DR. W. R. BARON VAN HOEVELL. 
845 
longs to the Dutch in full sovereignty, while the latter has a Sultan 
who is a vassal of the Dutch government. They produce coffee, 
rice, gold, and furnish excellent cordage of Gomuti. Civilization 
and industry have made great progress in these districts during the 
last fifteen years. The cordage above mentioned, which is manu¬ 
factured at Kema, is of very great utility for ships; the purchase of 
this article figures at the debit of these possessions in 1822 fl. 57,359 
and at their credit fl. 87,711* In the same year we disposed of our 
cloths there to the amount of fl. 122,797*” 
Valent' n informs us that, besides sulphur, wax, rattans, kajangs, 
rice* birds nests &c., ebony may be procured in the largest quantities 
and of a greater size than elsewhere, the tree being found on nearly 
all the islands around the N. E. promontory of Celebes. He also 
notices the abundance of fine and hard timber. (Oud en Nieu. O. 
I. vol* i. p. 65<) 
■rr,; - m\i» - ■ ■ -;r ..rfr 
Du. W. R. BARON VAN HOEVELL. 
The abruptness of Dr. Hoevell’s departure from Batavia to Eu¬ 
rope in August last prevented us from recording so soon as we could 
have wished and in adequate terms, an event which every friend to the 
moral and political advancement of Netherlands India and erevy lov¬ 
er of science deplores* Although we trust that Dr. Hoevell’s absence 
will prove to be only for a time, we shall take this opportunity of no¬ 
ticing briefly* but more fully than we have hitherto done, his career 
in Netherlands India, which is probably not sufficiently known to our 
English readers. All the readers of this Journal are aware of the 
conspicuous place which he held in science and literature as the Pre¬ 
sident of the Batavian Society of Arts dnd Sciences and the editor of 
the Tijdsclmft voor Neerlands Indie, in the extension of morality 
and religion throughout Netherlands India as the originator and editor 
of the Tijdsclmft ter bevordering van christelijken zin, and in the 
cause of social and political amelioration as the earnest and persever¬ 
ing opponent of legalized slavery in every shape, and the constant 
advocate for freedom of the press. The incessant activity and indus¬ 
try, prompted by philanthropy and an ardent thirst for knowledge, 
which enabled him to fill that place with honour, without distracting 
his attention and his feelings from the duties of his profession, and 
without hindering him from acquiring a mastery over the Malayan 
u 3 
