia and everything great about Singapore.
The River that brought Raffles...
In search of ...
In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles was an agent of the British East India Company,
on a search for a new trading centre in South East Asia along the lucrative
India-China route and to break the Dutch trading monopoly in the region.
A Small Fishing Village ...
He found a small fishing village, Singapore, that offered everything he
wanted.Unfortunately the island belonged to the Johore Empire, which was
ruled by Sultan Abdul Rahman and lay within the Dutch sphere of influence.
A Strategy...
However, being a shrewd man fluent in Malay language, culture and history,
Raffles managed to lure to Singapore, Tengku (Prince) Hussein who was
the elder brother of the Sultan and an opposing claimant to the throne.On
6th February 1819, Raffles signed a treaty recognising Tengku Hussein
as the rightful Sultan of the Johore Empire, with promises of protection
and money. In return, the British were allowed to use Singapore as a trading
base.
A New Beginning...
Raffles declared Singapore a free port. The new colony flourished rapidly
as it attracted thousands of people looking for business opportunities,
and a better life.
