be urged as a moral duty. [ In selecting fit situations
for such colonies there is ample room ¡ for
choice, many of the islands containing commodious
harbours, and fertile lands, while they are situated
in the direct route of the intercourse between the
most civilized tribes of the Archipelago itself, as
well as in the tracts of the navigation between the
great nations of the east and west. The most civilized
and commercial tribes of the Archipelago
are situated towards the western part of it, and
the principal avenues, as well as great thoroughfares,,
are also in this quarter.. Perhaps the most
happy situation for an European colony in this, direction
is the island of Banca, which has fine harbours
and an extensive territory, occupied only by
a few straggling mountaineers, of peaceable and
inoffensive character. The strait which divides it
from Sumatra is the safest and best route for the
trade of all the western world, with the principal
parts of the Archipelago itself, and with every
country lying to the north or east of it from Siam
to Japan, all of which are only conveniently accessible
through it. In the navigation from the countries
on the shores of the Bay of Bengal through
the Straits of Malacca to the same countries it is
scarcely out of the way. In a word, taking all its
advantages into consideration, it may safely be predicted,
that the European colony of a commercial
people, formed under favourable auspices, in Banca,
would be attended with a more rapid prosperity
than ever was known before in the whole history
of colonization.
Situations of minor advantage may be pointed
out in various places of this portion of the Archipelago.
'Penang is one of these; and another
much superior to it is the island of Sincapoor, correctly
written Singahpura, * lately selected, with
much judgment, by Sir Stamford Raffles, and situated
at the eastern entrant rof the great Straits of
Malacca, the second in point of importance of the
grand avenues to the Archipelago. The natural
advantages of this neighbourhood are such that they
could not escape the natives of the country themselves
in the course of ages. It was here that the
first Malayan colony from Sumatra was formed;
and it was here, again, that the same people fixed
themselves after they were driven, by the usurpation
of the Portuguese, from Malacca. An inspection
of the map will suggest many other favourable
positions for similar establishments in the
centre and eastern extremity of the Archipelago ;
but, to specify any in particular, would require a
knowledge of local circumstances too minute and
technical for my experience or knowledge. In
general, it may be said, that they ought to be
* A Sanskrit compound word, meaning “ the city of the
l i o n o r “ the warlike city.”