Despite British attempts to improve infrastructure through public works projects, Singapore in the 1830s was a dismal place.
Much of the island was covered in jungle and swamp. In the town, streets were prone to flooding, littered with rubbish and lit only by coconut oil lamps.
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on February 10, 2019, with the headline 200 years of nation-building: A betel nut tax, anyone?. Subscribe