Page:The Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia (IA journalindianar00loga).pdf/27

 THE

OF

THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO

AND

EASTERN ASIA.

We should wish, on the threshold of our labours, to bring into one general popular view some of the most characteristic features of the Indian Archipelago as a whole,—to yield ourselves for a while to the impression which Nature here makes on the senses and feelings of the European,—to trace her more permanent influences on the races who have lived for ages under her power,—to enquire to what condition these have now been brought by their past history,—and to search amongst the elements of change which may be working, or arc about to come into operation, amongst them, at the present day, for those which are most likely to determine their future. But the very; greatness and variety of the subject, which se strongly attract the mind, subdue the hope of being able, within the narrow room allowed us here, to present any adequate picture of if, and compel us to leave to the reader to clothe with the distinctness and freshness of truth, the dry and fragmentary generalities which we must be satisfied to lay before him. It is in no way our design to give a methodical review of the geography and history of the Archipelago. This it would be impossible to do, with any accuracy, in the space to which we must confine ourselves, and we therefore assume that our readers have