18 MEMOIR OF 



ductioj* It will now be our endeavour to review 

 his discoveries and researches in the Natural History 

 of these interesting countries, separated as far as 

 possible from the details of his arduous and import- 

 ant public services. For this purpose we have been 

 indebted chiefly to the interesting volume, published 

 some years since under the superintendence of his 

 amiable widow, and which has furnished those parts 

 introduced from his correspondence, with the de- 

 scriptions of his excursions in the interior of Suma- 

 tra ; while the History of Java, and the various papers 

 which Sir Thomas has himself published, have af- 

 forded materials for the other parts. In the progress 

 of the sketch it will be seen that the researches of 

 this naturalist were not confined to one branch of 

 the science, but that every department, both of the 

 history of the inhabitants of those islands, and their 

 natural productions, were carefully studied. We 

 have alluded to the different objects introduced, with- 

 out any system or arrangement but as they seemed 

 to have occurred to the notice of the individual. 

 Some of them are well known by his own descrip- 

 tions, or illustrate the beautiful works of his friends 

 and companions in research and administration* ; and 

 but for the awful and overwhelming catastrophe 

 which occurred on the eve of his departure, many 

 an unknown production of that rich archipelago 

 would have assisted in the embellishment of the 

 extensive works which he contemplated. Having 



Horsfield, Wallich, &c. 



