siveness of understanding, they are far short of
the civilized nations of Europe, and in subtlety
they are not less inferior to the Hindus and Chinese.
When the Dutch speak of the intellectual capacity
of the Javanese, they find it necessary to
qualify the favourable judgment which they pronounce
on individual characters, by such expressions
as “ a respectable Javanese understanding,”
—“ a sound Javanese judgment.” In rendering
an account of these people to a stranger, such
expressions are indispensably necessary, for it must
be confessed that an Indian islander of the best
capacity is unequal, in most respects, to an individual
not above mediocrity in a civilized community.
In matters connected with the ordinary
business of life, as it refers to their own situation,
their judgment seldom errs, but where a wider
range of thought is demanded, they are sure to
be bewildered, to act with indecision, and betray
their incapacity.
All the faculties of their minds are in a state of
comparative feebleness \ their memories are treacherous
and uncertain; their imaginations wanton
and childish ; and their reason, more defective than
the rest, when exerted on any subject above the
most vulgar train of thought, commonly erroneous
and mistaken. No man can tell his own age,
nor the date of any remarkable transaction in the
6
history of his tribe or country. If a peasant has
been present at some remarkable transaction, such
as a murder or a robbery, and is examined ten days
after in a court of justice, the probability is, that
he can tell neither the hour of the day, nor the
day at which such transaction took place, still less
give a clear account of what happened.
The weakness of their reason, and the pruriency
of their imagination, make them to a wonderful
degree credulous and superstitious.
Two qualities they possess in a degree which far
outstrips their other powers.—In common with all
semibarbarians, they are good imitators ; but in
this respect they fall short of the Hindus. They
exceed these, however, and, I believe, all other semibarbarians,
in the second quality, their capacity
for music. They have ears of remarkable delicacy
for musical sounds, and are readily taught to play,
upon any instrument, the most difficult and complex
airs.
Their faculties, such as they are, are not perverted
by false impressions. They are weak from
want of exercise and culture, but not distorted and
diseased by the habitual influence of false refinement
and erroneous education, like most of the
other nations of Asia. Of the Javanese my intimate
knowledge of them entitles me to speak more
distinctly. They have an abundant share of laud