thorities and regulate the salute; and on her return, the first intelligence was confirmed of the present health of the city; so that the commodore changed his anchorage by moving to a more pleasant birth, within about four miles of the commercial capital of Java.

As this chapter has been principally devoted to a description of the Strait of Sunda, and the Potomac's passage through it on the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh of March, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, we cannot more appropriately conclude it than by adding the following document, containing a table of the beacons, twenty-two in number, on the shoals in the navigable waters of the Strait of Sunda, to and from Batavia Roads, replaced by order of the Dutch government, June sixth, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, three months after the Potomac's visit. The names of the shoals marked with an asterisk(*) have a beacon with a cross; those marked thus (†) have only a cross. The beacons with crosses, are beams, with a crosstree painted white; those without are single beams, painted white, both kinds extending twelve feet above water. In case one or more of the beacons should be removed by violence of the weather or otherwise, bamboo stakes, fifteen or twenty feet above water, with baskets covered with cloth painted black and white, will be placed in their stead, until they can be replaced by proper wooden pillars. Beacon number eleven stands upon a rock not laid down on any chart, to which the name of Mathilda Rock has been given, it being known in Malay language by the name of Karang Prol. The rocks on which beacons eighteen and twenty are placed, have hitherto had no Dutch names, they are now called the Wrange and the Midden Rock. The native names are in parentheses. The number of feet mentioned after the situation of the beacon, shows the depth at low water.

Father Smit's Bankt (Poeloe Poetrie), situated on the northeast point, nine feet; Leyden bearing north-northwest-half-west, and the beacon on Neptune's Shoal bearing west-quarter-south. Neptune's Shoalf (Karang Passier), on northwest point, twelve feet; Leyden northeast-quarter-north; eastern point of Hoorn northnorthwest-three-quarters-west. The Pasopt (Karang Tanglam), on northeast point, twelve feet; Leyden northeast-half-north; eastern point of Hoorn north-northwest-quarter-west. Rhynland

Shoalt (Karang Tahan), on east point, twelve feet; Hoorn northby-west-quarter-west; Kuiper northwest-by-west-half-west. Rygersdaal Bank† (Karang Camal), on east point, nine feet; Hoorn north-northeast-quarter-east; Kuiper north-northwest. The Arms of Purmerend† (Karang Djalan), on east point, thirteen feet; eastern point of Hoorn north-by-east; Rotterdam northwest. The rocks bearing west of the Island of Hoornt (Karang Poeloe Ayer), in the centre, twelve feet; northern point of Hoorn easthalf-south; Rotterdam west-quarter-north. The Reef of Rotterdamt (Karang Poeloe Obie), in the centre, fifteen feet; southern point of Hoorn east-three-quarters south; western point of Onrust Kerkhof south-half-west. The Reef of Purmerend† (Karang Poeloe Sakiet), on southwest point, nine feet; southern point of Purmerend north; Kuiper west-northwest-quarter-west. The Stone of Onrust† (Karang Poeloe Kelor), on west point, nine feet; Rotterdam north-northeast-quarter-east; Kuiper southeastby-south. The Mathilda Rock* (Karang Prol), on northeast point, twelve feet; southwestern point of the Kuiper southeast; eastern point of Rotterdam northeast-three-quarters-north. The Reef of Onrust* (Karang Poeloe Kapal), on west point, nine feet. The two points of the reef bearing northwest of the Island of Kuiper* (Karang Poeloe Kuiper), on northwest point, nine feet; the Reefs of Onrust, and the two points of that bearing northwest of the Island of Kuiper, extend to the Islands of Onrust and Kuiper. The Reef of Ontong Javat (Tanjong Ontong Java), on north point, thirteen feet; Haarlem east; western point of Middelburg north-by-west. The Reef of Middelburg† (Karang Poeloe Ramboet), on southeast point, fifteen feet; and the same Reeft (Karang Poeloe Ramboet), on southeast point, fifteen feet; the coral reef on which these beacons are placed is connected with the island. The Wrange Rockt (Karang Sepat), on west point, twelve feet; south point of Middelburg southeast-by-east-halfeast; Poeloe Dapoor northeast-half-north; at a cable's length to the westward from this is another rock, eleven feet below the surface. The Myndert's Shoalt (Karang Gosson), in the centre, twelve feet; Klein Kombuis northwest-quarter-west; Poeloe Dapoor northeast-by-east. The Middle Rockt (Karang Loemboeng), on southwest point, twelve feet; Klein Kombuis northeastby-north-half-east; south point of the Great Kombuis northwest.

by-west-three-quarters-west. The Reef of the Great Kombuist (Karang Poeloe Lantjang, or Karang Papedjie), on west point, fourteen feet; south point of the Great Kombuis east-southeasthalf-east; eastern point of Maneater Island southwest-three-quarters-west. The Southeast Rockt in the centre, fifteen feet; eastern point of Maneater Island south-half-west; northern point of the Great Kombuis northeast-three-quarters east; beacon on the Great Kombuis southeast-by-east-three-quarters-east.

The Potomac passed the Strait of Sunda in March, eighteen hundred and thirty two. The following is a list of the whole number of vessels which were reported at Anger, or Anjere, a village on the Java shore, as having passed the strait in the same year, viz:-Dutch, fifty-eight out, fifty-four home; English, twenty-eight out, twenty-seven home; American, twenty-nine out, twenty-nine home; French, two out, one home; Hamburgh, two out, one home; Russian, one out; Swedish, one out; Danish, one home. Total reported, two hundred and thirty-eight. This list is doubtless imperfect, as many that passed without touching at Anger could not have been reported; but it shows the great proportion of American vessels trading in these seas.

CHAPTER XV.

Java and Sumatra once connected-Origin of the name of Java-Size and location of the island-Origin of the inhabitants-Pagans and Idolaters-Java successively visited by the Siamese, Arabs, Malays, and Chinese-Arab missionaries-Conversion of the inhabitants to the Mahommedan faith-The Portuguese visit the island—The English-The Dutch at Bantam-At Batavia-The English at Bantam-Massacre of Amboyna-Dutch oppressions-Massacre of the Chinese at Batavia-Americans visit Batavia-Governor Daendel's Administration-Antiquities of JavaDescription of the Javans-Their dress-Origin of the kris-Character, habits, and manners-Early marriages-Frequent divorces-Cookery and food-Amusements Useful arts and manufactures-Houses, furniture, employments, agriculture, and commerce-Government, literature, &c,

IN our description of the Strait of Sunda, in the preceding chapter, an idea was suggested that the islands of Sumatra and Java had probably once been united at some very remote period, and formed but one island. Indeed, there is a tradition recorded in the annals of Java, which says "It is related that in former times the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sumbava were united, and afterward separated into nine different parts; and it is also said, that when three thousand rainy seasons have passed away, they will be reunited." Admitting for a moment the fact of their former union, the hypothesis might very naturally be extended still further, including in the same semicircular range the Malay Peninsula on the northwest, together with the islands on the east, including Lombok, Flores, Timor, Timorlant, Arroo, and New Guinea. By those are formed that great chain or barrier, which locks up the China Sea on the south and west, and probably once completely separated it from the great Indian Ocean. The waters of the latter have in divers places either forced or insinuated themselves through this circling arm of continental Asia, or the mighty ridge has been severed and shivered by some terrible convulsion of nature,-forming those numerous straits which are now the avenues of communication and commercial intercourse between the Atlantic ports and the Celestial Empire. Thus, that elongated portion of the broken ridge which bears the

name of Java, is washed on its western end by the Strait of Sunda, which is at one point only fourteen miles in width; and by the Strait of Bali, on its eastern extremity.

This division, or breaking up of the great eastern peninsula, is supposed by some writers to be alluded to in the book of Genesis, where the sacred penman, in his account of Noah's descendants, and their various locations in the postdiluvian world, says"And unto Eber were born two sons; the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided.” Speaking of the sons of Javan, it is written-"By these were the isles of the gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." From this passage it has been inferred, that the island under consideration was named "after the family" of Javan, or Java. That caravans of merchants once traded and held intercourse with a rich country in the east called Javan, appears from Ezekiel, who describes them as traders in "the persons of men, and vessels of brass, to the market of Tyre, and who, going to and fro, occupied in her fairs, brought bright iron [steel], cassia, and calamus." One of the sons of Javan was called Elishah; and the prophet speaks of "blue and purple from the isles of Elishah." His brother's name was Tarshish ;-" Tarshish was thy merchant by the reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they all traded in thy fairs." The brothers of Javan were called Mecheck and Tubal:-" Javan, Tubal, and Mecheck, they were thy merchants; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass, in thy market." A nephew of Javan was called Togarmah :-"They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses 'and horsemen, and mules."

In all these passages, some writers see, or think they see, direct allusion to the extensive caravan-routes, formed at an early period, for conveying the fine manufactures of the east into the kingdoms of the west. Although "the embroidered work and chests of rich apparel bound with cords," mentioned by Ezekiel, are said to have been brought from depots on the banks of the Euphrates, yet it is not supposed that they were manufactured there, but drawn from more distant countries of eastern Asia; probably from the great chain of islands now under consideration.

But all this is curious and amusing speculation; and we shall