Alfred Russel Wallace travelled to the Malay archipelago in March 1854 along with his collecting assistant Charles Martin Allen (1839–92). During his travels he hired as many as 1200 people at various points of time and in various places. Among them some made an impression on him and were credited in his writings. When they arrived in Singapore on 18 April 1854, Wallace hired a Malay boy named Ali. He described him:
