194 GEOGRAPHY. 



sugar, coffee, pepper, and other tropical productions. The Moluccas, 

 or Spice Islands, are the small islands east of Celebes, which island 

 we would include in the same group, from its contiguity, and the simi- 

 larity of its productions. Gilolo, Bouro, and Ceram, are the largest 

 of the Spice Islands ; and the smaller islands west of Gilolo, are the 

 only places where the clove tree is indigenous. These islands 

 belong mostly to the Dutch ; who possess the town of Macassar, 

 on the Island of Celebes. 



Borneo, is, next to Australia, the largest island in the world ; and 

 like the preceding islands, belongs chiefly to the Dutch. Its capital 

 is the town of Borneo, in the northern part. The inhabitants are 

 partly savage native tribes, and partly Malays, professing the Moha- 

 medan religion. Borneo is the home of the ourang-outang, and is 

 rich in gold and diamonds. The Philippine Islands, more than 

 1000 in number, belong to the Spaniards. The largest islands, are 

 Luzon, or Luconia ; and Mindanao, or Magindanao ; next to which, 

 in size, are Palawan, and Samar. The chief city and capital, is 

 Manilla, on the island of Luzon. 



2. Australasia comprehends Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, 

 New Guinea, and what may be termed the New British Range, or 

 the Solomon Islands and New Hebrides. The inhabitants of these 

 islands, excepting New Zealand, are chiefly a peculiar black race, 

 called Papuan Negroes, in a very savage state. 



Australia was formerly called New Holland; but the latter name 

 is now restricted to the western part of this wide region ; the eastern 

 being called New South Wales. The British have colonized the 

 south-eastern portion, called Botany Bay ; and still send criminals 

 thither as temporary slaves. Sidney is its capital and chief town. 

 Tasmania, or Van Diemerfs Land, an island south of Australia, is 

 also colonized by the British ; Hobart Town being its capital ; and 

 more recently a colony has been established in the south-western 

 part of Australia, on the Swan River. New Zealand, comprises 

 two large islands, Eahei and Tavai, south-east of Australia, inhabited 

 by native tribes of the Malay race, of a very ferocious character. 

 These islands have also been colonized by the British ; and there is 

 here a confederation of native chiefs, under British protection. The 

 Bay of Islands, in Eahei, the more northern island of this group, 

 is a favorite resort for whale ships. 



New Guinea or Papua, north of Australia, is said to be a fertile 

 island, of which little is known. We would designate as the New 

 British Range, the islands of Louisiade, New Britain, New Ireland, 

 New Georgia, and the other Solomon Islands east of Papua ; and 

 the New Hebrides, and New Caledonia, farther south ; all of which 

 islands are very imperfectly known. Their names, it will be ob- 

 served, mostly commence with the word new, and several of them 

 allude to the British Islands ; which analogy has suggested the appel- 

 lation above proposed. 



3. The name of Polynesia, is applied to the numerous islands 

 of the Pacific, east of the preceding divisions, inhabited chiefly by 

 native tribes of the Indian or Malay races, and abounding in tropical 

 productions. 



