164 On the Indian Archipelago. 
such as were inhabited, must for a long period have remained 
secluded from all others, save when a repetition of similar acci- 
dents added a few more units to the human denizens of the 
forests. , 
We cannot here attempt to retrace in the most concise manner 
the deeply interesting history of the tribes of the Archipelago, so 
exciting from the variety of its elements, and its frequent, though 
not impenetrable, mystery. We can but distinguish the two 
great eras into which it divides itself:—that, at the commence- 
ment of which some of the inhabitants of the table-land of Asia 
having slowly traversed the southeastern valleys and ranges, a 
work perhaps of centuries, appear on the confines of the Archi- 
pelago, no longer nomades of the plains but of the jungles, with 
all the changes in ideas, habits and language which such trans- 
formation implies, and prepared by their habits to give rise, under 
the influences of their new position, to the nomades of the sea ;— 
and the second era, that, at the commencement of which the 
forest and pelagic nomades, scattered over the interior and along 
the shores of the island of the Archipelago, in numerous petty 
tribes, each with some peculiarities in its habits and language, 
but all bearing a family resemblance, were discovered in their sol- 
itudes by the earliest navigators from the civilized nations of the 
continent. 
The ensuing, or what, although extending over a period of 
about two: thousand years, we may term the modern history of the 
Archipelago, first exhibits the Klings from southern India,—who 
- were a civilized mariti ople probably three thousand years ago, 
—frequenting the islands for their peculiar productions, awakemng 
a taste for their manufactures in the inhabitants, settling amongst 
them, introducing their arts and religion, partially communicating 
these and a little of their manners and habits to their disciples, 
but neither by much intermarriage altering their general physical 
character, nor by moral influence obliterating their ancient super- 
stitions, their comparative simplicity and robustness of character, 
and their freedom from the effeminate vanity which probably then, 
y recent 
communities 
