24 
MEMOIR OF 
Literary Society have solicited that I should take 
that institution under the protection of government, 
I trust that by uniting our efforts with those of the 
Asiatic Society in Bengal, very considerable light 
may be shortly thrown on science and general know- 
ledge. The numerous remains of Brahminical struc- 
tures in every part of the island, prove beyond a 
doubt, that a colony of Hindus settled on this island 
about the first century of the Christian era ; and 
the materials of which they are constructed, induce 
the belief that this colony must have emigrated from 
the Coromandel coast. The beauty and purity of 
these structures are entirely divested of that redun- 
dancy of awkward and uncouth ornaments and sym- 
ools which are found in India.” llis time was thus 
constantly occupied either in oflScial employments or 
literary researches. In the latter he was assisted by 
the talents of Dr Horsfield, and together they ac- 
complished one of the most important measures for 
promoting their researches, — the re-establishment of 
the Society of Arts at Batavia, of which Mr Raffles 
was appointed president. This had been the 6rst 
Eastern Literary Society established by Europeans, 
and under his fostering care it revived, and was of 
much consequence to the history of these countries, 
during the few short years which they remained 
under the sway of the British arms, and the superin- 
tendence of an active and enlightened governor. 
A short notice of the rise of a society of such 
consequence in the East, and so intimately connect- 
