Jaina Gazette 1927

Author(s): J L Jaini, Ajitprasad
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office

Page 39

24
THE JAINA GAZETTE
satisfied with our little sojourn ashore and we took precautions to fill our depleted stock of fresh vegetables. We also tasted a new kind of fruit known locally as mangostein. This fruit does not grow in our part of the country and hence it was a novelty for us.
In the eveniag about five or six our boat left Colombo. The next stop was Singapore the same place at which the British Government is going to make a Naval Base. This was the longest part of our journey. After six days we reached there. On board our boat there was a cargo of onion for this place. Immediately as the boat arrived on the jetty unloading began. This cargo was meant for an Ahmedabad firm of Bombay, Calcutta and Singapore. The agent of the firm had come on board and we picked up acquaintance with him. In no time we knew all about him and his firm. He was so glad as to invite us to his place and at once he sent us along with his servant to his house. A car was placed at our disposal and we thoroughly enjoyed his hospitality for two days. These people were so kind to us that not only did they entertain us but gave us numerous things for our journey aud we can never forget the kindness with which they treated us. It was particularly our good luck that we came across vegetarians. Not only did they do this much, they gave us letters of introduction to their acquaintance at Kobe the first port of Japan where we were to get down and quit the boat. Singapore is an island and big palatial buildings are to be seen everywhere. The city is always full of tourists and traders. This is essentially a trade centre. Most of the rubber produced in the Malay Peninsula and in the Federated Malay states is exported through this port, besides a lot of nuts etc. are exported to India and other spices are exported in great quantities. The city is very active. The ordinary conveyance is rickshaw and the drivers are Chinese mostly. There are good many Indians here, but the majority of Foreigners are Chinese and all the trade is in their hands.
I would now beg leave of my readers and the remaining portion of my account of journey I shall conclude in the next letter
and then I shall begin with Japan and things Japanese. Allarsain. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat