X DïSCOUUSE, &C. }9 



ït IS iö what bas been emphatically termed 

 the '' FüRTHER èast" that I would direct jour 

 more immediate attenlion ; and here^ if I ani not 

 mistaken, an ample field is afforded. The Histo» 

 ry of Sumatraj by Mr. Marsderiy has throwii sa 

 clear a Hght on the country and character of 

 the inhabitantSj that i have bat to refer you to 

 ihat valuable woric for all tbat is jtt known res- 

 pecting that interesting ïsland. Mucb^ hovvever, 

 stil} i'emiiinsto be done, even in this quarter, and 

 our recent coMnection with Palernbane;, and the 

 Southern Provinces of the Islandj promises to 

 aiïord every faciiity to our eiiquiries. Of Ban- 

 ca, we shall no dovibt possess the most accurate 

 and interestiiig iaforination, on the return of Dr. 

 Hovsfieldi and as our recent establishment ia 

 that quarter forms a new centre from which our 

 enqniiies may diverge, the various countries in 

 its vicinity will no doubt be early e^plored. 



Of the chain of ïslands lyins: Eust of Java, 

 and w^ith it denorainated g;enerally the Sunda 

 ïslands, I shall only notice particularly that of 

 Bali. This ïsland lies so close to Java, that it 

 is surprising so little is known of ïi. All ac- 

 counts agree, that vestiges of the Hindu or 

 B'hudist religion, perhaps of both, are still tobe 

 found. Some accounts go so far as to state^ that 



