183o.] Biographical sketch of Col. Mackenzie. 361 



durable number of papers, containing a series oivoyangs, 

 or Javanese dramas^ which are still a popular and ex- 

 pensive subject of exhibition with the native chiefs of 

 Java. 



Twenty-four MSS. written on Kajan leaves in the 

 Hindu manner, most of them in the Javanese character, 

 and some in a character yet undeciphered. From ex- 

 planations of the titles of some they appear to belong to 

 the ancient (or Dewa) religion of these islands ; but 

 though a native of superior intelligence was found capa- 

 ble of reading them, the prejudices of religion prevented 

 any further information of the contents of books suppos- 

 ed to be adverse to the Muhammedan tenets. This 

 difficulty might, however, have been got over. These 

 MSS. are apparently ancient, and were brought by the 

 civility of a regent from a long deserted house in the 

 distant forests, where they had lain neglected for years. 



Thirty-fxve volumes of Dutch MSS. in folio, quarto, 

 and octavo, consisting of historical works^ memoirs, re-^ 

 ports, some translated from the Javanese into Dutch ; 

 some of these are original, others were copied by per- 

 mission from MSS. in the hands of private individuals^ 

 and a few of the most valuable were purchased ;* some 

 of the most remarkable of them are : 



1. A complete history of Java, in three quarto 

 volumes, translated into Dutch, giving its history 

 from the first supposed colonization to the year 

 1807; the original apparently written by a native. 

 This is now nearly translated into English. 



* It is necessary to observe, that all these are exclusive of the 

 memoirs and reports belonging to the Committee of Tenures, 

 which are official and belong to government, though every liberal 

 indulgence was granted by the governor, Mr., afterwards vSir 

 Stamford Raffles, and access given to official records. The 

 collection here specified is wholly distinct from these, and entire- 

 ly private property. 



