This is probably a view along Keppel Road overlooking Blangah Bay towards Kampong Telok Saga, the Orang Laut village on the north end of Pulau Brani. Visible on the left are two government coal sheds, built in 1865 on Pulau Brani for the British Admiralty, which could store some 8,000 tonnes of coal. Also visible are the Superintendant’s house, a quay wall and a short wooden pier. Two early forms of transport are also seen in this photograph, the bullock cart and the hackney carriage. During the pre-rickshaw period, these were the most common means of transport. Buffaloes were imported from Malacca, India and even Bali, while horses were mainly imported from Australia and India. Up until 1886, horses were auctioned for sale at Raffles Place.
