SIR THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES* 
25 
ed with the history of its natural productions, may 
not here be misplaced, particularly as we are obliged 
for it to the address of its President upon his first 
instalment in office after its re-establishment, tl Pre- 
vious to the establishment of the Batavian Society, 
Mr Kadermaeher, a gentleman, of distinguished ta- 
lents, and a zealous promoter of the Christian reli- 
gion and of science, with a few friends of Batavia, 
conceived the idea of assembling together a number 
of persons of consideration and ability, with the view 
of encouraging the arts and sciences in this capital, 
and the other Indian establishments then dependent 
on Holland. They considered that in India, as in 
Europe, where for two centuries the reformation in 
letters preceded that in religion, a taste for the arts 
and sciences must be introduced previously to the 
general adoption of the Christian religion in the East ; 
but they were aware of the difficulties to he en- 
countered, under the circumstances in which the 
colonies of Holland were then placed, and a con- 
siderable period elapsed before the design was car- 
ried into effect. 
“ At length, in the year 1777, when Mr Kader- 
macher and his father-in-law, the Governor-General 
tie Klerk, were newly elected directors of the Haer- 
lem Society, a programme appeared, winch contained 
the plan of extending the branches of that Society 
to the Indies. The distance and extent of the 
Dutch colonial possessions in the East did not, how- 
ever, admit of tLis plan being realized ; but the idea 
