379 
THE POPULATION OP THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 
By Spenser St, John, Fsq, 
THERE exists so great a difference of opinion, as to the 
total amount of the population of the Eastern Archipelago, 
that it may be both an interesting and useful enquiry, to 
endeavour to arrive at some conclusion on the subject, and 
in order to reach as near the truth as possible, I would invite 
the readers of your valuable Journal to a quiet discussion of 
facts, and urge them to an increased zeal in pursuit of more 
extended knowledge of the Indian islands and their inhabi¬ 
tants.* 
It may be asked (i How is it possible to state the populati¬ 
on of countries which are so slightly known, or not known 
at all.” ? 
I answer—Although unable to ascertain minutely the num¬ 
ber of the population, we may nevertheless approximate to 
the truth, by consulting and comparing the best authorities, 
by listening with candour to the objections which may be 
urged, and above all by judging the amount of inhabitants, 
in the various unknown portions of the islands, by a compa¬ 
rison with those parts with which we are already acquainted. 
* “ You will, I am sure, give me such information as you possess, and accom¬ 
pany the paper with a running editorial commentary,...,., I shall be glad 
if you agree with me, but likewise pleased if you state where we disagree, 
as great discussion must tend towards truth, and that is our object.’* So writes 
the author to us, and we quote his own words, because of the excellent spirit 
which they breathe. Finding that in breaking ground on Sumatra to introduce 
Mr Willer’s paper, we would require to ascertain the numbers of each race, we 
postponed reading Mr St. John’s contribution until our own task was con¬ 
cluded. Our result we find differs widely from bis, but we are strongly dis¬ 
posed to think it is still too high. A reference to the data cited by us will 
render any running commentary unnecessary on the part relating to Sumatra ; 
the time and toil which the bunt for these through Dutch authorities has 
required, must be our excuse for not offering any remarks for the present on 
our contributor’s estimates for the Peninsula, Java &c. Mr Temminck’s esti¬ 
mate, we may observe, is not on independent one of his own based on official 
documents, as he leads his readers to suppose, but a verbatim copy of that 
of Mr Francis’s in the Tijdschrift voor Neerlandsch Indie for 1B39 which may 
have been originally as official document, but which Mr 'Xemminck ought to 
have cited with the author’B name, as be refers elsewhere to the Tijdschrift, and 
could not be ignorant that tL estimate was Mr Francis’s. The data for the 
West Coast appear to be trustworthy, and it is only when Mr Francis leaves 
the region with which he was acquainted, that his figures become tainted with 
the splendid exaggerations of Sir T. S. Raffles whom nothing under millions 
seems to have satisfiedi 
We invite all our readers, particularly our Netherlands Indian ones, to assist 
in the inquiry. It appears to us to be of great importance, for many purposes, 
to ascertain the present population of the Archipelago, and particularly the 
numbers of each race or tribe. We hope Mr St. John will be ftble to effect this 
for Bornio, the Phillipinea and Celebes;— Ed. 
