Walking with Raffles at the Singapore River in 1819

Image credit: The Bute Archive at Mount StuartThis was the Singapore which Raffles saw when he landed at the mouth of Singapore River on 28 Jan 1819. We take a walk with him using the Bute Map*, the earliest map of Singapore River (published in 1820, a year after Raffles landed here). *The Bute Map now in The Bute Archives at Mount Stuart in Scotland is attributed to Lieutenant Henry Ralfe of the Bengal Artillery, who was then the Assistant Engineer of Singapore.

Raffles landing site 1819. Image credit: WikipediaRaffles' landing site in 1819 is commemorated by a statue (on Singapore River's north bank).

Image credit: Screen grab from Google mapThe spot is at the doorsteps of today's Asian Civilisation Museum. Raffles' landing site was a fishing village near the palace of Temenggong Abdul Rahman. At that time, Singapore (Singapura in Malay) was the capital of the Johor Sultanate whose span of control included Johor and the Riau islands. The Temenggong was part of the nobility responsible for administration, security and defence. Temenggong Abdul Rahman was the Sultan's brother-in-law.

Sultan Hussein Shah. Image credit: WikipediaThe monarch was Sultan Hussein Shah (reign 1819 - 1835).

The Sultan's Palace (Istana Kampung Glam) was inland from the southern shoreline where there was a seaside village (2 km east of the Singapore river). Istana Kampung Glam. Image credit: WikipediaToday, Istana Kampung Glam houses the Malay Heritage Centre. Realising Singapore's potential as the British Empire's bastion commanding the east-west trade route, Raffles audaciously signed an agreement with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdul Rahman to set up a trading post at the Singapore River just 9 days after stepping foot on the island. The trading post was a (3 mile) strip of land "the distance of a cannon shot" centred at the mouth of Singapore River.Paperwork done, let's take a walk with Raffles while he makes plans for Singapore's future. (During his first visit here, Raffles remained in Singapore until Mar 1819 when he left for Aceh in Sumatra.)

Raffles ordered a bridge to be built just upriver from his landing site to link both banks of Singapore River.

Elgin Bridge 2015. Image credit: WikipediaA wooden bridge was built in 1822 named Presentment Bridge (also known as Jackson Bridge and Monkey Bridge). The bridge was demolished and expanded three times over the years. In 1862, it was replaced a third time with an iron bridge and renamed Elgin Bridge. Today's Elgin Bridge made of concrete is the fourth edition built in 1929.

Northeast of Raffles' landing site (his statue is looking in that direction) was Singapore Hill (which was eventually developed into Fort Canning). At the foothills, there were gambier plantations operated by Chinese settlers (believed to be Teochews) with the Temenggong's approval. Gambier leafs were used to wrap betel nuts for chewing and also as a leather tanning agent. There were 20 such gambier plantations when Raffles arrived in 1819.

On Singapore River's south bank across from the fishing village where Raffles landed, there were Chinese settlements (believed to be Teochews). The trading post which Raffles envisioned will be here on the south bank directly across from the fishing village on the north bank.However, the south bank was blocked by a swamp making it unsuitable for berthing boats, so earthworks had to be done before it could be opened for business.

The Singapore River mouth was guarded by two promontories known as Rocky Point. At the entrance of Singapore River off Rocky Point, there was a 3 metre tall by 3 metre wide sandstone slab erected in the water. It narrowed the entrance to Singapore River and was invisible at high tide. It might have been erected as a defensive measure.

Singapore Stone. Image credit: WikipediaConsidered a navigation hazard, the British blew the ancient sandstone slab into pieces and removed it in 1843.Only a single fragment remained today - it is known as the Singapore Stone. It is considered a national treasure and kept at the National Museum of Singapore. Believed to date back to the Tenth Century, the inscriptions are indecipherable.

Raffles ordered the hill at the promontory flattened, and its soil used to fill up the swamp and build embankments at the south bank. The Chinese settlers at the south bank called the promontory hill 山仔頂 or "Little Hill Top".

Raffles Place. Image credit: WikipediaThe flattened hill was redeveloped into Commercial Square and later Raffles Place (of today). So, if you ever wondered about the perfectly flat square in Singapore's Central Business District, it was Raffles who flattened it in 1822. And, once upon a time it was "Sua Kia Teng" 山仔頂 or "Little Hill Top".

Boat Quay 1842. Image credit: National University of Singapore Museum CollectionReclamation works started in 1822. When opened for business, the south bank was simply called Boat Quay, a name it retained till today. In this watercolour sketch by Charles Dyce of Singapore River in 1842, we can see many small boats berthed at the embankment and shophouses lining Boat Quay. The quay workers wore pigtails meaning they were subjects of the Qing dynasty in China. Across the river from Boat Quay was a settlement of boat houses meaning they were probably Orang Laut or Sea Gypsies. On the horizon were huge sailing ships anchored in Singapore's harbour off Rocky Point. We can see the battery of cannons at Rocky Point pointing towards the sea.

Boat Quay 1860. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeBoat Quay quickly attracted many Chinese traders who saw Raffles' free port as a great opportunity. The shape of Boat Quay looks like the "belly of the carp" which is considered auspicious in Fengshui (Chinese geomacy). Believing that the "belly of the carp" promised luck and wealth many came to seek their fortunes here. By the 1860s, Boat Quay was handling 3⁄4 of Singapore's trade. Boat Quay 1980. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeBoat Quay and the Singapore River remained an important shipping hub until the Pasir Panjang container terminal opened in 1983 (which made the bumboats obsolete).

Boat Quay 2006. Image credit: WikipediaThe bumboats were cleared from Boat Quay, the Singapore River cleaned up, century old shophouses and godowns gazetted for conservation and were restored. In 1995, Boat Quay re-opened as a world class recreation and entertainment destination with upmarket clubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, etc., catering to international audiences. We are not sure if Sultan Hussain or Temenggong Abdul Rahman hosted Raffles to any banquet. If they did, Raffles didn't write home about it 😅 We do know that the Sultans of the Malacca Sultanate (which were predecessors of the Johor Sultanate) did host banquets, thanks to the research of Professor Shaharudin and Chef Norzalina. It was probable that Johor Sultanate cuisine was similar as they came from the same court as the Malacca Sultanate. Some probable dishes using ingredients harvested or hunted from the surrounding land and sea, cooked with spices from Indonesia 👉