C 2<2G ARCHIPELAGO STILL UNKNOWN. 



superficial accumulations, to resemble the Malayan 

 peninsula, and the countries above associated with 

 it, as Borneo and its neighbourhood. Whether they 

 also contain similar or other metals is yet unknown. 

 The vegetable wealth which exists in the northern 

 granitic islands, though not in such profusion as in 

 those of the volcanic band, is, at all events, not ex- 

 tended to the north coast of Australia. 



It seems strange that these regions included in 

 the East Indian Archipelago, one of the most fa- 

 voured portions of the globe, should have remained 

 even to our day comparatively unknown and uncared 

 for, while so many other parts of the world, less 

 accessible and far less interesting, have been con- 

 stantly ransacked and described by travellers of all 

 kinds. The grandeur and beauty of the scenery 

 of this great group of islands can hardly be sur- 

 passed, while, as we have already observed, the 

 richness of its productions in the animal and mineral 

 kingdoms is great, and in the vegetable kingdom 

 they are unequalled whether in beauty, rarity, or 

 value to man. 



Its populous inhabitants, so mild and tractable in 

 their native disposition, so docile to kindness, and 

 so open to instruction, have been left either in their 

 native barbarism, or still worse, have been oppressed 

 by the exactions and exasperated by the injuries of 

 Europeans. Their seas, for the most part so tran- 

 quil and easy of navigation, have been left unsur- 

 veyed and permitted to swarm with the piratical 



