MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



529 



that their inhabitants, and in some 

 measure those of the shores of 

 the surroundiiig continents also, 

 were mariners by necessity. Water 

 expeditions tlierefore were soon 

 found most commodious for car- 

 rying off spoil. The Greeks, 

 moreover, in their more barba- 

 rous state, became acquainted 

 wilh the precious metals j for, 

 the Phoenicians, whose industry, 

 ingenuity and adventurous spirit 

 of commerce led them early to 

 explore the further shores of the 

 Mediterranean, and even to risk 

 the dangers of the ocean beyond, 

 discovered mines of gold and 

 silver in some of the islands of 

 tiie ^ligean; and, on its northern 

 co;vst they formed establishments 

 in several of the islands, and 

 Thasus, which lay convenient 

 for communication with the most 

 productive mines, became the seat 

 of their principal factory. Thus 

 was offered the most powerful in- 

 centive to piracy, in a sea whose 

 innumerable islands and ports 

 afforded singular opportunity for 

 the practice. Perhaps the con- 

 duct of the Phoenicians, towards 

 the uncivilized nations among 

 whom the desire of gain led 

 them, was not always the most 

 upright or Iiumane ; hostilities 

 would natuially ensue, and hence 

 might first arise the estimation 

 of piracy which long prevailed 

 among the Greeks as an ho- 

 nourable practice." 



Java has long been advanced 

 beyond that state in which piracy 

 and robbery are held to be ho- 

 nourable in tlie eyes of men ; but 

 the picture will be found pretty 

 correct of those islands strictly 

 denominated INIalayan. 



The superior and extraordinary 

 Vol. LVIII. 



fertility of the soil may serve to 

 account for the extensive popula- 

 tion of Java, compared with that 

 of the other islands ; and, when, 

 to the peaceable and domestic 

 habits of an agricultural lite, are 

 added the facilities for invasion 

 along an extensive line of coast, 

 accessible in every direction, it 

 will not have been surprising that 

 she should have fallen an easy 

 prey to the first invader. She 

 appears to have lost, by these in- 

 vasions, mvich of that martial 

 spirit and adveiiturous enterprize 

 which distinguishes the popula- 

 tion of the other isles ; but, at 

 the same time, to have retained, 

 not only the primitive simplicity 

 of her own peculiar usages, but 

 all the virtues and advantages of 

 the more enlightened institutions 

 which have been intro^duced at 

 different periods from a foreign 

 source. At all events, when we 

 consider that her population can- 

 not be less than four millions, 

 and when we witness the cha- 

 racter and literature of the people 

 as it is even now exhibited, we 

 must believe that Java had once 

 attained a far higher degree of 

 civilization than any other nation 

 in the southern hemisphere. 



Japan. 



You will, however, expect from 

 me some notice regarding Japan 

 — " that celebrated and imperial 

 island," which, to use the words 

 of Sir William Jones, bears " a 

 pre-eminence among eastern king- 

 doms, analogous to that of Bri- 

 tain among the nations of the 

 west ;" and, however slender may 

 have been the information pro- 

 cured, such as it is, I venture to 

 submit it to you, nearly as I re- 



2 M ceived 



