THE EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO* 



125 



distribution, however, is effected in an extremely irregular manner, 

 for while Portugal claims only a section of the comparatively unim- 

 portant island of Timor, the preponderance of Holland is *o great, 

 thai the expiv^n-n M Dntefa Eftst Indies " mi^ht almost bo applied to 

 the whale region in the »anic way that " British India " is understood 

 to comprise the whole of the Indian IVnm&nla. On the uther hand, 

 the political amm^Mcirut *>-\ i-nmpti-ti-ly over-rid«-s all natural or 

 [itjyi-.ii.'al i-'-iiisiiii-rali"ns thai il niim"l bo : t " I • - r i ■ I ■ ■ I in any i 1 1 L ■ - i I L - 

 ■ Lv- ri | 'l:-^L ^J" thi- iii-uilar u-urld. X* . 1 1* i -n, I -tn- i - ai:d Tim- t, 

 for injiUmce. would have to bo treated under two, ami New (iuinea 

 under no less than three separate heads. Hence in the subjoined 

 detailed account of the archipelago the three geographical divisions- — 

 A*w(\f, Australian, and ttwiur, us explained in chapter I. T will he 

 adhered to, political interests being consulted by the full tabulated 

 statements of the several European possession?, which will be found 

 in the statistical tables. In supplement to these tables it may In. to 

 Ur stated, in :i gi'-neral way, t hut tn Spain ht'long r-xrhiKivoly and 

 Holely the Fhilijtpine and Sulu groups ; to England the northern 

 section of Borneo, the islet of Lahutm off the Nnrth Bnrueau Coast, 

 Kcrfiiuj faktmfs, and the si n.itlwa-'-tiTii -•■■cinri of A f e h (iuinm east of 

 lln- K. b itiiri tui.le- ; tn < U-rniiULV ikn- inTth-eiU-tern section JWpw 

 Guinea east of the same meridian; to Portugal the eastern and 

 smaller section or Timor; to Holland all the rest. The relative extent 

 and population of these possessions are as under : — 



Area in St[. Mil' s Population. 



Dutch . . . 710,000 27,4^,000 



Spanish . . U5 f 000 0,636,000 



British , . 113,000 £91,000 



German . . 70,000 10i>,000 



Portuguese . . 6,000 300,000 



Total 1,044,000 Total 33,705,000 



L ASIATIC DIVISION, 



The Large Stimta Group, ititk BaU and islands adjacent to Sumaint 

 — The Phil'ipj'ttte ami Sula Archipelagoes, 



This division, comprising considerably more than half of the 

 Eastern Archipelago, or about < f n0,000 Equare miles, lies mainly in 

 shallow waters, seldom exceeding 100 fathom*, except towards the 

 north-east Here a deep trough in the China Sea, combined with 



