326 NAVIGATION A N D GEOGRAPHY.
the Hindu sojourners and colonists of the Indian
islands.
Of the geography of the Archipelago the
Arabs were at least as ignorant as the Hindus.
They have not imposed a single name of their language,
either upon island, province, town, or
mountain, that is popular and current j and, if we
except the name A l Rami or Lameri, which their
men o f learning have arbitrarily given to Sumatra,
perhaps none at all. When the Arabs speak collectively
of the Archipelago or its inhabitants, they
give to both the name of Ja'wi, a corruption of
Jawuy Java, thus following, with respect to the
whole, the same course which the natives themselves
pursue with regard to each particular island;
that is, giving to it the name of the principal
tribe or nation.
