846 
DR. W. R. BARON VAN HOEVELL. 
language and literature and a more and more profound knowledge of 
the Javanese, Kawi and Sanskrit, are qualities by which he has been 
distinguished from his youth. 
Dr. Hoevell was born at Delfril in Holland. He commenced his 
education at Deventer, and completed it at the University of Gro¬ 
ningen. 
His leisure hours during his academical course were devoted to 
poetry, in which he showed much talent, and his poetical effusions 
were afterwards collected and printed, and the proceeds appropriated 
to benevolent porposes. 
Shortly after his entrance into the University, the Belgian revo¬ 
lution broke out. He was one of the first students who volunteer¬ 
ed their services to the government in the defence of their country’s 
rights. At the end of the campaign he resumed his studies, devot¬ 
ing himself principally to theology, for which he had always shown 
great partiality. About this time the University of Utrecht offered 
a prize for the best essay on the value of Josephus as a historian. 
This prize was borne away from numerous competitors by van Hoe- 
vell. 
After leaving the University, be, by the advice of his cousin the 
Baron van der Capellen, late Governor General of Netherlands In¬ 
dia, applied for and obtained an appointment as a Clergyman in Ne¬ 
therlands India. 
Upon bis arrival in Java the Government was then in the hands 
of the Governor General D’Eerens, who soon discoved in Mr. van 
Hoevell evidences of the desire as well as the capabilities to render 
himself useful in his vocation. In order to secure the permanent 
stay of Mr. van Hoevell in Batavia the Governor General placed un¬ 
der his charge the native Christian community of the place. Not¬ 
withstanding the numerous duties which this appointment devolved 
upon him, he found time to devote his attention to science, and 
endeavour to awaken the latent energies of those who had a taste for 
similar pursuits. He now formed the idea of commencing a scien¬ 
tific journal and giving to the world the result of the labours of him¬ 
self and friends in the wide and important fields which Netherlands 
India offered to their researches. As has unfortunately always been 
the case with similar undertakings in Java, he met with opposition 
and obstacles at every turn. He determined however to try the ex¬ 
periment ami issued the first numbers of the Tijdsehrift for Nether¬ 
lands India. The work rose in interest and importance, and for 
