9- 



]i A L L I. 



lliape, and fpeak the Malaye language. All are Mahometans^ as 

 are the people of Celebes : the ftory is, that a certaui king, from 

 the arguments he had heard on the topic of religion from fome 

 Chrijlians and Mahometans^ took a great diflike to his own, 

 but b6ing unable to determine which to chufe, he convened 

 a general affembly, and after a moft fervent prayer to Heaven, 

 refolved to prefer the religion of that party which flrould firft 

 land on his dominions : pofiibly the Mabo7netans were in the 

 fccret ; their miflionaries arrived, and the whole ifland em- 

 braced the doctrine of that fed. 



I NOW defcend towards the eaftern end of Java, and pafs 



through the ftreights of Balli, which divide Java from the 



Island of ifland of that name. The ftreights are narrow, rapid, and 



"^^^^' bounded by pidlurefque hills, many of a conoid form. This is a 



much-frequented paffage. 



The ifland abounds with every neceflary of life, both in the 

 vegetable and animal creation. When the Dutch touched here, 

 in their firft voyage of the year 1595, they found it governed by 

 a king, who appeared in great ftate, was attended by his guards, 

 and drawn in a chariot by milk-white oxen. The great men 

 were carried in their bamboo palanquins, and lived in the higheft 

 luxury. The religion w-as then Pagantjm ; and the women, as 

 in India, devoted themfelves to the funeral pile on thedeceafe of 

 their huft)ands. In Le Premier Livre de Navigations, &c. are 

 fome prints ■■'■■ of the cuftoms of the illand. 

 SLAvrs. This ifland, and that of Macajfar, has the infamy of furniftr- 



ing as many fubjedts to the flave trade as any part of the known 



*P. 49. 51. 



world, 



