A SYSTEM GEOGRAPHY, POPULAR AND SCIENTIFIC, APBYSICAU POLITICAL, AND STATISTICAL ACCOUNT WORLD AND ITS VARIOUS DIVISIONS. BY JAMES BELL, VOLUME V. GLASGOW: ^- dnced hy the Spaniard! ; and the cocas wai brongitt bithn in 1670, and diriras admirably ; bat European froit trees eeoM to bear fnut when trana- ported tbither. The orange^tree. grows in the opeo fields to ita full height. Among the indigenous plaala is the wild banana tree, from the fibnniB fila^ ments of which a kind of cloth and ropes are inanQhctiired. Catde arp nnmerona ; and the nambere aad Tsrieties of fish amazingly great. The riven are infested with crocodiles ; and the danonpaly serpent is af the ¦DOst poisonona kind. According to native traditioDB, all these islands, and especially Manilla, were once entirely possessed by negroes, who, when other races arriTed on the coasts, fled to the monntains, which are atill inhabited by their descendants. The practice of tattooing is followed here, and was at one time so frequent that the Spaniards, from this urcnna- stauce, gare some islands of the groope the name of Piniadot, M. Peroase supposed that die total population of the I^iUppiaes might be 3,000,000. In the Singapore Chronicle of 30th September, 1824, it was stated to be as follows : Natin Indiaaa E39S,3S1 MesllfM 118.030 Chin» . . 7,000 WhlMa . 4,000 Many of tha», by their Ereqnent intercourse with Europeans, have ac- quired a degree of energy and intelligence greatly superior to all the in* habitaats of the more westerly isUnde, In inUepidicy they greatly excel the Hindeos, and are hence generally employed ax gunners and steersmen in the intercolonial narigatioB. The trade between the Philippines and Acapnico, in Mexico, was for ages conducted by one galleon of 1,200 or 1,600 tons. The well known narrative of Ansou's capture of the Manilla galleon may convince ns, not only of the great size, but also of d)e gre^t value of theae vnaela. She used to sul, in Jnly or August, with a cargo consiat- ing of the mannfactares of China and Hindostan, and the produce of the Spice and Snnda islands, and arrived at Acapnico in three or four months. The voyage back was performed in abont half the time, with a cai^ of cochinml, cocoa, Spanish wines, oil, wool, and bar-iron, bnt chiefly in ballast. It is a cinrnmstance remarked by Mr Crawford, that the Phi- lippinea are the only islands of N.W. Oceanica which l^ve improved in dvilizBtioo, wealdi, and pcqndatiou, in consequence of tbeir intercoorse wiA Europe. When Gnt visited, they were inhabited by a race of savages inferior ID every re^Mct to any of the adjacent pagan nations ; but now they are m decidedly anperior. To nudenund the reason of thia, it is suffident to re- mark, that the Spanish government finding here no spices, no rich mana- factores, no mine* of precious metal, did not think of monopolizing com- merce, but satisfied itself with drawing a fixed capitation tax from its native subjects, and freely distributed the unappropriated lands amongst the colonisia. The consequence of this state of things was a free intermixture of the local sodety, and » communication of the art* and manners of Eon^ to the native races. Manilla,'} The largest of tbe Philippine gronpe is called Lueim Ltmm, Siaait, New Caitiie, or Manilla. The centre of this island is in 14° 38' N. kat. and ISV 50' E. long. It is re<^oned by the Spaniards to be 160 THE ASIAriC ISLANDS. 193 Spanuli leagnM iu length, or (rom N.W. to S.E. and 35 or 40 ia braodth: Its sitiiatian is extremely fkvoorUile in a commercul pmut of visw, beii^ placed between the eastern and weatern contmeDta ; baring China on the N^ the utanda of Japan on the N.E. ; the ocean on the £. ; (be other ialanda of the Philippioe gnmpe mi the S. ; and to the W. Malacca, Siam, and Cochin China. Point Calaan, at its loutbem extremity, is separated friHn the isle of Samar bjr a strut of fitoal three leases brmd ; and point Cid>icunga, at its northern estremitf , ia distant 80 le^;aes from the island of Formoaa. Manilla ia forned by ttm peninsular masses of land, united by an isthmos duee leagues in iM'eadtb ; the northern of these peninsnlas ia called Lncon Proper, the sonthem receives the name of Camaritut, An elevated cbua of monotidns intersects the whole length of this island, and iends ODt a mimber of braacbee in different directions. The most remark- able points in the chain are ; Ararat, Tayabat, St Cr'uloval, Labol, and the volcanic Abbay in the S.E. quarter. The geneial character of this island is volcanic ; and vary violent eartbqoakes were experienced here in 1650, 1754, and 1824. The principal rivers are the Tajo, on the N., and the Rio Grande, the Chiquilo, and the Mardtia, on the W. In the centre of the island there is an extensive lake, called Bay, in which we find the island of Talin. The climate of Manilla is moist ; but not so warm as might be expected from its latitude. Hnnicanes often commit great devastation ( the wet season lasts from June to September, dnring which period the & wind blows constantly, «id die level country is wholly inundated. The climate is esteemed unhealthy to European^ particularly if they visit the Hland wfam young ; bat the lunvee irften hve to.a great age. The soil of Manilla ia exceedingly ferule, and prodaces cotton, indigo, sugar, rice, tobacco, and coffee, with little labonr- Cinnamon, nutmegs, and doves, are amongat the indigenous pro^uctians ; and, with a little care, the spices of this island might he made a source of great weidth. Of palm- trees there are said to be no less than 40 ^wcies ; cocoas are plentiful ; end the forests produce ebony mid sandal-wood. A great part of the interior of die country is still oorered with dense rich forests. Cattle of dif- ferent kinds are nnmeroas, and in some places mn wild ; the forests ^lound in deer. Native iron is found in masses, and there are also sevenl quar- ries of marble. In short, were this island in the possession of an indus- trious race of people, and well-goremed, it would be one of the most va- luable possessions in these quarters. Fi»eign vessels were formeily bur- dened with such heavy duties that tbey amounted almost to a prohibition of eommerce, and the only exports were dollars ; latterly it has received greater eneoumgemwt, and the colonists export indigo, ebony, coffee, pepper, rice, sugar, pearls, cordage, pitch, tar, and rettans. In 1837, the value of inportations amounted to 1,048,680 piastres ; and of exportations to 1,094,690 piastres; viz.: Bfl^rtoJ,™. H Spanidt TtMds. S50,aoopu. 384,991 £13,030 196,851 TPniich, bOjOih 132.850 TEiH^sb, 106rf»S0 SO.Mt ftoao ai,69* - . i Dutch, 3,130 87,711 1 llra^Itn, B6.6W 5,060 1 HunbuK, SCIdiu«fmlu, 3»,76S 364,*85 e,uo 196.143 iDsaUh,^ 30,300 i,e Dap chieftains of the interior of the island is, that their territories shidl be administered by tbe Dutch, and the revenues equally divided. A rough map of the extent uf the Dutch residency has been constructed prin- cipdly from tbe obser^tions of Mr MuUer, assisted by those of other gen> tlemen who have travelled in various iKrections. By this map it appears that the residency extends over nearly one-third of the whole island. . Pkyikal Features, 4«.] Borneo exhibits the osual insular structure — a mass of lofty mouutains m the centre, sloping gradually down to level and alluvial tracts along the shore. The principal chain of mountains must ex- "d N. and S. nut far from the E. coast. It is watered by many line rirera. ^NDS. 197 of which dioM beat known to Enropeans ara tbe Someo, the Banjari or Bander, and the Sukadana and Pontiana, which are all navigable, by boata, lor mare than 50 mil«i above their jnnction with tbe m«. It is probable tbey anse from a marahy table-land of great elevation in the raoniitsiDoiis district. The interior is covered with immenae foreata filled with wild animalB, particnlarly orang-outangs ; hot Qo European has yet explored this region. A great part of the coast, for a Iveadth of 15 or 20 inilet, IB marshy, exhibiting in scattered patches the eioberance of tropical fertilitv. Inland is tbe lake of l)anao Malayu in 1° 5^ N. lat. and 114" 20* E. long. It was first visited by Enropeans in 1823. It is 8 leagues by 1 broad, in same places 18 feet deep, and its dimensions are considerably incfeased in Uie runy season. Two islands rise above the surface of its waters, and it is stored with nnnterons fish. The larger island ia called Vaitder Capellen, and the lesser Tobias. Uris island has be«n often devastated by volcanoes Bnd eafthqnakea. At Sukadana Uie thermometer is very seldom under 82* or above 94^. The sea and moontun breezes, and the rains, which are constant from November till May on the western caaat, constdembly freshen tbe fttmospbere. PTodttctionir^ Borneo prodace* rice, sago, black pepper, icamphor, boney, cotton, cloves, dye-woods, sandal'wood, ebooy, gold, iron, vm, cop- per, diamonds, and antimony. Tbe diamond-mines are confined to ^e W. and S. coasts, being principally situated in the territories of Pontians and Bangennassin. The resident Bngis are the great dealers in diamonds. Tb« rajah of Mastan is in possession of one of the largest diamonds known to exist. It was obtained about 100 years ago fi'om the mine at Landak, and weighs 367 carats gross. Its estimated value is £269,377. Previons to ISllii, when the Dnlch seized this coast, npwards of 32,000 Chinese wer« employed in the gold mines at Mantradn, and the western parts of Borneo. Valuing the yearly produce extracted at 72 dotlara each man, tiie sum total wonld amount to 2,224,000 dollars annnally, or £556,000. But taking the medium quantity at 117 dollars per man, tbe sum total wonld be 3,744,000 dollars, or £936,000. In 1812, it was estimated that the annual amount of theee mines amounted to 4,744,060 doliars, or £1,186,000, valuing Uie dollars at ds. each. The sum annually remitted by these industrious emigrants to China was £500,000, and about one-half of that was remitted to Bei^al and the western part of India, and the sur- plus went to Java. But as a just punishment of Dutch avarice, tbe govem- ment of Java now suffers a monthly loss of 34,000 gulders in supporting the resideucy of tbe W. coast of Borneo. Tbe camphor of Borneo is excellent ; it b obtained from the Daohalanops camphora of Caiebrooke — a different tree from die Laurus camphora, and found only in Sumatra and Borneo. The Borneo camphor, however, sells for £500 per quintalj while that of Sumatra is osoally valued at £330. Benzoin, the resin of a spedes of styrax, is largely exported. Antimony has been toahd in masses, or rather mountains, and the exportation of this article has pro- digiously increased of late years. It is in Borneo that the largest of the monkey-trihe, the Jioago, is found. Wild bnffaloes, hoars, tigers, and ele- phants abound ; and tlie species of birds are innumerable. Population.^ The populauon of Borneo has been estimated — we sup^ pose above the truth — at 3,000,000. The Interior is entirety occupied by ft native race, bearing the general name of Dayaks, but vftrionsly named nccording to the parts of tlie island which they inhabit, and nearly similar in character to thuGe who occupy the interior of Sumatra. Some cultivate the gronnd, — otben diipUr coiuiderabla iadiutiy in fiahing,— and a f«w amptoy themwlrM in collecting gold, — but their institntioiu in general 'a&' cate the rndest atnte of hnmaii society. In penonal appearance they are decidedly aaperior to the Malays, and their women are rather good- looking. Polygamy is not practised. It has been r^XHted that they deroor the flesb of llieir enemice — an assertion probably in tbis,,aa in many instances, without foundation. All accounts agree, howerer, aa to another trnly savage cns- tom, by iriiich every man is debarred from the privilege of matrimony an- til he has with his own band cat off the head of an enemy. Those who are deairom of entering into this state, form themselves into what Dr Leyden calls ' head-hnnting expeditions,' and make an inroad into the ter- ritories of a neighbouring tribe ; if their strength appears sufficient, they en- deBTODT to effect their objecls by force ; if otherwise, they conceal them- selves behind thickets till an unfortunate iodividnal pasaea, whom they can make their prey. When a married woman dies, her hnabantl is not allowed to take a second wife until he has stain an enemy in battle, and offered bia bead in sacrifice to the manes of his deceased wife. Some are also said to immolate human victims on the altars of tbeir divinities. The inbsbi- tanta of the towns along the coast consist chiefly of Malays and Chinese. The nnmber of the latter has been estimated, by a recent writer in lbs Sngi^re Cfaronicle, at 125,000 souls. There is another race called Papon*, or NegriilM, who reside in the most inaccessible parts of die island, and have no intercourse with the surrounding population. States.^ Borneo is divided into a great nnmber of independent states, whose chiefs, being mnsaelmen, assume the title of rajah or sultan. Of these the staiea of Banjarmiutin, Succadana, Samba*, and ^rneo, are the principal. Borneo Proper,"] This state has a sea-coast of more than 700 milts in eitent, by a depth of from 100 to 150 miles. It has the Dutch resi- dency on the W., the boundary in this direction being Tanjoug Data, in 8* N. Ul and 110° 36' E. long.; on the E. it has the Bomean territories of the state of Snlok ; the month of the Sandakan river, in 5° 50' N. bt. and 1 18* 15' E. long., being tbe frontier. On tbe S. it has rarious savags tribes, as the Dayan, Dusum, Mureet, and Tataos, men who take a plea- sure in decapitsting strangers, and glory in boarding their skulls, wHIdi ars handed down to posterity as heir-looms of the family, and trophies of b«> reditary renown. To the atate of Borneo belong the islands of Malaweli, Banggi, Balambang, twice a British settlement, Baiabak, and Babnllsn, conmining several fine harbours, favourably sittuted for the trade of Chins, the Philippines, and their own vicinity. Borneo contains a nnmber of fine rivers, the most important of winch are those of Rayung and Batavis, which lead to Sibita, the capital of tbe Kayan, tbe most powerful, idolf trous, and uncivilized tribe of the whole bland. Mahari, like the two last on the N. coast, that of Borneo, properly so called, navigable for 20 miles for vessels of 300 tons ; and Sandakan, or China Bata:igan, on the N.E. coast of the island. The interior of tbe Bomean territory is filled by ei- tenaive chuos of high mountains, tbe most elevated of which is Keeneebaln, in 6* K. lat., and visible from both sides of tbe island, which here nins oat into a sort of peninsula. The western districts, as Sarawak and Kasin- laka, between 2" and S" N. lat., abound in metals, as gold, sine, and anti- mony. Though land animals abonod, yet it is curious that the elephant, the riiinocetos, and a species of leopard, (but not tbe royal tiger,) adtt only in a comer of this vust island, its northern peninsular eitrenuty, ia THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 199 iba distticta of Ungsang and PaiUo, they an nowhare to be fonnd in mj part of tbe arcbipelago, to the eutward of thu. Like all coontriM in a rude aad nnimproved Btste, the Botneaii territory is inhabited, or rather infeated, by Dnmerooa barbaroui tribea, differing from each other in lan- guage, and ever in a Mate of hoatiliiy. The principal tribea inhabiting the country are 16 Id natnber, of which the Malaya are the chief, the moat powerfal, and the moat civilized. The Pagan tribea closely resemble each odier in manneri and curtome, and in one thing the most of them agree — in cutting off hnmsn beads and hoarding ebolls. Satage, howerer, as they are, they Are not, in some respects, in tbe lowest scale of social life, as they hare almost all some knowledge of sgricnltura, cultivating rice and Airinaceons roots and poise. None of them are hnntsmen, nor wretches living on wild roots or raw oysters. In rehgions feelings the Boraean sa- vages are eminently deficient, as they have no apparent system of religious belief, have ueither gods nor idols, nor temples nor priests. Yet they are very mperstitious, very attentive to good or bad omens, and especially to the cry of birds. None of them have any knowledge of an alphabet, or any oUier way, by visible signs, of permanently recording their ideas. This is somewhat singular, as all the great islands have each one or more alphabeta. This may be owing to tbe primitive sterility of a coontry rich in minerals, but without foreign intercourse with people more civilized than themselves, and the difficulty of commuoication with a coast which has no lai^ openings into the interior by means of bays, indentations, or lai^ astoaries, but is throughout a compact and unbroken shore. The saltan of Borneo is a Malay prince whose Malay subjects do not constitute one- tenth of the population, even including the tribes converted to the faith of the Koran. Like the other Malayan races, tbey seem to have come from the interior of Sumatra, to the W. coast of Borneo, and thence to the N. coast ; and this is an event of no great antiquity ; for it took place 29 Bomean reigns since, or 560 years ago, estimating each reign at 20 years on an average, and the Bomeans had not even adopted the Mohammedan creed at their first migration. Tbe government is like that of other Malay states, hereditary and despotic. The radah or aultaun has a council of four miois- twa, the treasurer, the general, the chief justice, and the minister properly so called, and are denominated the pillars of the slate. Under these are two subordinate great officers, the second minister, and a depnty-generaL Tbe affiurs of trade are managed by four inferior chiefs, of whom the ptinct- pal are the intendant of the port and the warehouse-keeper, which latter was sent as an envoy to Sincapore in 1825, from the king, to open up a com- mercial correspondence with the British government. There are in Borneo 30 or 40 pangeraus, or hereditary governors, rendering tbe government a Man of uisiocracy. Borneo city is seated 16 miles up the river, in 5° N. Int., and is built on tbe banks within high-water mark, in a good meaanre teoembling Venice, each house being raised on posts from one to two fa- thoms in height, and connected with the neighbouring house by a single plank. Hie fortification alone is built on dry land- It had a considerable comm«t» with China till about 15 years since, and the annual emigration of CliinsBe to it was great, but it is now, or very lately, reduced to 500 emigraats, from the anarchy which then prevailed. The moat considerable trade tbe Bomeans have at present is with tbe port uf Sinc^rare, which iras, in 1826, visited by 40 vasseLi from die ports of Borneo Proper. The present monarch of Borneo is smd to be a liberal and enlightened prince, tbe best that ever filled a Borneao throne, one who loves justice and hatM oppreuion, speaks CbineM flnently, and aettlM all diqiutea ia peiKon between hie Malay and Chinese subjects, which has had the beat effect, and tenninated those feuda formerly so frequent. Pepper, anti- mony, bees-wax, and aeed-pearl, are piiacipally enpocted to Sincapore. The pepper is all the prodnce of Chbese iodiutry, these people being the eole cultifators. By means of Borneo an inlennediate commerce may be carried on with those prorinces of China with which no European nation has erer bad direct communication, and may eventually be of great advan- tage to the British commercial interest. - Stale Iff Samhat-I The town of Sambas is situated about 30 miles up the river gf the same name. Like most other towns in Borneo, it is built of tim- ber and bamboos, and raised by stakesabove the swampy foundation. Samba* bas been always a powerful state, devoting itself so entirely to piracy as to render its existence scarcely compatible with that of its civilized oeigbboura. On this account the British, in 1813, imdertook so expedition against it ; carried the fort by storm, and obliged the rajah to retire into the ioterior of his dominions. A number of small villages are scattered over the &ce of the conntry betwixt Borneo and Sambas. SliUe of Passir. ] The chief state on the eastern coast is Pasgir, utnated on a river of the same name. This district is low and Bat, marshy, woody, and extremely unhealthy. The inhabitants have a very bad <^sracter. SlaUt of Bargannaisin, t^.} Banjarmassin is the principal state on the aoathern coast ; it too owea its prosperity to a lai^e river, on the bank* of which it is situated. Ships may andior near the month of the river, in the port of Tombangou, or Tombomio, where they are well-eupplied with water and provisions. Hie popula^u of Banjarmassin is chiefly Javanese, with a co^idenble proportion of Bugis, Macassars, and Malaya. The Chiaese are also pretty nnmerons. The sultan resides at MoHapara, about three days' journey up the river. The district of Banjar produce* gold and diamonds ; pepper is abundant, and maybe considered the staple commodity. The iron is very excellent, and peculiarly fit for making steel ; but tbfl inhabitants themselves do not imderstand the art of mannfacturiog it. On the eastern coast, Mangedava and Pappul are populous, fertile, and well-watered districts. — XaUoodao possesses these advantages in aatili higher degree. — Tiroon produces sago in abundance, and edible birds' nesla more copiously than any other part of the Extern archipelago. Stale* ofSuccadana, ^c] Succadana waa anciently the meet power- ful state on the western coast. The Dutch began t« tntde here in 1604; but it is now entirely in the hands of the Malays, and seldom visited by Europeans. — Pontiana is a state uf recent origin, though it now exceeds in wealth and power — or at least did so until the recent Dutch expedition — all others on the western coast. This distinction it owes to the wisdom of the Arab prince by whom it waa fonnded. He renounced the pernicious policy — almost universal in these petty alates— of embarking in trade, and monopolizing its principal articles, but confined himself to his premier func- tions, of dispensing justice and securing protection to all who resorted to his dominions. Under this salutary policy, the town of PoatJaaa soon rose to be the greatest emporium in these seas. It ia situated on a large rivec, formerly called Latia.,^MomfaHaa, situated a little to the N. of Pontiana, is the beat market for opium upon the coaat. The dty lies 19 miles ap the river. Autkaritiet.'} Beckmann'e Voyage, 8vo., Lond., 1788. — Valentyn Bes- chryring van Borneo. — Raffles' Account. — Sonnerat's Noticear— A Mr THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 201 UnUcr vaa lately umplojrwl by the Dutch gOT«mmeiit to nmy ihit island, bnt he wu mnrdered by the iwtirei, nod bis jaaintlt hare not yet been imblwbed. CHAP. V.-CELEBKS AND THE MOLUCCAS. The UUitiia sitoated to the east of Borneo am) Java, and to the south of the Philippines, and extending to die immediate neigh bonrfaood of New Gainea, mre called by the French (geographers the Molucca*, or Spico Islands. More divided and irregular tlwn the Snnda Islsnds, th«y also contain a greater nunber of rolcanoes. Trees, beariDg more or leas ei- quiaita spices, seem (o be diffused over the whole of tbem. The king of Teniat« possesses die whole N. coast of Celebes ; and the govemmeDia of Macassar and Bands share with each other the Tinioorian chun. The Dutch of Batavia comprehend all these countries nnder the general name of De GrooU OomI, or 'the Great East.' The largest of these islands is Celebes, separated ^m Borneo on the W. by the strait of 'Macassar, and from the Molaccaa, properly so called, on the E., by the Mo acca passa^. That portion of the sea on the N. which lies betwixt this island and Mindanao, is sometimes called the sea of Celebee, sometimes the Mindanao sea. The figure of Celebes is ex- tremely irregular. Its superficies, according to Crawford, amounts to near- ly 55,000 British sqnare miles. The bays of Boni, of Toh, and, most of all, that of Tomiiii or Gunon^-TW/n, divide it into a number of peninsulas. The more onr maps have been improved in correctness, the more ragged and skeleton-like does this island appear, ft may be compared, saya Malte Bran, to a star-fish from which the radiating limbs on that side which lies to the W. have been removed : and it is remarkable that the ¦tnaller iaiuid of GUolo, adjtHoiag to it on the E., has the very same singu- lar form. The namerons gulfs confer on this island the advantage of a lemperatore mild for its equatorial situation, the heat being moderated by the copious rains and the cooling winds. The eastern monsoon lasts (rota May to November ; the opposite one prevails through the rest of the year. The tides liere are extremely irregular. Celebes contains several vol- canoes in a state of activity. The bold, broken, and verdant coasts, pre- sent some channing landscapes. Nnmeroos rivers fell in broken cascades at the feet of immense rocks, in the midst of m^estic groups of picturesque trees. The most poisonoaa of known vegetables grow in this island. The famons iipaf, the existence of which in Java has given occasion to so many fiibles, grows also here ; and the Macassars dip their arrows in its juice. Here also grow the clove and nnttneg-Uees, which the Dutch so avari- ciously ei^;ross, tbe ebony, the sandal, die calambac, the valuable woods of which are articles of export, tbe sago tree, the pith of which is used as an aliment by so many nations, the bread-fruit, and other frnit-bearing species. Rice and cotton are abundant. No elephants or tigers are seen in the forests, but many deer, boars, and, according to some acconnts, elks or antelopes. There is an infinity of monkeys of a very strong and very mischievons kind ; and there is a large species of serpent, by which many of them are devonred. The cattle of Celebes are small, and have a hnmp on the back. The island also produces bnfiaioes, goats, and sheep, which are remarkably lively and sure-footed, being well accnstomed to the moun- tain roads. Besides the fishes common to the seas of Celebes, with others in the same regions, we may remark that large qoaatitiea of tnnle are taken OD tbe eaatem coast, for tlie wke of tba tortoiM ahell, wliich is faera a VKlnabte article of cominerce. The northern peoinaala, from tbe UtboKu . to the district of Boolan and beyond it, is full of gold mines. Tboae of the district of Ankahooloo, near the Datcb aettlement of Gurootala, yield gold of 21 carats ; that fonnd in the others is of 18. Tbe beat known place in tbe islaod is Macassar, a fortified lowo in possession of the Dutch. It is situated in the S.W., on a point of land watered by two rirers. One of these rivers is broad, and allows a vessel to sail up within half-canaon- ahot of the town walla. Sonthain is also in the umtfa, on the bay to which it gives its name. It has a Dutch fortress immediately adjoining it. The bay of Bunthain is large, and atForda safe anchorage during both moo- aoons- The city of Boni is at a short distance from a lake which goea by the classical name of Tempi, and gives rise to a fine river. The nortbera provinces, the capital of which is Marot, supply the whole island with rice. Hwy contain 370 lai^ vill^es, occvpyiog tbe plains on tbe W. coast. Beyond the gulf of Kaieli tbe territory of the king of Temate be- gins, comprehending tbe whole oortheni and eastern aborea, aa far as tite gulf of Tomini, and extending a considerable way along the shores of this gulf. 'Diia territory, which is able to furaisb 17,000 soldien, is divided among a number of vassal princes. Tlie district which the Datch call Paloo, a flat and fertile t«mtory, is the ParUm of captain Woodward. Tolalola, a large town, according to an English Uavetler, is the Tontoltf of tbe Dotch. Magondo and Boolan are tbe lai^est states. Near Maiudo is Fori Amsterdam. On tbe grUf of Tomini the Dutch have the settle- ment of Goronlalu, in a country which abounds in bnflaloes, in iron-wood, and in rattans, and where the nights are rendered very chill by the mr of the monntmns. The TomifaiM occupy tbe central part of the island where the gulfs terminatB. Tambooko, and a part of the eastern coast, are poa- lessed by tbe Sadthooi, a savage race, who spend a greater proportion or their time in their fishing-boats than on laud. The inhabitants of Celebes, who are distinguished into Booghiete, or Bugit, and Macastart, are a vigorous and high-minded people. Their law allows any individual va revenge a blow by the death of the person who inflicts it, provided he lakes this revenge within three days. Among the more scmpuloua, even a haughty manner will not be tolerated. The practice of ranning a mack, which is common in all the smrounding blands, is parucalariy frequent in this island. A person who has snfiered a severe afiront, especially if his life or honour is in danger, and be is laid under restraint or captivity, if any weapon is within his reach, lays hold of it without the slightest wara- ing; sometimes with a hideous shont, immediately stabs those nearest to him, and, nmoing about with an infuriated took, deals death among friends and foes indiscriminately, till he is himself put to death by some person, who ihns performs an important service to society. The officers of police are fornished with three-pronged forks, for the purpose of overpowering persons in this unfortunate and desperate condign. Rtligxonr\ Tbe ancient natives of ibis island worshipped the enn and moon, and some local deities, lliey built no temples, deeming the cano- py of heaven the only temple corresponding in magnificence to the leading objects of their sacrifices and devotions. The influence of Hindooism ex- isted but in a very limited degree. The Mahommedan faith has now be«i established in tbe island for two cenlnries, and its priesthood f Sanghir, ^c] On the N.E. a dwin of islanda extends between Celebes THE ASIATIC IGLANDS. 203 and tbe S.G. point of Mioduiao. The prindpol one U cftlled Sangkir, wfaicfa is amd to be fertile tod popnloui. It is occupied by a Dntcb post. — Tbe island Siao, and the Talautzi ^np, form a chain along wicli S»Da- hir. These ielnnds are rich io ngo and oil of cocoa, and wero eaid a cen- tury ^o to contain 28,768 iohabitaDU. Hiey cootain two or three tre- mendona volcanoea. On the S. coMt of Celebes we find the ialanda of Salajfer, and Biliig- Tbe latter forms a separaM kingdom or anlunate. Tbe capital of ButoDg is a fortified dty. The inbabitanls mannfiKton cotton stuffs, and make clotb of the fibre of agave. Its exleneire forests ¦warm with parroqaeia and cnckatoos. A species of nntmeg tree grows here, called by natoralista Myritlica microcarpa, w umformif, from tbe fniit being of small size and in clnsters like the gT^>e. Mnch of the ground is OTermn with rattans, which climb trees, then trait along the ground, and climb other trees in h long succession. The fniit of the Bombax cliba, or iilk^ cotton, snpplies the monkeys with abandance of food. Thb MoLtJCCAS.J The Moluccas according to the original and proper application of the term, consist of five small islands to the W. of Gilolo, ris. Ternali, Tidort, MoUr, Makian, and Bakian, or Baehian, Bnt tbe aorereigns of tbe Molaccas had poeseasions in Giloio, Ceram, and other islands in the neighbourhood, and these are called the Greai Moivccat. The name seeme to be of Arabic derivation, aigniiying ' Royal Islands,' because tbey were the places of residence of the soTereigne trf the adjoin- ing islands. Volctmo«t.'2 The archipelago of the Molnccas bears tiie most erident marks of a conntry overturned by one of those physical revolutions which naturalists call debaeUt ; contuning islands broken and indented in a singu- lar manner ; enormous peaks, projecting abruptly from the surface of the deep rocks, piled up to immense elevations, and a great number of volca- noes, some of which are in a state of activity and others extinguished, I'he earthqnake«, which in these r^ons are Ireqnent and dreadful, render the navigation dangerous ; for not a year passes without the formation of new sand-banks, and the disappearance of old onee. Ciimale aitd planlt.^ Tbe heat attended with excessive moistuTe, fol- lowed by long drOQghts, and the natnre of the soil, which is a spongy rock, prevent the cultivation of the cerealia. The pith of the sago-tree serves for bread to tbe natives. I'he bread-fruit tree, the cocoa, and alt the fruit-trees of India, succeed in the islands. Tbe Pterocarput draco, or lingoa, is a native of these islands, and is used as a substitute for the teak. It is also cultivated for its fiagrant blossoms, which are mnch esteemed. Tbe wood of some of its varieties is highly perfumed. Though lees hard and durable than teak, it is handsomer, and therefore fitter for cabinet work. The enormous eicrescences which grow on it are wrought into beautiful articles, equalling in lustre the finest variegated marble. The spice trees, however, are the objects by which tbe avarice of Europe- ans has been principally attracted to thb part of the world. The Clove."^ The clove tree, {now called by botanists Eugenia earyo- ph^llatta,) is about forty or fifty feet high, with long pointed leaves like those of tbe laurel. Some compare its ^ipearance to that of the beech. At the beginning of the wet season in May it throws out a profusion of leaves. Soon after the germs of tbe frah are to be seen at tbe extremi- tiee of tbe shoots, and in four months the cloves are fully formed. The fruit, at first of ft green coloor, assnmee in time a pale yellow, and then « blood red. \t this period it is fit to be used as a spice, conseqaently this SOfr ASIA- ii the clove harveat. But to ripen rafficimtly for the p gation, it reqairec three weeks longer; in whicli period it swells to an ex- traordinsry axe, lotas mnch of its spicy qnality, and contains a bard na- cleos like the seed of the hay. It is now called ' the Mother Clove.' There are fire rarieties of this iruit. It has a more limited geographical distribution than any other nsefnl plant. It was originally confined to the fire Molncca iitlanda, and chisfly to Makian. It bad bMn conveyed to Amboyna a very short time before the aniral of the Portngnese. Not partial to lai^ islands, it does not grow well in Gilolo, Ceram, Booro, or Celebes. It has been cultivated, and lias produced frait, in the western part of Oceonica. It has also borne frait, thongb of inferior quality, for these fifty years in the Mauritius. Even at Amboyna the tree is not pro- dnctire before die tenth or twelfth year of its growth, and requires great attention ; wliereas in the parent blands it beers in its seventh or eighth year, and requires very little care or culture. It neither thrives near the sea nor on the high hills. The gathering, the drying, and the packing of it, are all as simple operations as possible ; and very little care is required for its preservation as an article of commerce. 7%e Nubngg.'] The other ralnable species is the Myrittica Motehata, or nutmeg tree ; which, in its general appearance, rmembles the clove tree, only it is less pointed at the top, and its branches are more spreading. Ita leaves are similar to those of the pear tree, but larger, and, like all those of tile nut tribe, dark green on the npper surface and grey beneath. After small white flowers, it produces a bmx very similar, in form and colour, to a nectarine. When ripe it resembles a ripe peach, and, bursting at die fiuTow, discovers the nutmeg with its reticulated coat, the mace, of a fiue crimson colour. The external pulpy covering has an austere astringent taste. Within the mace is the nntmeg, incloHed in a thin shell of a glossy bhuk, and easily broken. It has eight varieties, which ^ipear to be per* manent. The limita of its geographical distribution are much wider than those of the clove. It grows in New Holland, in the south of India, and in Cochin-ChinB ; but in these conatries it is void of flavour; and for oil useful purposes its geogrsphical limits are nearly as narrow as those , the fire Molnccaa prodnced annnally 2,376,000 lbs. Whea the bBde waa free, the quantity was oae half more. The whole prodac« at present does not exceed 700,000 Iba. Before the last time that the islands fell ioto the hands of the EDglish, Eorope conanmed annnally 553,000 lbs ; since that time about 365,000. The dnty impoaed in England woa then more than twenty-fold the price of the commodity where it grows. The price indeed fell, bat not in proportion to that of pepper, and other anala> gons articles. The quantity now consumed in England exceeds that coq- snmed in 1615 by 56 per cent.; but, if the trade had been Ires, it ought in the present state of wealth and luinry to have increased in the propor- tion oF 147 per cent, that being the case with pepper. The Dutch mono- poly liaa occoBJoaed a cultivation of ciovee in BoutIiod and Cayenne, which would immediately cease if the Molucca trade were laid open, the produce being ao mnch inferior. The same principles operate on the trade in nat- mega. In the ancient commerce, down to the establishment of the mono- poly, Dntm^ were always sold and tnuisported in the shell, and the na- tives, when left to themselves, are still disposed to continue that practice. The Dutch, to secure their monopoly more effectually, subject them to processes which destroy the powers of germmation, consisting in slow kiln- drying and smoking for diree months, and immersion in qnick-Ume and salt water, with diying, which require two months longer. This process is attModed, not only with loss of time and labour, but with great waste, and other inconvenieucea. The kernel is exposed by it to the depreda- tions of the nntmeg fly. It is estimated that a tenth part of the produce perishes in consequence of the separation of the shell. The English, when they conquered the Spice Islands in 1810, found in store more than 37,000 lbs. of bad, broken, and rotten nutmegs. The natural price of Uie article ought not to exceed four dollars per picul, or 2^. per pound, and in Europe the pound should not exceed 6d. but it is in general twelve times that price ; and in England, duties included, seventeen times as much. Mr Crawford, while he details these, among other important circnmstaneea, observes, that " the consumer pays this price for no other purpose than that a political juggle may be played, by which the party who plays it im- poees on itself, ivi^ont gaining any advanti^ whatever, while the grower is cheated ont of his property and out of his liberty." The consumption of nutmegs, aa well as cloves, in Europe, is emaller at the present day than b the middle ages. Black pepper and ginger have in a great measure tB~ ken their place, and, above all, the pimento and Chili commodities, un- known to Europe before the discovery of America, and of the ronte by the Cape of Good Hope. The following is the stale of the nntmeg trade at different pei iotls. Coosurapdon of nutmegs in all Europe in lei5, . - 100,000 Do. of mace in do. . . 1M),000 Cansumptionof nutmegs in England in IGlJ, . . 100,0410 Do. ot'mws 15,000 Wben the monopoly tint fell into the bands of the Engliih iu 1796, the consumptioo of nutmegs in Europe was S5,9G0 And oi' ttM-e, --.... Si.'iSi Consumption of nutmegs in Ei^Isnd, ... 39,071 vGooglc THE ASIATIC I 814,790 - f ¦ . ,, - - 850,0*0 Cariumpbon of nutmegs in England, ... S6 960 Banda Islands and Residency.] To the S.E. of the Uland of Amboyna, between 3° SO* anil 4." W S. lat., b b amall aoJ distinct vol- canic groupe of 10 isles, taking the name of Baiida from the principal island, Batula-Latilor. Tliese are all snbject to freqaent eanhquaken. Their climate is consitlered unhealthy by strangers. The island of Bands is inoantainouB, and an impenetrable bunboo forest occupies the whole in- terior. A Portnguese, Antonio Abreus, discorered this groope in 1512, at which time they were inliabited by Malays. The Portuguese established a settlement here in 1534; but the Dutch drove them Irom it in 1599, and nearly extirpated the aborigines also. In 1810, the British captured these islands; but, in 1814, they were restored to the Datch. Theyfonn a particular goTemment, or residency, nnder the governor-general of Ba- tavia. Tliis residency now includes besides the eastern part of Great Ce- nin, with the islands of Kuffitig Ceram, Laut, Guier, Coram Ket/, and ArtnB, and in general all the other little islands to the E. and S. of Banda. The popnlatioD of the six inhabited Banda ishmds, in 1796, was 5,763, of whom only 119 were Europeans. Aalhoriliet.'] Radennacher's Beschreibnng der Insel Celebes. — Woo- dard'a Narrative, Lond., 1804, 8vo.— CrawfnnL CHAK Vl.-JAVA ANDMADUEA. Silvalitm and ExlerU.'j Tbo island of Java, the centre of the power of a commerdal company which once ruled all the eastern aea, ia inferior in siite to Borneo and Somatra : being only 666 milea long, and from 50 to 135 miles in breadth. Its supeiJcial area la estimatMl by Stein at 53,335 square miles. It lies between 5° 52' and &<¦ 46' N. lat. and 105" 11' and 1140 3' E. long. On the N. it has the aea of Java, on the E. the struts of Bali wiiich separate it from tlie island of that name, on the S. the Indian ocean, and on the W. the straits of Sonda which sepanite it from Sumatra. Noma and Sutory."] The name Jawa, corrupted by Europeans into Java, in the Malay, signifies, according to some, ' the great island,' — ac- cording to others a particnlai grain which grows upon it, — but, according to Sir Stamford Raffles, is properly the name of the principal nation of the island, bestowed, as is common in such cases, upon the whole territory. The Arabs sad Persians call it J}fex«eret ool Maha-radje, or ' the island of the great king.' Some have aapposed it to be the lafid iiai of Ptolemy. It was discovered in 1510 by tlie Portoguese, who founded vaiioua settle- menle on ila coasts, from which they were driven towards the end oF the 16th century by the Dutch. The fall of the United Sutes of Holland, brought about the transfer of Java and its dependencies to Great Britain ; an expedition having been despatched from indis, against this island in 1811, wbicli took pOBsessiou of the Dutch settlements after considerable reaia- tance. It was restored to its former proprietors in 1816; yet, short as the period was during which we held possession of this Island, much waa araomplished for its amelioration and eJyancement within that brief space. By the abolition of forced services and arbitrary and veiatiooa iinpana. 208 ASIA. and by the ntabliahmerU of a moderate and equitable laod-4ax, (hn com- merce and tbe opriculture of the iiltud bo rapidly improvad, that the amount of tbe rerenae received in three yeaiB, from 1212 to 1615, wa« 16,810,149 Jars ntpees ; wtiile the amoant of the precMling three ygmzt, under the extortions practised by manhol Daendals, who placed himielf I above tbe iwiuJ formalities, and disr^arded all law, was no more than ¦ 8,425,765 rupeea. M. Depping coiroborates our sMertion respecting t) improvement efiected on tbia island by the British in these terms : " Tl old monopoly vanished, ancient secrets were divulged, dfiy succeeded 1 night, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was placed at the head of the Saw Society, natnr^iata, such as HorsGeld, laboured in its service, a fr was infused into its proceedings. English research prevailed, : this, loftier viewa, a more intimate acqutuntance with tbe sts in Europe, and a tenor of conduct far more befitting tbe c leanted institution. Raffies and Horsfield have aloe one-half the members of that sodety before tbem." ] ever, that the Dutch have not profiled by the lesson of h^ nomy taught tbem by the British. Having renewed tbeia tuid forced servicei tbe moment the island was restored 1^ chiefs rose against their oppressors, and have kept i _ with the Dutch fwces ever dnce, although latterly th« is said, has recently surrendered himself to the Dnlcli fl Cooii*.'] The most remarkable circumstance in H irregularity, narrowness, and great length, which nee traordiiiary extent of coast. The northern coast preseeti number of bays. Setting out firom Cape Sandaro, the N.E. extremity of tbe island, and going W., we encounter a vast bay protected on the N. by (he island of Madura. Tbe next object is Cape Mandaiia, at tbe extremity of a remarkable peninsula, which is succeeded by Cape Indramayo, Batavia and Bantam bays, and Cape St Nicholas. At the extreme N.W. ptant, the coast turns suddenly S.W. forming P^per bay, and Delkom bay. The southern coast commences with Cape Java, and presents one of tbe deepest bays in the whole island, the bay of Winkoopers, to the S.E which vre encounter Cape Vinezen. Extern Cape forms tbe S.E. extrei of the island, and between this p5 Tbe N. peskof TiloeinthediiCrictof Sanjanu . - M25 Goenong GoenCnei in the district of Timangamen . - 60BA Sdak ... 7173 GeJe . 9075 They all rise from a plain, but little elevated above the level of the sea. and each must be considered aa a separate mountain raised by a cause in- dependent of that which prodaced the othera. Besides the lai^er series, there are extensive ranges of inferior elevation, aometimea connected with tbe larger aeriea, and sometimes independent of them. The geological con- stitution of tbe island is nnfevoniable to tbe existence of metals. No dia- tnonda are found, or any other precioua stonea; but schist, quartz, felspar, potatone, and trap, are abnndnit ; porphyry ia alao asid to be found in Java. Tbe BMMt important rivers are those of the Cramang, the Indramai/o, and tbe Soh, which flow into the sea of Java, tbe Kadiro, tbe Kalileudo, and tbe Brotsat ^lone of them are navigable for any considerable way in- to die interior,' but there are probably 50, that in tbe wet season bear * Aa the thimHimetu bai been obamsd to low u 27* «f Fahraibeit, or ff below tb fnedi^ Doini, on the luramit of LIndoro, It !• dor that Ita altitude »UM be greeie tbantheUgbeitofthonmeaniradbf M. Rednwardi. ¦lown r&fts charged witb 4imb«r utl other nmgfc prodtKe. and oM leu tlian S or 6 at all timei navigable to die distance of 5 or 6 milee from- tke coaat. Several other men bll into the eea aloq; the northera cocat ; and count- leM rimleta, though not narigable, serve to irrigate the pluna and valleya tbrongh which they flow. A few jmigiiificant atreams discharge tbwr wa- t«rB into the sea on the soathern coast, which is Tery little known or Ik- qnented. Anong the mosntaiBS of the interior, are scattered sevenl amall ^t beantiful lekes, most of Aen aoppoaed to be the crat«n of eitiact r«l- tanoes. GimaU.'] The seaatms are here diuingaished not by hot and cold, b«t liy WM and dry. The westerly winds — which bringrain generally — setin during the nont^ of October, become more steady in November and De- cember, and gradnally sabtiik, till, in Mtek or April, they are sacceeded by the easterly winds and fair weather which continue for die renwiaing lialf of the year. The heaviest nuns are in December and .bnvnry ; and the driest weather in Jaly and August, whan the nights are coldeet «id the days hottest. Thunder and lightniaf; are very freqaent. Occa- iMHial showers, even in the driest Beas ward of about 27j. for the c^lure of a royal tiger, and 7i. for that of a spotted tiger. The rhmoceros inhabits this island, and is a powerful and dangeroos animal when provoked. Eren tbe Javanese, tbougfa in general good Marksmen, are shy uf hunting this ammal. The kalong, which is also called ¦ tbe Ayiag fox,' oa account of its breast and tail, it an immense bat. It ha* books on its wiage, by means of which it suspends itself to (be bnmdiee of fmit-treea in the night-time, bnt when day~light appears it flies back to its sequestered haunts. When they roam about at dusk in quest of prey, they assouate by thousands, and obscure the sky for several minutes. Peacocks are found in tbe solitary monntalnons districts. The number of distinct spedes of birds is stated to be flomewhat more than £00. The edible birds' nesta, exported in large quantities to the Chinese market, hare Icmg been known as tbe production of a small swallow, hi- nuuie eacuieata. The mucilaginous Babstance of which the nests are formed, is not, as has been generally supposed, obtained from the ocean ; but H an animal elaboration. On the dissection of one of these birds, by Sir E. Home, he discovered a set of secretory organs peculiar to itself, by which, tbwe is little doubt, the mudlaginous matter of these nests is ela- borated. This little bird, frequenting ibe rocks and caverns of Java, fur- nishes an article of commerce, the annual value of which exceeds 500,000 Spanish dollars. Tbe crocodile of Egypt is found in the rivers, and that species of lizard called tbe Uuxrta monUor. Turtles, tortoises, frogs, anakee, and insecta, are numerous. There are above 20 speues of ser- pents reputed venomous. Of fish there is great variety in the riven, lakes, wid adjoinbg seas. Though sulphur is found more or less in the vicbity of every volcano, we believe tbe only instance known of sulphuric add foand in a state of nature is in the island of Java, near Batavia. A lake of sidphoric acid occnpiea the crater of an eiUnct volcano, from whence it flows ui a rivulet down tbe aides of the mountain to a considerable dis- tance. In tbe dry season thii acid rivulet becomes absorbed by the sandy soil through which it run* ; but in the rwny period it unites with another stream, called the White river. Tbe water of tbe latter,",though saturated wiUi a whitish clay, is not unwholesome either to 6sh or other animals. Bnt after the junction of the acid rivulet, tbe stream becomes transparent, the acid precipitating the E«Ttby matter, and destroying not only tbe Gsb, but all tbe vegetation it passes over. Ptipuiatian.^ The Dutch East Indian government have always bad much difliculty in obtuning correct censuses of the population of their pos- ¦Hssions : " For," saya Ffy^r, " the princes, or other great lords, strive as much as poasible to increase the number of their households, and endea- vour to avoid making any return of births, being apprebenaivo of tbe inter- ference of tbe government, who allow them no greater number of servants ¦ a require." The prieata, too, are accustomed 212 ASIA. to oppose Ae taking of crasmea, upon the antboritjr of tbe koran, which alia down tbe pntuBhineDt ioflicted on king DaTid on the beads of mcb aa iramber tbe people. Gorernor Rmffles baa given two tables of the popu- lation : the &t»t taken by the Dutch, and not to he depended on ; the se- cond by tbe British goremment, and nader tai more faTonrable drcnin- stancee. From tbe latter it sppean, that the popnUtion of Java and Ma- dtu«, in 1S15, amounted to 1,615,270 souls, the nnmbei of males and fe- males being nearly eqnal. The population of the natire capital, Snrakerta, was estimated at 105,000 ; and that of Yugya-kerta at something short of this ; that of BataTia bad dwindled to 60,000, or about one-half of its for- mer nomber. Pfyffer, in bis ' Skizyen von der Insel Java,' published in 1829, says that the population is now thought to exceed 5,000,000 souls. Among the foreign settlers, the Chinese are the moat numerons, as well aa tbe most imprntanL There are nearly 100,000 Chinese in this country, and they are said to be " tbe life and soul" of its commerce. The Bugis and the Malays are establiahed in the maritime towns only ; of the latter about 500,000 inhabit the western part of Java, and apeak the Sunda lan- guage. Like the Chioeae, they have their own officers, who are respon- uble to the goremment for the conduct of the people under their command. The majority of tbe Areba on the islajid are priests ; they are a mixed lace, and prevail moU on the eastern extremity of the island, where Mahom- medanism waa first planted, llie Javanese possess no slaves ; those which are found on the island are the property of Europeans and Chinese alooe, and are generally procured from the islands of Bali and Celebes; tbey amount to about 30,000. Javanese.'] In common with the inhabitants of the whole Indian archi- pelago, the inhabitants of Java are pronounced by Sir S. Raffles to bear in their features marks of Tartar origin. The Javanese are in general tal- ler than the Bugia, but inferior to the Malays. Their colour is that of " virgin gold ;" their limbs are slender, their wrists and ankles particolarly email, the forehead high, the eye of tbe Tartar cast, the nose small and aomewbat flattened, tbe mouth well-formed, tbe cheeks prominent, the beard scanty, the h^r lank and black. The countenance is mild, plactd, and thonghifol ; and easily expresses respect, gaiety, earnestness, indifier- ence, bashfulneas, or anxiety. The women are in general less good-look- ing than the men ; and, when old, appear hideously ogly : those of tbe higher class, who ore not expoeed to bard labour and the weather, have a share of personal beauty. The manners of the Javanese are easy, cour- teous, and respectful, even to timidity; pliant and graceful, the people of condition carry with them an ur of fashion and good breeding, and are not in the least disconcerted by the atare of tbe curious. The condition of the peasant of Java would, under a mild and eqnitidtle government, be truly enviable. His cottage, or hut, costs him not more than from 2 to 4 rupees, or from 5 to 10 shillings ; the pliant bamboo fiir- nishes him with the materials for the walls, tbe partitions, and the roof; tbe dwellings of the petty chieh are larger, but do not exceed in valne 40 ¦hillings each. Those of the chiefa and nobles are still larger ; tbey have eupporta and beams of timber, and cost about £10 or £15. Hie Chinese have huildingn of brick and mortar- The cottages of the Javanese are never lu»ulated, but formed into villages, whose population extends from 50 to 800 or 300 inhabitants ; each has its garden ; and this spot of ground aurroundiog his simple habitation, tbe cottager constdera «a lua peculiir p«trimony, and cultivates it with peculiar care. " He laboora," THE AltATIG ISLAND* 213 my* gOTeniM' lUfflM, " to plant and to rear in it tboae T^;etable« that may be mott DKfnl to hia family, and those ahnibs and trees wbicb may •t once yield him tbeir fruit and tbeiT shade ; nor does he waste his effoita on a thaokleM soil. The aasemblage of hots that compose the village be- come thus completely screened from the rays of a scorching eon, and are ' ao buried amid the foliage of a loxnriant rngetation, that at a small dift- tance no appearance of a bnman dwelling can be discovered ; and the reu- dence of a numerona society appean only a Terdaot grove, or a dump of evergreens." It is tnie, that toe slavish aabmission of the inferior to hia sttperiw, amongst the Javanese, makes a melancholy impresaioo npoa the ¦aiod of a Earopean. The Javanese does not receive the commaods of hia radehn, or ' noble master,' or orang besar, ' saperior,' in an erect posture. but in the lowlieet attitude he can devise ; stooping down or utting with his legs crossed and bis body bent forwards. Whilst the order is giving, he frequently repeats the expresBioos, Nja nun! or nun! 'yes, my lord and mister,' though he uses luan, ' master,' when addressed by a Euro- pean. Withoot rising from the gronnd, or even casting hia eye upwards, he now and then brings hia bands toge^er by the tip of tile fiogen, and laiiea them to his head, in token of his entire eubmissiveoees. We find, however, hy degrees, that this condition, to which our prindples of inde- pendence would attach the name of slavery, is any thing but galling. Their servility implies just as much and no more than touching the bat, or other every-day civilities, among most Europeans : and, on the whole, (anch is the wanntb of the climate and the natural fertility of the aoil,) there ia acarcely a happier mortal under heaven's canopy than the peasant of Java. Every village forms a community withm itself, eadi having its officers, its priests, and its temple appropri^ed to religious worship. What Chris- tian but ardently prays, that tiiese synagognn of idolatry may be snp- planted by temples dedicated to the worship of the only living and true God I The furniture of the cottage is equally simple with the cottage that contains it, and consists but of a few articles ; the bed is nothing more than a mat, with pillows ; the inhabitants ose neither tables nor chairs, but sit crosa-l^lgBd ; and, in common with other Mahommedans, make nse of the right hand only at tbeir meals. Rice is the chief article of their snbsist* ence ; but various pungent pickles and condiments are used almost with •very spedea of food- Water is the principal and almost exclusive beve- rage ; it is generally drank warm ; eometimefl a little cinnamon or other ,apice is thrown into it ; and tea ia coounonly taken between meals. Of tfaeae there are two a day, one just before noon, and the other between seven and eight in the evening. The betel-leaf and areca nut are iodia- pensable articles for all classes ; and ^a use of that deleterious drug, opium, is hr too extensive for the healtii and happiness of the inhabitants. Agriculture is the prindpal employment of the Javanese ; indeed they are s nation of husbandmen. The wealth of a province or village is meaaored by the extent and fertility of its land, — its Escililies for ric«-irrigauon, — and tbe number of its buffidoea. Though the Chinese in a great measure monopolize the mannfacturea and handicraft trades, the Javanese sr« far from being defident in natural aagadty or dodlity. Like moat eastern nations, they are enihnsiaatic ad- mirers of poetry ; and are said to possess a delicate ear for music They have a kind of improvisatricd amongst them in their rongtM, or dancing- fpiia. Pfyffer says of a rongin : " Her songs are impromptu, and suited to ber auditory. In the twinkling of an eye she selects the prefer^U 214 ASIA. points of ber admirer's exterior ; an htcI) amile lights up her ftstwes ; she eitola bis hsndsome figure, his noble bearing, bis eyes, feet, and dress, and sums up ber eulogy with a seductire, and appamitly artless jMntrntiure of bis liberality and munificence. These ^rls also recite national ballads, of which tbe substance b deriTed from the legendary recoUectiiHii of tbnr ancient miers. Many of these b^lade are perfect fac-similea of Orid's Metamorphoses, and constitute a portion of JaTanese mythograpby." llie Javanese are remarkable for an unsuspecting and ^moat infaotine credulity, lending an easy credence to omens, pn^nostice, sootbeayeTs, and qaacks ; they are the ready dupes of any religious fonatic, and gire credit, widtout scruple or examination, to the clums of every pretender to Bnpernatural powers. Listless and unenterprising as they generally are, no sooner is their religious enthuaiBsm excited, than they become at once adventnrou* and persevering, esteeming no labour arduous, no remit imposuble, and no privation pain^l. Hera, as in many other of tbe Auatic islands, the people, and especially the slaves, are frequently guilty of those dreadfiii acts of vengeance called ' running a muck ;' in which the infuriated indivi- doal aims at indiBcriminate slaughter, till he himself ia killed like a wild beast. There are instances on record, wherein whole vilifies have devoted themselves to inevitable destruction, to avenge an injury or insult. Zengger and Bedui,"} To the eastwud of Sorabaya, are the Zengger mountains, on which is found tbe remnant of a people, amounting to about 1200, who follow the Hindoo worship. Tbey occupy about 40 villages, in the most beautifully rich and romantic spots in Java, — a r^on where tbe thermometer is frequently as low as ^2°, — where tbe summits and elopes of the hills are covered with alpine firs, — and where plants com- mon ta an European climate flourish in Iniariance. At tbe (^posite ce- tremity of tbe island, in tbe interior of Bantan, is another tribe called tho Bedui, the descendants of those who escaped into tbe woods after tho Sail of the western capital of Bajagaram, in tbe 15th c«ntnjy, because (hey would not change their religion ; and who, when at length they subouUed to the sultan of Bantan, did it on condition that they should not be com- pelled to adopt the faith of tbe Koran : they retain some ungulor customs, but their numbeis are inconsiderable. GoverHment,'2 The government of the Javanese is a pure unmixed despotism ; but dtere are customs of which tbe people are very tenacimis, and which ^e sovereign seldom invades. His subjects have no ri^ (rf liberty, of person or property : his breath can raise the bnmbleet individual from the dust to the highest distinction — or wither tbe honours ot tbe most exalted. Hiere is no hereditary rank ; nothing to c^pme his will. Not only honours, posts, nnd distinctions, depend Jupon his pleasure, but all the landed property of his dominions remains at his disposal, and may, together with its cultivators, be parcelled out by hie order among the officers of hie household, the members of his family, the ministers of his pleasures, or the useful servants of the state. Every officer is paid by grants of land, or by a power to receive irom the peasantry a certain proportioa of the pro- duce of certain villages or districts. Sfatet of Swuhunan and J)}oefokarta.2 " The eutem portion of Java," says Pfyffer, " is the seat of two native governments i (bat of tbe Sutuhunan, or emperor of Suraktirta, and that of the sultan of lifoejo- karta, ( Yugya-kerta.} Though the power of both has been considerably curtailed, and ^ey are imunly dependent upon the Dutch authorities, their influence is still of so formidable a nature, that the intervention of a ungle THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 215 warlike utd nUe indiridul would ipeedily enable tbem W re-usart their iBdependence ; and, from their saperior Dnnibera, combined with the per- aiciotiB character of their climate, to extirpate their Eoropean maiten. So hmg as these two kingdoma are permitted to exist, die poasession of Jbtb by the Dutch mnst be franght with iaaecanty. Fanaticism, jealowy, and mes- tingviahable hatred, InrL in the dismal receeses of the iiland, and the natire omiia no opportnoity whicli offen of sowing diaCmst and cootempt of En- n^Mana, who are called Ormng Kapir, ' pagans,' or < infidels.' " These pronncea comprehend sbont one-fourth of the island, wid iaclade sonia of ¦ta richest districla. Batavia.'] The chief towns of Jara are : Balavia, Soh, tfjaijmaUa, and Samaraag. BMSvia is termed the capital, altlioogh only the fonrth in point of popalation. Of the magnificence which procured for tbis capital the title of ' Qoeen of the East,' little is now to he found. Streets have been pnUed down,— canals half-fiUed np, — forts demolished, — anil palaces leTeJled with the dust. The first appearance of Balaria, when yoa bare fairly entered into the town (for before then, it is, in common with the na- tive tosrae, hid in a forest of ever-Terdant fniit and ornamental trees), is rather impoang. The bonsca in the Earcq»ean parts ef the (own are spa- ciovs, but ind^aot, and bnilt accordii^ to no known rules of art. The vpper story is a receptacle for lumber, and the lower, or gronnd-flDor, is filled with a qnantity of clumsy fnniittire, snch as cabinet work, the ill- finished manufacture of Uie country, after the Dutch models of the 16th century, lustres of painted glass, and defaced mirrors. The recent extended connection with Europe is gradually dispelling this kind of barbarism, and the modem settlers successfnily imitate the taste and fashions of the Bri- tish. The public edifices are neither numerous nor splendid. Tlie fav pnblic inslitutioDs are : the orphan chamber, which administera to the estatea «f all persons dying intestate, or whose executors are absent, — the supreme coHege of justice, consisting of a preaideut and two members, — and a literary aociety, institnted in 1777, and renewed dnriag the temporary government of the BritisL This society has pnblished seven Dutch vo- hmes, and two English, which contain a few essays of aome merit. The adminisba^on of the town, and tbe management «f the f>olioe, are solely in the bands of geremment, who depute timir authority to a bench of ma- gistrates. BaiAvia is, from its westerly sitaatiea and easy access, the best and most GOB venicM port in tbe island. In point of security, however, uid oonvenieney for tbe landing and sh^jung of goods, it bears no campaiison ' to the fine hariwar of Surabaya. &^via is even better known in Europe by its fatal climate, tban by its great trade and central situation. The du> ease whicli diiefly proves mortal, b a fever of tbe remittent kind. Dy- •oiteriee sre very rare ; and inflanunatdons of the liver, which termioata btally by tbe formation ef matter, are of a chronic nature, and almoat always the canseqaence of long-continued spirituous intemperance. The merdiaats who transact business in the town diving the d^ enjey as large a ebape of health m the European reaidents of any tropical climate what- over ; hut a stranger who sleeps far sis or ught days snoceasively in the Iowa, may certainly reckon on catching tbe Caver, and it ia more than an equal cfawce but he falls a victim to this terrible malady. Batavia owes ite insalubrity to tbe recaaaiao of tlie sea for a apace of many hundred y^rda, by which an extensive mud fiat is left uncovered, and to the injndiciea* diasipatian of tbe waters of tbe rivw into numerous stagnant canals, poisou- iim tke parity of tbe air, and depriving the river of the natural impetus S18 ASIA. which mmld hare kept its chaimel clear of the impoiitiea which now dirite ita month, or lie patnf^n^ on it banlu. At present, the lalnbrity of thft ¦ite has enticed all rMpectable persons to take np their reiidence at Wei- ieereden, KoMgtplan, or MeitUr Coraeliiu, abont 6 miles beyond the dty, where yon may ride for MTeral milea amidst el^iantconntry-aeata, bniltin the English M Italian style. Few Eaiopeans redde in Batavia, exceptiiig those who are directly concerned in ahipping. Madura.^ Ma(l[ua,anialandlyingcloeeto Java, where it ianarroweat, and seeming to form apart of it, ia 91^ milea in length, and about 31 in breadth. The central re^on is a contianed ridge of no great eleratioD. The soil prodaces rice in great abtindance ; bokoes, sheep, and bay-aalt are also exported. The popatatioa, according to a census taken in 1615, waa 218,659 sonls, of whom 6,344 were Chinese. The nadres tpeak a peculiar language, and have less resemblance to tbe Malays than moat of die eastern islanders. The principal towns are Samanap, PanHacottan, Bancallan, and Kamal; uid the chief subordinate ialn are Gatiian and PmdL — • ' AuthorUiar\ Jonroal der Reize na Java, etc door S. C. Nedarbnigh, Amsteid., 1805, Svo. — Raffle's History of Java, 2 vols. 4to. Lond^ 1818. — Travela by Kienbeig, Tombe, Dabellardiere, Stavorinns, and Roggeveea. — Professor Keinwardt'a Notes in the Batarian Coorant. — -Atatidc JonmaL — Kaan van Eilaud Java, 181S.— Pfyffer's Sketches. CHAP. VII.— THE TIMORIAN CHAIN. T1MOR.3 The large island of Timor is situated between the 8th and 1 Idt d^rees of sontfaera latitnde, and the 1 23d and 127th of eastern longi- nde. It is throughout a hilly coontry. Its limestone-mountains exhibit •ea'shells at an elevation of 800 feet; they frequently present a conical shape ; but it is not known whether any volcanoes exist among them. Tla whole island ia subject to frequent earthquakes. The valleys are generally very narrow with ateep sides, hot in a few instances open into plains of considerable extent. Tbe rivers are all small, and so steep that none of them are navigable beyond the influence of the tide, which seldom extends above 400 yards, and in the flattest not above two miles. DtUi harbour, on the N.E. coast, is well-defended from the sea by a reef of rocks. Gm- pang barbonr, on the S.W. coast, is a lai^ bay, about 12 miles wide at the moutb, and upwards of 20 feet deep, formed by tbe island of Stmao to tbe S.W. and a point of Timor to the N. It ia entirely open to tin N.W. Productioiu.'] The enthusiasm of navigators, who have visited this island immediately after leaving the tiresome shores of New Holland, haa created some exaggeration ia their descriptions of the fertility of tUa island ; yet it is certunly a very pleasing spot. The coltivation cbieftjr consists of rice, maize, millet, kachang, yams, sweet potatoes, and cotton. Maize is the principal article of food, but the natives depend for a greai part of tbeir food on tbe sugar of the Lontar-palm, and the produce of the sago-palm. The um of the plongb is unknown : a wooden hoe and sharp-pointed stick are the only implements used in the hill-cultivation. The average anunal crop of paddy is 70 fold. ¦ Cocoas and areca palm* are very scarce ; bnt the lontar is abundant, and small quantities of sugar- cane are rused. Fish can scarcely be considered as an article of snbustence, " thtte are scarcely any of tbe natives who will trust themaelvea in k THX ASIATIC ISLANDS. '^^'^ csnoe. The l!>ee Ifl not domertlcated here, nor indeed in any of die ¦l«i0 languages are apoken on the island. SIB ASIA. Trade^ Tba tnde of Timor U conHidenble, particolarly at DelU The piiodpal imports are coarse blue and white cloth, large pattern chiotzea, i«d handkerchiefs, Cfiina nlks of gaudy patterns, muskets, gnnpowder, iron, coane cntlery, and lead. The exports are principally wax, sandle- wood, and cattle. The method of trading is ungular. When the prowa arrive off the coast, they land the articles which they have for barter, in small qnantie* at a time, on the beach ; whereupon the nativea come down with the produce they have for sale, and place it opposite the goods from the prows, pointing to the arucles they wish to obtiuD in eichaoge. When an offer is considered auffiuent by the native, he Boatchei up the proffered goods, and darts off iuto the jungle, leaving his own ; or should he be un- able to obtain what he considers an adequate offer, he seizes bia own pro- perty, and flies off with eqnal haste, never returning a second time. The annual trade of Coopang alone — which is not supposed to exceed one- fourth of the trade of the whole island — has of late averaged 1,200,000 Spanish dollars. RoTTi.J Rotti is the largest of the islands under the residency of Con- pang, and is situated to the S>W. of Timor. It is about 38 miles broad, and 60 long ; and is at present divided into IB districts, under the govern- ment of as many rajahs, who can bring upwards of 10,000 armed men into the field. This island ia a succession of low hills and narrow valleys ; the soil is stony, but productive ; the rivers are few and small. The productiona are the same sa those of Timor. The trade is almost entirely confined to the exchange of palm sugar, with the Boulan prows, for cotton ; of horses and bnfialoea, with whalera, for ammimition ; and of bees' wax for Euro- pean and Indian manufactures with Coupaog. The natives are darker than the people of Celebes, but are remarkable for having long black hair, whilst nearly the whole of the inhabitants of the surrounding islands have frizzled hair. Their features bear a stronger resemblance to the natives of India than to those of the eastern islands. Tbey are esteemed a mild-tempered people. Their religion, customs, and belief in auguries, are, in most res- pects, the same as those of the Timorese ; but the natives of the two islands do not understand each other's dialects. The slave trade was formerly carried to a great length on this island : several hundred slaves being an- nually exported to Bataria, Amboyna, and other Dutch settlements. Savu.3 Savn is a small island, and, according to some, the name of two small islands, lymg about 60 miles due W. of the N. part of BottL Hiey are hilly throughout, but fertile. The natives bear a strong resem- blance to the Timorese, bat are of a fiercer disposition. Sandal-wood Island.] The large island called, ^m its produce, by the Dutch, SandaUboscke or ' Sandal>wood ' Island, has, in the Malay lan- guage the name of Poolo Tckinnana, which has the same import, but, by the natives is called Sumba. It was formeriy under the authority of the Dutch, but about 30 years ago the natives threw off their allegiance in consequence of the Dutch persisting to cut sandal-wooj, and the natives having a belief that for every tree of it which Is cut down some one of their number will be deprived of life j or, according to Hogendorp's account of the matter, supposing that tliese trees are the present abodes of the sonia of their ancestors. The island is rather low in its appearance from the •ea ; there does not appear to be a single hill on it. The natives are said to be extremely savage, daring, and treacherous. SoLDR, ^c.2 The chain of islands to the W. of Timor is double. We have followed the sondiem range, and are now to take a survey of the THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. S19 nonhern, which are, in genersl, larger and closer together. Leariiig tfit N. Bide of Timor, we coonl four Ulanda extending in a westerly direction, cslleil Otiibay, Pantar or Alao, iMmbet, and Seirao, all inhabited by rery mde and fierce tribes, bearing a strong eitenud resenbtance to those of Timor. The island of Sotor u divided from Seino by a Bmail strait. Hie inhabitants are divided into two classes : the mountaineers, who are, at the present day, perfectly sarage,— «nd the inhabitants of the coast, who appear to he of the Badja tribe, and are frequently employed by the Dutch as Besmen. They carry on some trade with Conpang, Macassar, and Sumbawa, and are expert fishermen. Their religion is Mahommedan ; a few on the N. coast have beeo led to profess Christianity by the influence of the Portngoese. £We.] The island of Ende, or Florin, is nearly as large as Timor ; but as the only European establishnent upon it, that of XMrantufca, belonga to the PortDgnese, onr knowledge of it is slender. It appears from the ae» to he very hUly in all parts, and on the S. coast there are several vol- canic monntains of great height. He natives live chiefly in the interior, except at the £. end ; the sea-coast and porta to the westward are occn- pied by colonies from Snmbawa and Celebes- The natives more resemble the Pa|iaans than the Timorese. They form a number of petty states, which are constantly at war with each other for the purpose of making slaves, for whom, till at least of late, tfaey always find a ready sale on the coast. In this island, as in Tunor, there is a great multiplicity of local langnsges. CHAP. Vlll.— SUMATRA AND ADJACENT ISLANDS. Sumatra is a very lai^e, but imperfectly known, island, situated between 5* 3' S. lat. and 5° W N. lat. ; the equator dividing it into almost equal parts. It is 1,050 miles in length, and horn 150 to 200 in breadth ; with a general direction from N.W. to S.E. It is separated from Malacca by the strait of that name ; from Borneo by the strait of Koremata ; and from Java by the strait of Suoda. Its northern point stretches into the bay of Bengal ; its S.W. coast is exposed to the Great Indian ocean. Crawford estimated its superficial area at 130,000 B. square miles. Among the eastern people generally this island is known by the names of Pulo Purichu, and Indalat; the origin of the term Sumalra is quite uncertain. By Marco Polo it is called Java Minor; and, by the Javanese, ' the land of Palem- bang.* By a recent treaty, the British goverhment ceded their possessions in this island to the king of the Netherlands, in exchange Jar the Dutch settlements on the continent of India. Physical Features.^ This island is surpassed by few in the beaatifiil indulgences of nature. A duun of monntuns runs through its whole ex- tent ; the ranges, in many parts, being double and treble, yet their albtnde IB not sufficient to occasion their being covered with snow during any part of the year. The highest point in the central chain is Mount Ophir, which rises to the height of 13,424 feet above the level of the sea. A number of the mountuns are volcanic Between these ridges are extensive pluns, considerably elevated above the sur&ce of the maritime lands. In thesa the air is cool ; and, fix>m this advantage, they are esteemed the most eligible portion of the country, are the best inhabited, and the most cleared from woods, which elsewhere, in general, cover both hills and valleys with an eternal shade. The western coast of Sumatra is well supplied with livers, but they are, in general, too shallow and rapid for the purpose .890 ASIA. ot narigation. On the N.E. cosat, the inountaiiu being at a greater dUunce from the se«, the riTers atim a K>'eai«r magnitude of volnme. Tbe largest on tiie weiten^ coast are tbe Kataun, the Indrapura, the Taba^ong, and Sinkel, which are all inferior to the Falemhang, the Jambee, the Judragiri, and the Siah of. tbe K> coaet. Mr Aadersoa made an exact survey of part of the £. corhI of Sumatra, which must be of nae to those who navi- gate those seaa ; he ascended sho sereral of the rivers ; and obtuned infor- mation of a large lake, mentioned by Maraden, in tbe interior. It is aday's ¦ail across with b good breeze. The borden of it are in a high ertate of culdvatioD. Boats, some of them having 50 men on board, navigate the lake. Tbev are mostly pirates, plundering each other, and carrying off children, whom they sell for alBvea. There is an island in the centre of this lake where the edible birds' neets are found, that are in such request in ^be Chinese market. Prodvctiont.'^ It may easily be imagined, th&t a country utnaled immediately under the equinoctial line, and covered with deep alluvial soil, mnst be luxuriantly fertile ; but the enormous size to which many of jta productions arrive is almost incredible. We should look in vain in ex- Ire-tropical climates for any ungle flower measuring three feet in diameter, like that of the parasitical Raffieiaa ; or for a tabeiose edible root weighing 4M>lbs.; or for melons, pamkins, and other species of tbe cucnrbita- ceoos bmily, equal to half that weight ; or for a shetl-fish, one of which might snp 24 men. The choicest trees, herbs, andfiruits, are everywhere found, many of them demanding no labour of cultivation whatever. The villages are situated in the midst of ^ meet luxuriant groves and plantations of the cocoaTanches growing out perfectly straight and horizontal, and being always three, forming equal angles at the same height : the diminndve sboot« like- wise grow flat, and the several gradations of branches observe the same r^pilarity to the top. Some travellers have called it the umbrella-tree, hut the piece of furniture called a dumb waiter exhibits a more striking picture of it." This cotton has not hidierto been applied to any other pur- pose Uum tbe stuffing of pillows, since it is supposed to be too brittle for the purposes of manufocture ; but Marsden is of opinion that it has not hitherto been properly tried. In the forests are found die cabbage-tree, ebony, pine, sandal, the aloe, the teak, the manchineel, iron wood, and the banyan, tree. AiwHaUr^ Manalone seems here to d^enerete, while other animals ot»- tun their la^st size. The elephants are equal in magnitude to those ot Ceylon ; and the tiger, the rhinoceros, and the buffalo, are superior to those of the continent. The tigers are of great size, and are very numerouat THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 8^i I>ul, froDi a mtperatitions idea that they are animatftd by the bodIr of ilu- parted heroM, the nativeB can scarcely be bnra^t to kill theoi. The omng- ontBog M a aative of Sumatra, and aeveral other Bpecie« of Simite. The riven us infeated with alligators, to which Maradea aeems inclined to attribute the paw«n of fiwcination. These alligators are also protected by an ixlea of thav SBBCtity. The hog-4ieer,ao BaimBl rather larger than a n^>bit, yields the besoar, a sabstance to which have been attrihut«d many medicinal viz- tnea. The bnfialoea aie fnller, aaya Mr Anderson, ^lan any bollock I ever aaw in Smithfield maHiet ; ¦ad-— to desceoid in the acale of heingi — the common domestic fowl grows so large, that, standing on the ground, it can pick cmmb* from an eattng-tshle. It is a disputed point whether the hnga hippopotaiane exists in die rirera of Sumatra. Red anla, leechee, and m,iu- qnitoea, fbna disagreeable anooysncea in this country. MineraU.2 Gold is procured in the cenlnl parts of the island. It is aaamed, that from 10,000 to 12,000 onnces of this tnetal have been an- nually receirad at Padang alone. Silrer is not known. Tin is a very con- aidmhle article of coramerce. Iron ore is procured, bat not in larg« quantiUM. Sn^ihnr and yellow sraenic are articles of traffic Populatton.'^ Tbe inhabitants of Sumatra are rather below the middle «ze ; their Umba are generally slight, bat well-shaped, and particularly BmaU abont the wrists and andee. The women follow the preposterons custom ef flattening the noaea and compressiog the aknlls of duldren newlv Wrn, and also poll out the »ra to ina1i« them stand at right angles wiUi the head. The males dentiey ^eir beards, and keep their chins remarkft- biy smooth. Their oomplenoa is properly yellow, wandog the red tinge that constitntee a tawny or ccq>per colour. The females of the ii[^iei classes, not exposed to therayv of thesnn, t^proach toadegree of birneaa. Persons of superior rank ancoorage the growth of their hand^iuls to aa extraordinary length ; the hands of the natires in general, and even of the half-breed, are always cold. The inland nativea are superior in slrei^(tb and siae to the Malays of the coas^ and poMeas also fairer complexions. Among the hills the inhabitants are subject to mmutroiu wens m goibva on the throat. Both sexes have the extraordinary custom of filing and disfignrii^ their teeth, which are natarally white and beautifiil horn the simplicity of their food. Many, particularly tbe vomen of the Lampong country, have their teeth nibbed down even with their gunu ; otheia have them formed into points like equlateral trian^es, while some £le off no more than the outer extremity, and then blacken diem with the empyreu- matic oil of tbe cocoa-nut ahelL The great umh set their teeth in gold, by canng with a plate of that metal under the row ; which ornament, oon< trasted with dw black dye, has by candle-light a very splendid effect. SomeUmea it is indented to tbe shape of their teeth, but more usually it is quite plain, and it is not removed either to sleep or eat. The original clothing of the Snmaxrans is the same with that found by nav^tors atuoi^ the Soutb-sea islands, and in Eorope generally called Otaheitean cloth. It is still nsed vnong tbe Rejangs as their working dress, but tbe country people now in a great measure conform to the coBtome of the Malays. Maantra and CuilomtJ] Tbe du*iiru, or villages of the Snmatrans — for die inhabitants are so few that they are not entitled to the name of towns, ¦re always situated on die banks of a river or lake, for the convenienoe. of batlimg and of transporting goods. The buildings are of wood and Iwm- boos, covered with palm-leaves. The frames of tbe booses rest on s^oul wooden pillars abont six or eight feet high, and are ascended to by a piece of bamboo cat into notchw. DetBched bniWings in the connlry are raised ten or twelve feet from the ground, to be secure agwnat tigera. The ftir- aitnre is extremely simple, and neither knirea or forks are reqmred, as in eating they take up the rice and other victuals between their fingers and dmmb. Tte native Sumatran of the interior differs in some respocta from tho Malay of the coast, being mild, peaceable, and forbearing, unless roused by violent provocation. He is also temperate and sober ; his diet bemg mottly vegetable, and his only beverage water. Their hospitality is great and their manners simple ; and they are in general, except among the chiefs, devoid of the Malay cunning and chicane. On the other hand, uiey ate litigious, indolen^ addicted to gamir^, dishonest in their dealings mth strangers, which they do not consider as any moral defect, regardjess of truth, mean, and servile ; sad, although cleanly in their persons, filthy m their apparel, which they never wash. CannibalUm.2 The Battas practise canmbalism in the punishment awarded to particular crimes. This fact ia established by abundant and nnqneationable evidence. The following account of this horrible custom is extracted from the ' Memoirs of Sir Stamford Raffles :' " A man had been found guilty of a very common crime, and was sentenced to be eaten, according to the law of the land : this took place dose to Tappa- nooly. The resident was invited to attend: he declined, but his assistant and a native officer were present As soon as they reached the spot, they, found a large assemblage of people, and the criminal tied to a tree, with his hands extended. The minister of justice — who was himself a chief of some rank — tiien came forward with a lai^ knife in his hand, which he brandished as he approached the victim. He was followed by a man carrying a dish, in which was a preparation or condiment, composed of limes, chillis, and salt, called by the Malays lambul. He then called aloud for the injured husband, and demanded what part he chose ; he re- plied die tight ear, which was immediately cut off with one sboke, and delivered to the party, who, turning round to the man behind, deliberately dipped it into the sambut and devoured it ; the rest of the party then fell upon the body, each taking and eating the part most to bis liking. After they had cut off a considerable part of the flesh, one man stabbed him to the heart ; but this was rather out of compliment to the foreign viaitoca, as it is by no means the custom to give the coup de grace. It was with a knowledge of all these facts regarding the Battas that I paid a visit to Ta[^anooly, with a deterraination to satisfy my mind most fnlly in every thing concerning cannibalism. I had previously set on foot extensive in- qniiies, and so managed matters as to concentrate the information, and to bring the point within a narrow compass. Yon shall now hear the result ; but before I proceed, I must beg of you to have a little more patience than yon had with Mr Mariner. I recollect then, when yon came to the ¦tory of eating the aunt, you threw the book down. Now I can assure your grace that I have ten times more to report, and you must believe me. I have said the Battas are not a bad people, and I still think so, notwith- standing they eat one another, and relish the flesh of a man better than that of an ox or a pig. Yon must merely consider that I am givmg you an account of a novel state of society. The Battas are not savages, for thay write and read, and think full as much, and more than those who are hnm^t up at our Lancasterian and national schools. They have also codes of laws of great antiquity ; and it is from a regard for these laws, and ft veneration for the institutions of their ancestors, that they eat each THB ASIA.TIC ISLANDS. SS3 Other ; the law declares that for certain crimefl, four in number, the crimi- nals ihall be eaten alive. Tfae same hw declarei also, that in great wars, that ia to say, one district with another, it eball be lawful to eat i^ prisoners, whether taken alire, dead, or in their gnvee. In die four great cases of crimes the crimioal ia also duly tried and condemned by a compe- tent tribunal. When the evidence is heard, sentence is prononnced, and the chiefs drink a dram each, which last ceremony is equivalent to signing and sealing with as. Two or three days then elapse to give bme for as- sembling the people, and in cases of adultery it is not allowed to cony the sentence into effect, unless the relations of the wife appear and partake of the feast. The prisoner is then brought forward on the day appointed, and fixed to a slake with his bands extended. The husband, or party io- jared, comes up and takes the first choice, generally the ears ; the rest then, according to their rank, take the choice pieces, each helping himself according to his liking. After all have partaken, the chief peraon goes up and cuts off the bead, which he carries home as a trophy. The bead is bung up in front of the house, and the brains are carefully preserved in a botde for the purposes of witchcraft, itc. In devouring the flesh, it is sometimes eaten raw, and sometimes grilled, but it most be eaten upon tfae spot. Limes, salt, and pepper, are always in readiness, and they some- times eat rice with the Besh, bat never drink toddy or spirits ; many carry bamboos with them, and filling them with blood drink it off. The asseof bly consists of men alone, as and S.W. by the ranges of nonntains which separate the latter st«te from Bencoolen and its dependencies ; and on ^e N-W. its limits adjoin the territories of die snitan of Jambee. The prindpal riTer, which is called the Mootea, and upon which tfae town of Pablemang ia situated, rana through the whole extent of tfae conntry in a general direction from S.W. to NX., having its sonrce in the range of hiUa nw to Bencootou With thU rirer all tfae others belonging to the district hare confluence, and the acconra- lated waters are disembogned into the atnits of Banca by fonr different mouths. The Soemang branch affords the easiest comronnication with the town of Palembang, which, however, owing to the winding course of the river, is about 70 miles distant from the sea. The town ia indeed accesmble on the north and eastern sides only by means of theee arnu of the Moosee, for the whole coast of Snmatra, along the straits of Buica, presents nothing to the eye but a low flat of interminable swamps and jungles. The Soensang arm is navigable to Palembang by vessels of the lai^est burden. In some parts it ia narrow ; but in general it is of a noble breadth. The river throughout its whole extent is much infested with alligators ; which are so daring and roradous as frequently to carry off the psddlera from the panljaUangs or canoes which navigate the stream. The town of Palembang ia formed on both aides of the river, which is here 1200 feet in breadth. Some of the honses are erected upon large rafts of timber anchored near the banks, and which rise and fall with the tide ; behind these are houses built upon piles of timber, and which at high water become insulated ; at the back of these ^dn a third row of honaes built on the land presents itself. The palace of the sultan is a magnificent structure built of brick, and Borrounded by a strong wall. The houses of the principal chiefs are commodious and comfortable. Not more than three or four houses have communication with one another except by boats ; tluE airangeroent proceeds more from the aquatic habits and incliuations of the people than from the force of circumstances. The town extends at least 3 miles dong each bank, and contdns a population of about 25,000 souls, including about 1000 Arabs and Chinesis. The foreign tr&de from the town is carried on with Java, Malacca, Banca, Penang, I^gen, Rhio, and the eastern coast of Borneo. Two la^ Chinese junks arrive widi the N.W. monsoon in January, and depart with the 8.E. monsoon in August. Hie principal imports are woollen clo^, English chintzes, and coloured cottons, Bengd and Madras piece-goods, copper, cutlery, teas, dnig% THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 2X5 tn&a, ntnkeens, euthenwaTe, and salt. The exports conabt of about 15,000 pecDls of pepper, of 13S| Ibg. each, ammally, Tslned at 45,000 dollart, of cotton, wax, dn^oo's-blood, benzoin, ivory, gold-0e0 •onli, of whom aboot 12,000 raeide in MsrlboroDgh and ile cBTirona. These latter coosiat of Enropeaaa, Jafaneae, Bangaleeei Cbineaa, and Menangiaboo.^ In the centra of the ialwd is the kingdom of Me- nangkaboo, the capital of which U called PvMiarotM/ooHg. The inhabi- taots are all MahommedaiH ; and ibe mttan'e power ii chiefly fovnded on the saperatitioiM veneration in which be ia heU tH a atwt of Mahommedan pontiff* Campar.2 Campar is an anoent Malayan slMe on the E. coaat of Snmatta, between the rivers Siai and Daneer. The month of the Cam. par river ia aitoated in abont 0° SS* N. ho. and 102° 51' £. long.; and extends, in a (oatherly direction, a dioil diatance inland, and then bnncbes off to the right and left. The oonntry on the left branch ef the river ia called Campar Kiri, and that on the right Campar Kanan. For 12 or 14 daya' jonmay np eadi branch, the eoontry is low and flat ; the banka pn both udei ara atndded with villages. The principal prodnctiona an rice, cocoa, betel nuts, gamluer, sugar-cane, and rattana. A comlderable trade ia earned on betwixt the t>e<^le of Campar and the interior, and wilk Singapore. The latter trade is entirely in the handa of the Malaya, then being no Chinese aettlers here. CoBee ia the principal article of export. It appears to be hroiigbt a very coneidmvble distance Irom the interior to Campar on men'a beads : peAsps bvm Menangkaboo and the Limapulak CODDtry. Nalal.'] Natal is sitnatad on the S.W. aide «f Sninatoa, in 0* 18' N. lat. and 0° Bd* 5" E. long. The nativaa of tbia diatriet ara reokooed amongst the boldest and bravest of the Snamtnn bribea : they are colonista from Acheen and McDaogkaboo. Th* Eogliah have had a settlement ben since 1772. Gold dnal, which iaef very fine qoality, is the prindpdartiele of export ; camphor, opium, gauu, chma-wwe, and omlery, are the prin> dpal imports. Rica is imparted from Niaa. AcAeett.2 Tbe kingdom of Acheen form* dw N.W. extremity of So- matftt. It formerly reached aa far N. as Indrapoora on the W. eeaat, b«t now extends no &rtlMr than 4iO or fiO milea along the eastern and weatem shwe The inbabiianta of tbe interioi fom tbme tribea, caUed AUat, Retak, and Carrou. The Acbeneese are darker colom«d and atooter dwn the other SvmatiVBa. They have also a greater portion ol sagacity mid indnstry. They profess Mahemmedanism. The eapiMl, Achetn, is ein- ated npen a river, Utont two miles fivM its month. It cwries oa a ctm- sidereble trade with the uBtives of the coast of Cor maodel. The Batta CoutUry.'^ Tbe conotry of tbe Batiaa cmnpKheBds tka mountainova districts of Deirah and Pofm, to tbe & of the plain of Acheen. It is botmded on the S. by ftwiwmman and the independent district of Arn ; the northern extremity reaches ^ Sinkel rivw, and tha ¦ontbem extends to Tabeoyang. Island of Pulo Nias.] The island of Pnlo tfiaa ia the kvgtat of that chain of ishutdH which skirt ^ weatetn coaat of Siwatra; and is U tbe same lime the mast popvleos and beat cnltivMsd. It ¦ abont 10 milos TUB ASIATIC ISLANDS. 227 in lo^lb. itMUltfaig Ertfm S.E. to N.W. Ita BWfhe» is for the noit ptrt faiUy bat >«t maiHiiaiiioM ; it poMwsMa Mvtiral rivefli of conmdetable aize, wkom quatioe* or mouha tdtotd enroBce M the TesMla sih] beatt used b3r tiM DaaT«. Thore bm Mvaml good Wb«W« hoA M tiw nortliera and soubcrn nd of ibtt islud, aBd thoFe Is andMiUge ht ahipH elmoat tdl along tba Mslern coast. The getteral aspect of the conntty is bigfily pUaui^ ; ibe dark sombre hne of DBdiBMrbed finest is nowhere to be ifis- oeveied ; the Talleys and tbe aides of the hills sre well-enlti rated, and the Ugh groniMls geoendly praaent elnmps of trees marking the sites of the vilkgaa. Tba setl is hk ef pecvliar feniKif , sod even en tbe declivities of tbe hills produces hunrimt crops of rice and potatoes. The popola- IMA ia vary eoMderaUe irilb reference to the extent of the island, being s^poaad to exceed 800,000 soale. Tbe notiveB ar«tns«ti*e stMeticTsce, abont ^ iHdcHe etatore, tmt as Ariatics, and with nrad) finer features than tha Mal^. Tbe nose is prDmineM, and has somewhat of the Grecian alTMghinew ; Ae eye is pecdbiiy ftm md fall. The women are considered the beanies o$ the Eastera Archipelago, ranking in this respect with the wowen of Soto. Their bouses are hiiilt of wood, and are in general of la^ size. The eniraace is by a trapnloor and a ladder in tbe centre, tho booses themselras being fawsd upon ht^ iron-wood timbers. Their vil- lages am genor^ly plaeed on defansiMe sitnation^ — « practice which has n« doubt ari^Btad iv the state af war&« in wbidt they are idnmst con' alanlly swlrad' i far the nwiives we divided into oiimeroos independent tribes w dwas, between meay of whi^ inveterate fevds enst. Their ¦rms eonuet of a ^ear, a shert sw<»d, and an obloi^ wood' n shield, be- aides wtaeb dwy generally wew a aiS leathem jacket and a helmet of the aame material. Tbe orduwry drees of the conmion people consists of a bq* vr jsehe^ and a clotfe retted roond the want and carried between the tfa^hs ; that of the cfaiefe is- more elegauk Red is their bvomite colonr ; mi they wear ft fnvttmtm e< gold ommeMs, one of which is of peculiar degaoce, being • crown m the form of a high Persian cap, with a large peak ia freul. Tbe women, generally display 8 profnnon of this barbaric weallb ^on ^eir peisoBS} atdiosrgh their only dress is a piece of cloth roUed ti^tty ronnd tbe lems, and extemling down to the kneee, secumf by a broad belt of gold. There is a good deal of difference between dnr people of the northern bdf wi the island and these of the Bonthem. Tbe former bare intermixed mem wiib the Ualays aad AcbeeMae, while Uie lat- ter ^dooely axdadft atnogers from settliag amoagal them. Marriage by jw/'iu is universal ; aad the jojas is vary Ugh, varyiag fMoonKng to th« i«Dk of the parties from 60 or 70 to 500 dollars. The laws of Nias, in i«gard to adultery, are very severe, the pnnishment being capital ; the nnm- bei of wives which a man lavf liave is only limited by his meansg but few except the chiefs have more than one. The mode of bnrial in the eonth- en divisiaa of the idsBd is pecaKar : the body is not committed to the earth, bni is enclosed io s wooden shril or cofiin, which ia elevated on fonr posts, lod thus- exposed to dM free- winds of heaven. Flowering shrabs and creepen we generally pUnied beneath, and soon climb up and cover the coffin wilb' folisgO' These' cemeteries are at some little distance from the vfllsgee. Riea is A» tMfii» export of the coontry. It is exponed to tbe extent of abont 13,000 bags o-year. Hogs are an important part of tbe domestic eslaUidunent, and die aiost general tiwd of tbe names. Neither bn&lMak cMtle, nor huisu, are indigenous to the island- IsLAKD OF LiKGO**] LtDgga^ OT Lingm, which mnit now be regard- ed as tbe prindpal poMeaaioD of. the independont Malay*, unce Djobv and Pahang fell nndex Englieh aupremacy by tbe treaty of 17tb Marchi 1824, is aitiuted ander tbe equator, betwixt Samatra and Bomao, to tbe &.E. of the straits of Malacca, aud N.W. from those of Banca, in 101° W E. long. The coasts are in geneml low, marshy, and corered with thorny shrubs. A chun of mountains intersects tbe island from W, to E. In the eoDthem part of this chain, one mountain sbooia up two pyramidal sum- mits to a great height ; tbe natives believe that this mountain is tbe haunt of ^iriu. The climate is variable; showers occur every day, and greatly moderate the heat. There are two monsoons, or moutnm, as the Malays call them : the Timer from the E. and the Barat from the W. The for- mer blows from April to September, the latter during tbe remaining inonths of the year. The chief river is navigable for 3 or 4 leagues by boats ; it* entnuce is defended by bd old fortification motmting 20 or 24 piece* of cannon. The forests yield excellent timber, and fire wood, such as lignvm aloes and chakas, panieulala. The bamboo, however, though so abundant in Java and the Celebes, is rare here. The Chinese inhabitants collect and eat a kind of gummy exudation from the leaves of certain plants, called gambien. Rice is little cultivated, and salt is scarce. Gold and tin are said to exist here. The population of this island does not exceed 10,000 souls, two-thirds of whom, including 400 or 500 Chinese, inhabit Kitiala-iiai, the capital. The Malays are well made, and possess pleasant features, but are of small stature. The men wear a robe called ttlouar, which does not descend below the knees, a sabok or girdle, and a badjin, or short up- per coat or vest. Their mannera are polite, bnt dissembling like those of ibeir nation in general. They possess two musical instruments : the 6aag- tie, a kind of flute, and the rahab, a speciea of violin with two strings. Their airs are plaintive and monotonous, but not destitute of melody. They manufacture bullets and gunpowder, and fabricate poignarda and sabres, equal in beauty and temper to those of Pslembang. Tbey tntde with .Java, China, Ponlo Penang, and Malacca ; and commit frequent pira- cies upon the inbabitsnia of Se/fanah, Baro, Pmagan, and Tamacvg. They punish theft among themselves with the loss of tbe hand, and loiir- der with death ; bat tbe parent of the murdered may accept of blood- money in compensauoD. Authoritiet.'} Maradeo's History of Sumatra, Lond. 4to. 1783. — Heyne'a Tracts on India, Lond. 4ito. 1801. — Anderson's Mission, Loud. 1826. — Crawfurd'e History.— Sumairae et inaulanun drcumjacentiam Ubols nova, Ammel. — Arrowamith's Chart, Lond. 1808. CHAP. IX.— ISLANDS IN THE BAY OP BENGAL. The only gronp* in the bay of Bengal, which deserve notice, ai« the Andaman islands, and Nicobar islands. Andaman Islahd&Q The gronp of isluids, called Andaman, is si- tuated on the eastern side of the bay of Bengal, between 10° 30* and 14* N. lat. ; tai run N. and S., nearly in the meridian of 93° E. long. Tbey lie to the S.W. of the Burmese dominions, and have in all the intermediato space a chain of islets, reefs, and banks, upon which there are sound- inga, and which ofier considerable resistance to the roll of water from the Indian ocean into the bay of BengaL There are two principal i»> lands. The largest, called the Great Andamaa, is 140 miles m length, THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 229 but not more thut 20 wiles in breadth. Its coast is every where cat with deep bays, among which are found good harboura. The soil is fertile; sod in the forests is found ebony. Wld bogs, monkeys, and nts, are swd to be the only qaadrnpeds; bat tbe sea on the coast abounds with different kinds of fisb. Tbe number of natiTes upon tbe Greater Andaman and all its dependencies does not exceed 2500 sods ; these are dispersed in smalt societies along the coast, or in the lesser islands within tbe harboar, never penetrating deeper into the interior than the skirts of tbe forest. In stature they seldom exceed five feet ; their limbs are slender, and bellies protuberant; they have high shoulders, and Isi^ heads, with woolly bur, flat noses, and thick lips ; dieir eyes ore smell and red, their skin of a deep sooty black, and their conntenances ex- hibit the extreme of wretchedness, a horrid mixture of &mine and ferocity. They go quite nsJced, and are insensible to any shame from exposure ; in this and some otber respects resembling the natives of New South Wales. Tbe dimate ia exceedingly unhealthy, and the British settle- ments once made apon these islands have been long since abandoned. — To the E. of the nonfaemmost Andaman is Barren Island, which rises to tbe hewbt of 1800 feet, and contains a volcano ; the emptions are sometimefl rery violent, and stones of the weight of three or four tons have been 'kriown to be discharged from it. NiCDBAR Islands.] The ^icobv islands are situated in the S.E. quarter of tbe bay of Bengal, almost equally distant from the Andamsus and from Sumatra. The largest of the gronp is named Sambelong ; but the two most visited by Europeans are called Camicobar, and Naucouri/, There are nine other islands of moderate size, besides a multitude of rery small ones, as yet withoat any distinct appellation. Most of these islands are hilly ; and some of the moontains are of considerable elevation. The valleys and sides of the hills are so densely covered with cocoa and areca^pslms, that the Honbeams cannot penetrate through their foliage ; and in some places these are so thickly interwoven with rattans and bush- rope, that they sppear span together, which render the woods almost dark. The leaves and truit falling down, rot below, which contributes to make the islands unhealthy, and absolutely pestilent to a European constitu> lion. BuAloes, and other cattle, swine, dogs, imd monkeys, are found in moat of the islands ; snakes and alligators are numerous. Tbe number and variety of sbelUfisb is so great, that here tbe most beautiful concholo- gical collections might be made with very little trouble. — The inhabitants of the Nicobars are of a copper colour, with small eyes, flat noses, large mouths, thick lips, and black teeth ; they ate well-propoitioned, rather short than tall, with large ears. They have strong black hair ; the men have little or no beard, and shave their eyebrows, but never cut their nails. The hinder part of tbe head is compressed at birth. The occupation of die men consists chiefly in building and repuring their buts, and flsliing and traiUng to tbe neighbouring islands. The women cook and cultivate tbe ground. Most of the country ships, fiom the different coasts of India, tonch at tbe Nicobar islands in order to procure cocoa-nnts, which they purchnse at the rate of four for a leaf of tobacco, and 100 for a yard of blue cloth. Tbe h«^. are fed on cocoa-nnts, and the pork is excellent. .Tobacco is the current medium of all exchange and barter. The Danes formed an establishment on these islands in 1756, but have since absn- duoed it, owing to the unhealthiness of the climate. Tbe inhabitants do not follow any of tbe systems of religion prevalent on the neighbouring continent ; bnt tbwr notioBi of a Dirino Being are ezUntoely perplexed and miiirtelKpble. Their jwter* act in the treble c^wcity of eoBJmtir, phjnirian, and priaW. The MoraTi«n», a body of ChrisiianB «xemp]ar]> fof znt and peraBTefmnoe, cownenced a aumion here ; but niaaionary after miwionary falling a yietim to tba climate, they, after enduing many pri- rations, retiBqmf^Md the nndarlaking. Aiithoritkt.2 Sonnerat, Voyage anx Indei Orientale* ; Parii, 1806, BvTi.— AsialJc Reaeardiei— Haeiwl'a Lettera ; Lond. 1813, 9*o. — Do IfikobariM^ Oere, af B. PrahL j Kiob. 1804, Bn. CHAP. X. CEYLON. The islfpid of Ceylon ts wtoaied at the weo»«:n eatrance «rf the bay of Bengal, between 5° 56' and 9" 46' N. lal., and 79" Se- and 81' 58' E. long. On tbe N.W. it is separated from the Coroinandel coast by the gnlf of Maoaar, and ia distaat about 160 milea from cape Comeria. On tbe & and E. it is waahed by the great Indian ocean. From Paint Pedro at die northern extremity, to Dondn Head in the acwhon, the extreme length is about 270 miles. The breadth is uHeqnal, extendiig from 40 to 50, and in eome part* from 70 to 140 mile*. The whole itlud bai very nw* the shape of a pear, tyng N. and S., with the larger end twwards tba S. ItB anperfieial area is abort 27,000 sqaara milaa. The name from nhidi the modem one is formed is Siaghala, that ia, ' the coontry af lions," which may have been intended m deacripttre of the dispositinD of the people, as the Bon has not been met with open it at leaat in BOdem tiniest Bittorical Natter.} LHtle i» kndwn of the kiatory of this Mignlv island before the arriTal of the Portngoose Mder Almeida, in 1505. Tha natives, long haraased by the attacks of the A«afcs, rendily cMaaentsd to pay a tribnte in rinnamon to these EnropeaBS, in cwiaiderMion of being assisted agmnit their Arab ioTaders. At this period aome Batagea called Feddaht, or Beddaht, ocenpied the woody remans ; the rett of the island was possessed hy the Cii^Jeae. Nat content with a friendly alliance, die , Poitngaese endeavonred to (arm a aettleaMBt in thv island, in which diay sncceeded, after a long and severe stn^le. The sea-coast feH into their hands, and the interior remained to the original possessew. After tJn lapse of nearly a cantnry, the Dateh found their way to Ae East and reached this island in I6{B. They were fiwonrably received by the op- pressed natives, and being assisted by ihem, after a aa^uhuay ttraggle of nearly 50 yesra, at last overpowered the PartagSMacv wfco yieUed tie do- minion in 1656. The eondnct of the ancceasfd alfias, however, aoon proved as offensive to the natives as that of their predecewoia ; and bosta- lities of a lOTg dnration took place, in which the CeyIo«aa were avonuUy driven to the mountuns and jnngles of the interiev, where alone tfaey conU preserve their mdependencc. A treaty was at lart concluded between the two parties in 1766, which left to the natiw kmg of Candy at leaat the name and aomewhat of the appeonneB of reytdty. Tba progrees af the American war brought Ae British to this iriaad ; bat their arms, tbragh victorious, were not rewarded with permanent sncose^ liB the cooteat wilh revolutionary France and her allies inrfoeed our gerwament t« deapUck a new and powerful expedition agamst Ceyhm, whicb trnk poaaeaaHM o< it in THE AalATIC ISLANDS. 231 1796. Since tbw pariad, nrioiu miuactioBi bun •eeocred bttwrai av eaanlrymea Md the Camtiaiw. A traatjr of alfimnce sad oommerca wm pTDJectad in 1800, but &ilad. Onr troops took pnawwifiii of their conntry ¦nd capital ia 180S ; but, beiag mi^le to mainaJB their craqoeata, warn forcad t* eapitiJua, mi condition of liberty to ntnni t« Colonba. In pUca of dia iMou of iwrnKler being obsarrad, howenr, ibey wero trcacbaroiuly put to desth with drcamstanca* of the moat nrage cnielty. An atpadidon of 3000 nem, fitted out in 1815, nadar the commnd of gmsral Browarigg, in concert with the popalMion, who had become wear^ «i their tfrannical and blood-thirsty aumarch, entered Candy in trinmph. and deprived the native inonari^ of all power. In 1817, a baraning re- bellion broke o«t in the central prorincea which lasted ontil the end of 1819, stnca wWch period anintermpted peace ha» preToiW, and Tariooa improe island nearly into two parts, and so completely separates them from each odier, that both die ^mates and seasons differ on the respective sides. These moontains also terminate the efiect of die monsoons, which set in periodically from opposite sides of them, and are connected with those mi the Coromandel and Malabar coasts, and very nearly oorreepond with diem. Tbera are no lakes among the monotains of Ceylon ; and the riven, gene- rally speakii^, are mail, and have their comves from the moontwns to the nearest sea. To diis, however, there ia one exception, — the river Mnha- veify, which rises on the N. side of Adaai's f^ak, has a coone of aboat 95 mdei tfirect N. to die dty of Candy ; thence bends to the E. for ibont 35 miles ; after which it flows N. to the sea about 70 miles more, and empdes hself by three principal months, two of which enter the bay of Trincomi^ee. Tfab river is navigable, at least to Candy. Another sroaH rircr, the Colony, rises on the W. side of Adam's Peak, and (hlls into the na-at Colnmbo, but is nav^^le only daring the nina. " CUnaU.'] On the W. tdde, where Colombo liea, the runs prarail ip May, Jnnei and July,— the season in which they are felt on the Malabar coast. During their con&mation, the nonhem parts of the iatand ace little affe4:t«d, and are ganeimlly dry. In the months of Octoher and NoTember, when the oppoMte monaoon aeta in on the Coromandel coast, it is the N. of Ceylon which is affected, and scarcely any impreision ia made in the S. The climate is unhealthy in the interior; but every point of the eea-coast that is cleared of wood, and druned and cultivated, is salnbrioaB; the mean annoal temperature here may be stated at 80°. Colombo and ita Deigfabonrhood, bemg the best cnluvated, are particularly ao. It is now, indeed, well known, that healthiness of climate does not depend on the sitoation of places, as to their paralleia of latitude ; and that a healthy state of the homan conotitntion is not incompatible with the most intense beat of the BDn, — on the contrary, that it is more adapted to an equatorial than a polar climate, provided the atmosphere be not overchai^d with humidity. There are no volcanoes on the island. Producliont.'] A mere catalogue of the valuable and nsefnl prodnc- ^onH of this uWd would require mora room than we have to spare. With some few exceptions, all the productions of which India and the Indian islands can boast are to be met with here ; besides many others peculiar to itself. The tribe of the palms, — the most common, and at the eanw tima the most magnificent and beaatifal of eaatem vegetation, — may be con- sidered as the most generally nsefal to the Ceyloneae. Among these tha cocoa-nut tree nnqnestionably holds th^ first rank. It snpplies the inhabi- tants with bread, milk, and oil ; it affords them a strong spirit, vinegar, and yeast ; ita top is an excellent substitute for cabbage ; it fumishea umber to build their huts, and thatch to cover them ; the shell of its nut is no mean article in the scanty catalogue of their household utensils ; and it supplies them with cloth and cordage. Of the other members of this vegetable tribe we can only barely ennmerate the following: the palmyra, areca catechu, sago palm, talipot palm, and the bread-lruit tree. Pine- apples, oranges, lemons, mangos, plantains, almonds, pomegranates, and other fmits are plentiful and excellent. The bark of the Uturus cinna- momum is the chief export. Its growth is confined from about the middle of the W. coast to a little beyond Dondra^head on the S. The seeds of all Enropean plants degeneiai« rapidly. Ceylon is less rich in the animal than in the vegetable part of the crea- tion, if we except its omitholc^, but it boasts of the largest and finest elephants iu the world, great numbers of which are caught and exported. Among die woods and jungles the ferocious bufialo is fonnd, and tamed with difficulty. The large striped tiger of India ia not met with in Ceylon. The elk, stag, and deer abonnd. Birds of the most splendid and beautiful plumage enliven the woods and thickets; amongst these are the gaudy peacock, the uatameable jungle fowl, a great variety of the pheasaat family, also parrots, pigeons, wood-peckers, and paddy birds. It need scarcely be added, that all the noxious and disgusting claasea of in- sects and reptiles are abundantly geaemted here amid tite h«aX and moisture of the rich vegetable soil. Venomous toads, acorpiona, cockroaches, mos- quitoes, red, black, and white anta — the most numerous of the whole in- sect tribe — infest every house. Snakes, too, are not wonting, and these of the moat pmaonous kind. Alligators of a prodi^ona size infest the rivers, and the marshes abound in leeches. The mmerals are numerous, and precious stones, espedally amethyst, mbies, and cat's eye, are abundant^ but not of a fine quality. The great TMB ASIATIC ISLANDS. S33 tDMS of the Ceylim rock is of primitive fomution, granite, or gnnn. Tlte rocla alonf^ the Bhores are in geoeral sandstone. Pi^lalioH.^ The total population of the island ia stated hj Cot- diner~-on vhat authority we Iniow not — at 1,500,000 souls; of whom, the Cingiftlese, the Candiwu, and the Malaban, each constitute 500,000. " The first," he saya, " occupy the coasts of the southern half of the island, from Dondra Head to the con6ne8 of Balticoloe on the east, and to die river of Chelan on the trest ; the second are shut up in the heart of the conntry ; and the Molabars occupy the northern parts of the coast." Mr Bernard, who resided for apwards of 35 years on the island, and had oflBcial opportunitieB of making himself acquainted with its statistics, ex- presses himself thns on the aubject of its population : " The common opinion of those that ThaTe conrersed with is, that the population of Cey- lon amounta to 2,000,000 of inhabitants ; 1,000,000 in the territory that is now in possession of the British gOTeroment, and another in that which belongs to the king of Candy, l^is estimate, however, b likely to he exaggerated. An enameration, as correct as possible, was made in the year 1789, by the order of governor Vander Graaff, of all the iohabitants in the territory of the Dutch East India company, end that reckoning gave 817,000 inhabitants. With regard to the Candian provinces, the popnta- tion ia nnmerons in those that are cultivated, but it mnst be remarked that, with the exception of the conntry immediately sorrgnnding the town of Candy, and ^e provinces of Onva and Mattele, all the interior of Ceylon ia, in the proportion of seven-eighths, covered with woods and forests ; and, therefore, it may be concluded that this part of the territory of the king of Candy is, in proportion to its extent, even more thinly peopled than the conntry under the British government. The Wannydiips of Soerlie wid Nogerie, and the whole of the great forest occnpied by the Weddaa from Maagame on the S., to the Coblay river at the northern side of the island, does not contain 10,000 inhabitants. These reflections will lead to a con- clusion that Ceylon does not contain more then 1,500,000 inhabitants." We have the- testimony of all writers on Ceylon, that the Cingalese, or Ceylonese, ere a mild, timid race of men, exceedmgly civil to strangers, •tndions to oblige, and delighting in acts of hospitality. Hieir stature is rather below the middle uze ; thdr limbs sleuder, but well-shaped, and in good proportion ; their features more resemble Europeans than any other people of Asia ; their colour is as various as the tints of bronze, but leas deep on the whole than that of the Hindoos ; their eyes are dark ; and their hair long, smooth, and jet black; they turn it np and fix it with a tortoise-shell comb on the top of the head. A piece of calico or mnslin wrapped round the waist ia the only clothing worn by nine-tenths of the population. The addition of short jackets, wustcoats, ruffles, ear-riaga, caps, swords, &c. is regnlated by the oppressive system of castes which, with the exception of Cbma and Japan, appears to have pervaded alt those countries where the doctrines of Buddha and Brahma have fonnd or forced their way. The Moodelliara and higher orders of Ceylonese profess Chris- tianity, and have adopted many European customs, restricting themselvee to one wife, and marrying according to the forms of the Dutch church. A considerable nnmber of the lower ordera contintie votaries of Buddha; and many have embraced the Mahommedan bith. The Cingalese have a hnguBge and written character of their own. Modem writera talk of the Cingalese and Candians as two distinct races ot people : we are unable either to confirm or disprove this. Knox, SS4 ASIA. who knew the Candisns well, thns describes tbem : " In carriage and be- bsTioar they are grave and stately, like imto tha Ponngneee ; in luider- etanding quick ai^ apprehensive, in deaign subtle and crafty, in diiconrse canrteoaa, bat fall of flatteries ; 'natnially inclined to t«mpeivice both in meat and drink, bat not to chastity ; neat and provident in their fiuniliee, commending good husbandry. In their dispositionB not passionate, neither hard to be reconciled again when angry. In their promisee very uafuthfbl, approviog lying in themselves, bnt disliking it in otben ; delighting ia sloth, deferring labour noUl urgent necesuty constrain them ; aemt in apparel, nice in eating, and not given to muco sleep." They are all ex- tremely poor, and appear to be content with very little ; their dwellings are mnd huts, and their rnmiture acanty ; fruit and rice are the principal articles of their food, and water ia almost their only beverage. Like the Spaniards of Valencia, they pour it from a ipont at a considerable distance from their mouths, that the vessel may not be defiled by touching the lips. Their chief luxaries are the betel-leaf, areca-nnt, and chunum. To pre- sent betel is thronghont the East the symbol of friendship, — it is the calumet of peace. The men labour bnt little ; the women rather more, but not much. Rice, millet, and pulse, are the principal articles that cost them any laboor in raising, and even of these they do not cnltivute much, for the rest they depend on the natural prodoctions of the atul. " The pos- sessor of a guden," says Cordiner, " which contains twelve cocoa-nut trees, and two jack-treea, finds no call for any ezotion. He reclines all day in Uie open air, literally doing nothing ; feels no wish for active em- ployment, and never complams of the langnor of existence." There is a race known among the original Cingalese by the name of Sfeddaht, or Veddaht, who live in a free and independent state in the inaccessible mount^us and forests of Bintan, behind Batticollo. They seek their food in the deep forests, abonnding with elephanta, bufialoes, wild hogs, elks, and antelopes. They cantionsly abstain firoui all con- nection with the rest of the islanders, except in bartering with the bor- derers of their forests, ivory, deer skias, dried flesh, and, honey, for salt, arrows, doth, and a few other articles. They are a robost and hardy race, coarageouB and resolute, but very treacheroua. Their language u a direct of Cingalese ; and the foint notion which they have of religion approacbea nearer to Brahmanism than to Buddhism. Their only places of worahip are under the shade of the banyan-tree. The next class of inhabitants, who were reckoned to form one-half of the population of the British possessions before the addition of the Can- dian dominions, ara tha Malahara, — the same active, enterprising, cnfty people, in their character of merchants, pedlars, jewellers, workers in metals tailors, fishermen, jugglers, as we find them on the continent from which they came. About one-half of these people are indifferent Mahom- medans; the other half are worse Hindoos. They chiefly inhabit the district and city of Jaffnapatam. The Malays, who are found on almost every island in the Indian aeaa, are here pretty nnmerous ; they are soldiers, sailors, fishermen, and uti- ficera ; many of them were introduced by the Dutch in a state of slavery. Among the vanous nations who inhabit Ceylon, the Malays are the only people oat of which we have been able to make soldiers. The number of Dutch in the island does not exceed 900 ; with the ex- ception of a few families, they have been redncod to comparative indigenca by our capture of the island. — Of the Portuguese who first opened the *»DS. 235 way to IniUa little now ramuns but tbe mins of their former gramleinv HiMT DBine, langaage, religion, and religions ealablishmenla, Mill exist ; but die Portognese tbemtelret bare diiappeared. Slavery is still permitted in Ceylon, in ccnueqnence of tbe existing slaves of the Dutch and natives Wt die period of tbe capilnlation to Great Britain, being declared private property. The namber of slaves may amonnt to A,(KK). Ji«Ugum.2 Hie Inngntige and religion of the Candiam, or Ceylonese Proper, are tbe satue aa the Siamese, from whom, an we have noticed, they consider themselves descended. Tbe religion of Brahma is said to have prevailed in Ceylon till the sixth century B.C., when that oF Bnddba obtained the ascendency. Many of the towns and villages yet ret^n tbe name of Hindhn deities, and the rains of their temples are yet seen anr- nonding modem edifices of woiship constructed to Bnddba. In the year 181 tithe number of temples dedi<:ated to Buddha, and other inferior deities of Cingalese snpentition, amonnted to 1,200. In Ceylon, the distinction of CMtee is perhaps more minute than in any other country into which tbe re- ligion of Brahma or Buddha has found or forced its way. Cvery profession forms a particalar caste nnder its own headman, — gold and silver-smiths, fishermen, barbers, wasbermen, manubctarers ofjagen/, drawers of toddy, makers of Ume, &c. are all enrolled in distinct and separate castes. Christianity was introdnced into Ceylon by the Portngnese. Tbe Dntch were very zealona in their exertions to bring over their Ceylonese subjects to the Protestant faith, and with that view translated and printed die scriptures in tbe Cin^ese and Malabar dialects. In 1811, the num> ber of native protestant Chnstiana was ascertained to be 146,000, and those of the Catholic denominstion 37,649. Of these about 50,000 speak the Tamnl language ; the majority employ the Cingalese ; and a few speak the corrupted Portugneee, so common over all the coast of India. The British sntl Foreign Bible Society, and the American, Baptist, London, Cborch of England, and Methodist Missionary Societies, have recently tnmed much of their attention to this popnlons island, and nnder the auspices of tbe first of these, various editions of the scriptures have been published in the native dialects; and it is remai4table tl»t the priests of Bnddba have shown great readiness in astisting the translators c^ the sa- end volume. Imporlt and Exporb.2 Tbe grand article of importation to Ceylon is rice, the value of which frequently exceeds half tbe amount of tbe whole goods exported ; and the next in consequence is cotton-cloth ; yet tbe soil of tbe island is capable of prodndng a redundant qnantity of tbe &iest cotton. Hemp is raised abundantly, the sandy soil of tbe maritime pro- vinces b«ng well-adapted for its cultivation. The cultivation of tbe sugar- cane on a large scale has been twice attempted, and each time failed. From tbe toddy of the cocoa-nut tree arrack is distilled by the common •tilt, in the same manner as brandy from wine. From 400 gallons of toddy, 50 gallons of airadt are drawn, equal in strength to brandy 25 London under proof, which when rectified produces half tbe quantity of strong spirit Compared with Bengal rum, Ceylon arrack is admitted to be the most wholesome liqaor, and it is SO per cent, cheaper. In 1813, the total value of exports from Ceylon was 2,443,910 rix-dollan (eleven and a half to tbe pound sterling) ; of imports 6,378,739 rix-dollars ; bat •f this last two-Uiirds was rice, it having been a year of ecarcity. The total tonnage of ell descriptions belonging to the island was estimawd at 8,000 tons. Cocn^ Ic Raimue, ^c] The public reTeDne of Ceylon may be divided into two brancbes : m. one derived from certain pradocdoDs of tbe iataod reaerred by goreniraent to the fiscal reeoorcea, — the other, inch impoRta u the luid-tax, taxes on property, taxes on connimpdoD, and capitation taxea. Of the reeerred productions cinoamoa is the moat important, but of the net profits no official document has recently been published ; the pearl- 6sbery in 1814 yielded £64,000 -, the Gibery of cbank shells (a species of large baccinam which are sawed into female ornaments for the wrirts, &c), and madder root, are also prodnctiTe sonrces of rerenoe. Tbe tekioK of elephants, formerly so lucrative to the Dutch, is no longer considered of any importance, the value of the animel having Mien so mnch in price. The government share of tbe crop differs so greatly as from one-tenth to one-half, and is received in kind. In 1812, it amounted to 513,174 rix- dollars. Mo giants of land are permitted to be made by goventmeDt to British subjects, or to European settlers on the island. Salt is one of the roost prodnctive sonrces of revenue, and promises to yield a considerable alimentation. In 1812, tbe total amount of the public annual revenoa of every description was 3,028,446 rix-dollare (£268,343) ; the total ex- penses to 8,339,726 rix-dolUra ; defiut 371,280 rixnlollars. Tbe estsb- liabmeot of civil servants, forty in number, fill a gradation of offices to which salaries are attached of ftom £500 to £3,000 per annum, and after a residence of twelve yeais are endtled to retire on pensions of &om £400 to £700 per annum. ~ Topography.'} Jaffiiapatam, built on a tongue of land, in 9° 36' N. tat., and 79° 50' E. long., is a great resort of tbe Dutch famiUes : the proraica itself comprehends rather less than ooe-fonrdi of the whole island, and has several small islands attached to it. For a part of the distance between Jaffii^atam and Manaar, it is not very easy to say whether tbe country is sea or land. Tbe sorfaco is water ; but it is in general so shallow, and the bottom under it so firm, that it can be walked over. — Still farther south, on the coast opposite to Coromandel, there is a singular peninsnljii Calpenteen, which lies parallel to the shore, from which it is divided by a very narrow portion of water^ which extends from the isthmus, at the S. end, between 60 and 70 mites. This peninsnia, though sandy, is thickly covered with cocoa-nut trees and palmtrB paJme ; and the country on the other side of the bay, or, rather, natural ditch, is very rich and beantifnl. This curious peninsula extends south as fer as Chilarv, a distftnce of about 150 miles firom Jafhiapatam; and along tbe whole of that line of coMt, no mountains are visible from the sea — verdant woods forming everywhere the boundary of the horizon. Afier passing Chilaw sonthwerd, tbe moim- tatns begin to make their appearance, while the coast retaim its beauty^ and indeed gats more luxuriailt in ^tpearance as Colnmbo is approached. At Negtmbo, ahont 40 miles to the N. of Colombo, the cinnamon country begins, and it extends to a considerable distance south ef that city.— Coiombo 'a a very betatifal place, with proper attention to avoiding the direct action of the son, very healthy, and it contmns a number of inhabi- tants. Tbe dty itself is nearly insulated by water, but the land imme- diately across the lake is the most rich and picturesque that can be ima- giued. Small vessels only can approach the shoro at Colombo, and while the S.W. monsoon blows, ships cannot ride in the rosdateed, but muat either leave the island altc^ther, or pass round to Trincomalee. For every thing that can make the earth delightful and desirable, it is hardly possible to imagine a place stqperior to die neigbbonthood of Colombo ; THB ASIATIC ISLANDS. 237 bot oa tbe peninsula die mter is brscldab. Accordinfc to CordiDer, we may set down its population at 50,000 inhabitants. The part inhabited b; tbe principal Europeans ta surreiuided with a regular fortification, on one side resting «n the sea, the other on an inland lake ; the streets are at right angles, shaded by rows of trees, cbiafiy the showy and el^^ant portis or tnlip tree ; the houses are low, but neat, fronted with verandas and Venetiaq blinds before the windows. Without the fort is the Pellah, or block town, and the bazar, or market. Here people of all nations, lao- gOBg«s, tnaimeiB, and religions, are blended together — Dutch, Portngneee, and English ; Cingalese, MaUbars, and Moon of erery class ; Hindoos, Genloos, Parseee, Arabs, Malays, Chinese, Jsvaoeae, Bnggees, Cafiires, half castes, and mongrel breeds of every shade and tint of colour, irom the sickly white of tbe European to tbe jet black of the A&icaa. — South from Cotombo tbe cocoa-nut trees get still more plentiful, and the formation of cables of tbe fibres is one of tbe staple niann&ctures of some of tbe vil- lages on tbe coast. This richness and besnty contione along the whole of the soDtb-west and south ; and there is then the advantage of at least a tolerable harbour at PoitU de GaHe, a few miles W. of tbe sonthmost part -^!1>e province of Malura, in the extreme sontb, is also celebrated for its scenery, the groves and thickets there alternating much more with open glades than in other paru of the island. — Dondra Head, tbe soothmost part of tbe island, lies a few miles to the G. of the little town of Matnrs ; and a few miles inland, there is a ungle block of stone {MulgureUnna) 300 feet in height, widi a flight of 545 steps, of great antiquity, winding to the sammit, which is crowned with a tomb, or temple, of Buddha, in the shape of a bell. After passing the south point, the chaiactcr of the coast changes mnch for the worse. It is unhealthy, covered with wood, broken by salt marshes, and infested with wild beasts. Even this country, were it properly cleared, would be very fertile, and probably much improved in point of healthiness ; but in its present state, neither cultivated plants nor domestic animals are safe, tbe elephants attacking the former, and the beasts of prey the latter. This general character of the coast coatinuea all the way to TrincomaUe ; and thence to Jafin^atam it partakes of tbe chaiacter of the coast immediately to tbe south of that settlement. Tbe town of MtntioUf, now in mins, is said to have been the capital of a king- dom founded by the Biahtnioa, who had possession of almost all tbe north- em parts of Ceylon, including Jafiiiapatam. Contiguons to Mantotte is an immense reservoir, called ' tbe Giant's Tank;' it is 16 or 18 miles in extent, and would hold, if in repur, a supply of water sufficient to irrigate all the rice-grounds around it. At tbe distance of about uiae miles ^m this tank, an embankment, constructed of immense stones cemented with lime, has been laid across the Moesely or Aripo river, in order to coUect the water, and lead it by means of canals into tbe Giant's tank. The length of this dam is 600 feet ; its breadth in some parts 60, in none less than 40 feet; and its hught from 8 to 12 feet.* The city of Candy, the * Thae worki iudlats tbe saclcst miatence of miii» powerful snd populooi natioa In tbo island, m minion which !¦ fsrUier amflrnud bv tbo Bitaniiblng worka wound the Iskt of Cindcfej, dlrtut about 16 mllea from Triaeanuli. TbU iska, which ia Hurl; IG milts la circumference, la embanked in aevEral plana with a wall of tmge Monea, each from 1£ to 14 feet Idnc. and brond and tblck in prnpartion, Uid rcgularlv one oTBT the other. At one point In thia majestic work two hilla are Joined logetbrr in order to ooilect the water of tbe lake bv an embsakment nearly ISO feet in bnadtb at the baae and 3U at the summit, in tbli part of the wall archei are to be aeen; bih* orer (beae. In the work which is under the lerel uf the wsler, an opening ia made r ¦cllr nannbllni; the coodultorl used bf the Humaiu lu khdc of the hjua of Italy, capital of the native rejah, is sitnated in the prorinM of Tallanonr, Bor- rouncled on all aides by lofty moantaios, whose aides are covered with thick jungle. It ia abont two miles in length, and conaiats of a number of mad-built honaea, aarronnded by a mud-wall. The only bnildiiigs of any consequence in Candy are the temples of Buddha and the royal palace which ia a square-built edifice of immease dimeosions. Political Importance.^ There is no doubt that the poMession of Cey- lon was turned to good account by the Portnguese and Dutch, although its expenditure exceeds ita revenue at preaent, and a vote of supply is an- nually made by parliament for the support of our Ceyloneae establishment. The reaources of this raluable island have not yet been opened np. At present they want capital to call that labour into action ; but if a tibial system of colonization is pursued towards it this want will be speedily supplied, and the deficit in its financea made up. But it is not in a com* mercial view alone that we ore to estimate the valne of this possession, which is one " that," says M. Bartolacci, " in the event of a great rererse of fortune on the continent of India, would stilt afford ns a most command- ing position, invulnerable by the Indian powers in the peninsula, and yet so situated as to give ns the greaMst facility of r^aining the sovereignty of that country." — " The faarbonr of Trincomal6 is open to the largest fleets in every season of the year, when the storms of the S.W. and N.E monsoons render impracticable, or very daDgeroua, the approach to other parts in India. This circnmstaDce alone ought to fix our attention to that spot, as peculiarly adapted to be made a strong military depot, and a place of great mercantile resort, if a generally free trade becomes efiectnally established irom India to other puis of the world. It ought farther to be obserred, that the narrowness of the channel which separates the island oi Ceylon from the continent of India, and the position of Adam's Bridge, which checks the violence of the monsoons, Iraves on either side of it a calm sea and facilitates a passage to the opposite coast at all times of the year. A respectable European force stationed at Colombo, Jaffiiapatam, or Trincomal^, can, in a very few days, or hours, be landed on the Mala- bar and Coromandel provinces." The possession of such a station as this, among the rich islands of the vast Indian archipelago, ia of the utmost importance to a commercial nation. The earliest account, in our language, of this interestii^ and important island, is an exceedingly amusing and instructive nanstive, written by Robert Knox, who, in the year 1659, was kidnapped by the Icing of Candy, and detained 19 years in his dominions, llie narratives of Mr Perdvat and Mr Cordiner, were both published since the commencement of the present century, and will be found to contmn a great deal of correct and interestiog iofonnatioo. A variety of valuable information respecting this island and the inhabitants has been fiimished us, in the reports of our Bible and Missionary societies ; but the most valuable work that has yet Bp~ peaied on Ceylon is Mr Anthony Bartolacci's view of its agricultiira), letting oat tha water, pcrhapa for ths purpma of inigatiDU. Nor can we ocoll to mea- tion * einguldr momimcnt, discoveml by Mr Sowmh, collBCior of UBtticaloe, In the jt»t 1810, in the centre of a veiy thick tonau It is ¦upnwed to bave twen a Boadtw paioda, nared, liku the bgyptliA pyramids, in hononr ol tlie dead. The aiu of the (lujldini la gigantic; the basis of ils uine !i about a quarter of a mile in circumTereiicc, and on tbe tops and Ma large ireea have fixed their roots among the ruins, and that up to the height of 50 or 60 teet. It ia surrounded by a square inclcmira, amilBiacIr- comferene*, oonalstina of u brsad wall, made of brick and oiortar, and havinx witbiu itanumberofcells. ^ THE ASIATIC ISLANDS. 239 oomniBrciil, and financial interests, published in 1817, and accompanied by a very large and comprebenuTe map froin die latest surreys. Adjacknt Islanos.J Ramueram, the holy island or Rama, is ei- tnate at the oortbern extremity of Ceylon, aboat iJO miles from tbe shore. It is a low flat island, about W miles in circamference, and may be con- udered as tbe most southerly pier of that series of shoals and coral-rocks which, under the name of Kama's or Adam's Bridge, serves to connect Ceylon with the coast of Coromandel. The whole inland is dedicated to the purposes of religion; no plough is allowed to break the soil, and no animal, either wild or tame, to be killed within its precincts. It is in- habited chiefly by priests, who are supported in luxury by the produce of certaiD lands in Coromandel, and the donations of pious individuals ; and by immense crofvds of pdgrims, ju^lers, and beggars, who resort to it from all parts of India, to implore absolution for their sins, or to take ad- TBUt^e of the momentary charity of tbe riiiher penitents. It is adorned with a multitude of beautiful temples, besides an immense pagoda, which forms tbe chief object of curiosity and veneration. The number of pillars within this temple amounts to 2,628, and some idea of its extent may be formed from the admeasurement of its surrotudiug walls, (between which and the building itself there is but a small vacant space,) which is 830 feet from £.'to W., and 625 from N. to S. There are upwards of 300 Brahmins attached to this temple, which is for the most part of recent con- atruclion, the ancient hbric having been almost entirely demolished by tlie Mahommedan conquerors. Delft, one of tbe cluster of islands adjacent to Jafliiapatam, has been almost entirely set apart under government fur tbe growing of hane or hemp, and manufacturing it into cordage. A valuable breed of horses is also reared upon it> AulKoritiet^ Campbell's Accotmt, Lond. 1798, 8vo.— Perceval's Ac- count of Ceylon, Lond. 1803, 4to. — Cordiner's Description of Ceylon, Land. 1607, 2 vols. 4to. — Auatic Researches. — Lotgevallen door J. Uaaf- ner, Haarlem, 1606, 8vo. — Valestia's Travels, Land. 1609.— Reise nach Ceykin etc von J. C. Wolf, BerL 1762-4, 2 vols. 6vo.— tiertolacci's Sta- tisdcal Account, Land. 1817, Svo. — Davy's Account of Ceylon, Lond. 1821, 4(0. CHAP. XI.— THE MALDIVES AND LACCADIVES. Thb Laeeadiee* are a group of islands in the Indian ocean, 75 miles to the W. of Malabar. They are divided into 15 smaller clusters, each of which contiuns two or more islands, and several rocks and dry uninhabited spots ; but the latest of them does not contain above six square miles of land, and they are snrroanded by dangerooH coral reefs. The soil is rocky, and yields no grwn ; then only produce is poultry, eggs, cocoa-nuts, betel- nuts, and plantains. Tie inhabitants are inoffensive, and not so sky as their JVUldivian neighbours. They subsist on cocoa-nuts and fish, and nanu&cture a kind of sugar trom cocoa milk. Their numbers are ^>oui 10,000, scattered over 19 islands. Tbej are of Arabian origin, and pro- fess Islamism. They are called Moplay* by the inh^itante of the Deccan. These islands were discovered by Vasco de Gama in 1499, but are politi- cally dependent on Canaia, and under the dominion of England. Tbey ¦re seldom visited by European ships, on account of the intricate nanga- S40 ASIA. tion. Ships may, boneTer, rafelf take in refreabments at Kan RatUa, in 10° 3V N. lat. and 72° 56' E. long. Tliere u a]M a good hartxrar in dw isle of Kalptw). The Laccadirea extend betv«ea the 10th and 13th parallels- To the S. of the Laccadires, aod extending between the 8th d^^ree of N. Intitnde and the equator, are the Maidivet, or MaU'IHve*, coniisting oF namerons attoUons or drcalar cloaten, inclostog Interior smooth shallow seas, and HUiTonnded by chsini of cocal rocks, in general level with the water, and ranning from half a mile to within 50 yards of the land. In some parti of these Teefa there are openinga sufficient to admit boats ; and where bays are formed by projecting parts of the clnstors, there is anchor- age orer a aand; bottom mixed with shells and coral. Many of tbe islaoda famish Iresh water a few feet from the sur&ce of the soil. The whole are covered with cocoa-trees anil a thick growth of underwood. The most northern islands of the groupe are the most fertile and salubrious ; ambei^ grease and coral are collected in great abundance on the shores ; an impor- tant fishery of cowrie-shells is dso carried on. At one time a resael or two from the British settlements used to risit the Maldives to load cowriea, bat owing to the nnhealthioess of the climate, and the long detention, theae viuts were discontinned, and the trade is now carried on with Balaaore, tn Oritsa, by native vessels. Ships from Eastern India some^mes resort to the Maldives to procnre sharics' fins for the Chinese, who esteem them an excellent seasoning for soup. — The Maldirians appear to be of Malay ori- gin. Some consider them as a melange of Hindoos and Aimbs. Acoord- ing to their own traditions, their ancestors arrived from the Malabar coast aome centtuiee ago. Their language appears peculiar to themsehea ; bot many of tbem can speak Hindoslanee. They are well-made, and of an olive complexion, with bushy beards. They profeas Islamism, and the more leaned among them speak Arabic, and expound the koian. It ia aaid that national animosities long stirred up violent wara between the in- habitants of the Maldives and Laccadives ; but that nnca the sovereign of the Laccadirea came under British control, these dispates have ceased. A plurality of wives, but no concubines, is allowed, yet adnltery and fomi- cation are hardly ever known. The women are extremely industrious, and generally employed in spinning or dyeing cloth, twisting cois or cocoa fibree, picking cowrie*, or managing their domestic aflairs. They dress very mo- destly in garments of cotton, and sometimes of silk, brought close round the neck, with long sleeves, and flowing to the ancles. — MaU, in if 20' N. laL, is the seat of government. It is nearly circular, and not above three miles in drctunference. The island ia fortified all round with work* mounting 100 pieces of artillery. The town extends over the whole island, and is remarkably neat and clean, llie houses are built generally of wood and mats ; some of the richer b^ers have stone houses, and the sultan's house is a low stone building regularly fortified. Tbe government ^tpeara to be despotic, and hereditary in the bmiiy of tbe sultan ; but he baa a ministry composed of eight chieft or viziers, who have islands assigned them for their suppMt while in office. The diief prieat ia called panJiar. No European aoltlement bat yet been effseted on these islands.