classed under the denomination of the Sunda Islands, I have hitherto refrained from noticing the extensive traces of antiquity, foreign intercourse, and national greatness, which are exhibited in the numerous monuments of a former worship, in the ruins of dilapidated cities, and in the character, the institutions, the language, and the literature of the people, from the hope that abler pens would have attempted a more correct sketch than either my humble abilities or limited information enable me to contemplate or embrace. The subject is so extensive, so new, so highly interesting, that I must claim your indulgence, if, in aiming at conciseness in representing the appearances and facts which have most forcibly struck my attention, many still more important particulars pass unnoticed.
On the peculiar province of Dr. Horsefield, to whom I am indebted for whatever information I possess on the natural history of the island, I shall not further trespass, than by adverting to the extensive and almost endless variety which these regions present in every branch of his pursuits. One observation, however, as connected with the earlier history of Java, in explaining the high fertility of its soil in comparison with that of the Malayan peninsula and Sumatra may deserve notice in this place. From the result of every investigation yet made, the geological constitution of Java appears to be exclusively volcanic, without any admixture whatever of the primitive or secondary mountains of the Asiatic continent; while, on the contrary, Sumatra, with Banca, as before noticed, appear to be a continuation and termination of the immense chain of mountains which pervades ⟨a⟩ great part of Asia, and runs off finally in a direction north-west to south-east. Java deviates from the direction of Sumatra and the peninsula of Malacca, in striking off directly west and east. In this direction it is followed by the larger of the adjacent islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Endi, and Timor; and by many smaller, which contribute to constitute an extensive series. This direction, as well as the constitution of all the islands enumerated, indicates the existence of an extensive volcanic chasm in this part of the globe, running, for many degrees, almost parallel with the equator. The consequences of Java’s being exclusively volcanic are, that while Sumatra abounds in metals, Java, generally speaking, is destitute of them; that, while in Sumatra there are many extensive tracts, sterile, and unfavorable to vegetation, Java, with few exceptions, is covered with a soil in the highest degree fertile, luxuriant and productive of every species of vegetation.
Referring to the ample details of the mineralogy of Java, which the scientific and persevering exertions of Dr. Horsefield have enabled us to include in our present volume, I shall, on this branch of our pursuits, only observe, that catalogues and collections of the varieties in the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, as they have been found to exist on Java, have been formed by this gentle-
