so Life o/Sir Stamford Raffles. 



to 158*; being about seven hundred miles in length and five hun- 

 dred in breadth, having a greater superficial extent than any 

 country of Kurope. All its rivers take their origin from a large 

 inland lake, which waters an extensive district of mountainous or 

 rather of table land. It is rich in gold and diamonds, and is also 

 extremely fertile, though, from the degraded condition of the 

 people, at present very unproductive in cultivated vegetation. 

 The Dayaks or aboriginal inhabitants, are a very singular race ; 

 distinguished by the rude virtues of which even the most savage 

 of mankind are rarely destitute, but also by the perpetration of 

 human sacrifices, to obtain the victims for which predatory ex- 

 peditions are perpetually undertaken. And, divided into nu- 

 merous tribes, no person among them is permitted to marry, until 

 he can present the head of some individual of another tribe, to his 

 proposed bride, who then is not allowed to decline the alliance. 



Celebes is as remarkable in geography for its peculiar lobate 

 figure, as it is in history for the martial enterprise of the natives, 

 and the rude mixture of honour and integrity with extreme ferocity 

 and delight in carnage, that their character presents. Many of the 

 tribes, called Bugis, served the surrounding states as military re- 

 tainers ; with the same courage and fidelity as the Normans, at a 

 former period, and the Swiss, in later times, fought the battles of 

 the European sovereigns. On the other side of the picture we be- 

 hold them scarcely refraining from cannibalism; and celebrating 

 " the feast of the bloody heart," at which the raw heart and blood 

 of a newly-killed deer are the favourite viands ; and seem to be 

 devoured in remembrance of some still more revolting festival. 



We now return to the history of Mr. Raffles, having, by the 

 preceding sketch, enabled the reader to appreciate the extent and 

 character of the sphere of action, in which he was soon to be 

 engaged. On the decease of Mr. Pearson, in March, 1807, he 

 succeeded to the oflice of Secretary to the Government of Prince 

 of Wales's Island; the Governor and Council, Avhose distinguished 

 regard he had obtained, also uniting the duties of that station, as 

 conferred upon him, with those of Registrar to their Recorder's 

 Court. 



Connecting with his official engagements, the studies, the his- 



