HISTORY.
CH A PTER I.
PR E L IM IN A R Y R EM A RK S ON T H E H ISTO R Y OF T H E
A R C H IPE LA G O .
History o f the Archipelago, naturally divided into two parts,
Hative and European___The History of three o f the Native
tribes only worth a separate detail— European History.—
Paucity o f great Events, a?idof remark able Characters, to what
to be ascribed,—Most remarkable Native Characters.— The
Lalcsimana, or Admiral o f Malacca— Character o f Asiatic
Settlers. Shelch Maulana, Sultan of Cheribon— Remarkable
European Characters.^-Antonio Galvan, the greatest
man o f whom the History of the Archipelago makes men-
fion. Character o f Albuquerque.—O f St Zavier.—Paucity
of Eminent Characters among the Dutch.— Character of
the early Governors.— Character of Speelman, the most re*
markable individual of the Dutch History o f the Indies.—
Causes which proved hostile to the appearance o f distinguished
talent among © the Dutch Colonists.
T he history of the Indian Archipelago naturally
divides itself into two parts, the one comprising
the Native, and the other the European story.
The first, alone, has an immediate relation to the
nature of the work which I have undertaken to
write; but, as the dominion which European nations
have, for more than three centuries, established
in the Archipelago, has produced a most important
influence on the fortune and character of
the native races, a sketch of its history could not
be dispensed with. To the native history, I have
devoted six short chapters; and to the European
narrative three. Both are too obviously defective
in interest and dignity to demand the solemn and
continuous narrative of regular history, and I have,
therefore, treated the first chiefly with the view of
illustrating the character of the people, and the
progress of social order in a condition of society in
many respects novel and peculiar ; and the second,
principally in its bearings on the first, avoiding, as
unnecessary to my purpose, and probably as of little
interest to the general reader, the details of colonial
intrigue and depravity.
With the view of superseding any objections
which might be urged against this plan,—of giving
some degree of unity to the present book,—and of
supplying useful or necessary information to the
more practical reader, a chapter is subjoined, which
embraces, in the form of a chronological table, a
detail of the whole events of the history of the Ar.
chipelago, whether native or European.
Among the innumerable tribes of the Archipe