48 Life of Sir Stamford Raffles. 



the date of the establishment of the Dutch in the Eastern Seas, 

 and the latter that of the British conquest. The subject of Java 

 is concluded with some remarks on the striking resemblance 

 between the early state of Greece and that of the Malay Islands, 

 arising in part from the similarity in geographical disposition of 

 the two countries ; and also on the comparative elevation in 

 national character of Java and the other islands, from which it 

 appears that the people of Java had attained a far higher degree 

 of civilization than any other nation in the Southern hemisphere. 

 The return of the mission from Japan enables Mr. Raffles to 

 give some novel information respecting the character and habits 

 of the extraordinary people of that country, confirming in every 

 respect the accounts of the celebrated, but in Europe greatly 

 maligned Kaempfer, whose work however is held in high estima- 

 tion by the Japanese themselves ; and refuting the misrepresen- 

 tations of other authors which have obtained such general cre- 

 dence. The most remarkable feature the statement aifords, is 

 the condition of high civilization of the people of Japan, and 

 their still progressive improvement ; whilst their neighbours the 

 Chinese, with whom, as to intellectual and moral character, 

 they are so frequently but so inaccurately ranked, have continued 

 stationary, certainly for the few centuries during which we have 

 known them, and as their history and works indicate, in all pro- 

 bability for many ages before. — Observing that the Japanese 

 ^' are wonderfully inquisitive in all points of science, and possess 

 a mind curious and anxious to receive information, without in- 

 quiring from what quarter it comes," Mr. Raffles now terminates 

 his address with this noble and animating expression of liberal 

 feeling :— " In the same spirit let us hope that now, when 



That spell upon the minds of men 

 Breaks, never to unite again ; 



no withering policy may blast the fair fruits of that spirit of re- 

 search which has gone forth from this Hall ; nor continue, under 

 any circumstances, to shut out one-half of the world from the 

 intelligence which the other half may possess." 



\_To he continued.'] 



