IN I'HE ISLAND OF EALl. 157 



M, On the overthrGW of that ftate,they fled to BJi ; under their 

 'leader Wahu-Rahu, whofe name is held in great veneration by the 

 JBafwefe, who confider him no lefs than their apoflle. The prefent 

 Brahmans oi Bali informed me that they were the tenth in defcent 

 from Wahu-Rah¥ and his companions. Except this I know nothing 

 ^f the particular hiilory of the introduftion of Hlnduifm into thatifland* 

 The era of 5<2//, however, is faid to take its rife like that of J^ir;^ from 

 the arrival of the firft Indian colony. It dates five years later than 

 .the latter; a circamftance which, when, we confider the greater diftance 

 ^'of thecountrys fecms to give the fuppofition an air of probability. 



The Indian adventurers, who came to Java -withont uniting or 



combining, fettled in various and diftant parts of the ifland, where 



vthey founded independent ftates. The influence and power which 



«they acquired feems not to have been gained by force or conqueft, 



but to have been the refult of art and perfualion, exerci fed through 



fthe medium of religion over the minds of a Gmple and credulous peo- 



.ple ; in a word the natural conqueft ¥/hich knowledge Wilfully or 



.-artfully applied gains over fimplicity and ignorance. That the natives 



were not compelled by conquefl to adopt the Hindu religion, is, I think, 



vfuUy proved by a fad generally admitted, that the Indians have not 



introduced into the languages of thefe iflands any portion of their 



own vernacular d I aleds, while from the language of religion, literature 



and fcience, that is from the Sanfcrit, there has been a copious influx. 



In the comparative ignorance of navigation, which has always cha- 



ra6:erized the Afiatics, it may indeed be deemed next to impoffible that 



any Indian (late fliould poflefs the fltill or means to fit out a fleet or 



•armament adequate to a diflant voyage ; or fit to accomplifli the fet- 



ilement or conquefl of a great country. If we confider the firfl; emi- 



;grants as perfecuted refugees, we fiiall be fl;ill more firmly of this 



opinion. 



S f 



