minute by sir stamford raffles

8/6/2019 Minute by Sir Stamford Raffles

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MINUTE BY SIR T. S. RAFFLESONTHE ESTABLISHMENT

OF AMALAY COLLEGE

ATS I N G A P O R E .

1819

All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore


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M I N U T E B Y S I R T . S. R A F F L E SO N

T H E E S TA B L I S H M E N T

O F A

M A L A Y C O L L E G E

A T

S I N G A P O R E .

1819.

IT is the peculiar charac teristic of G re at Britain, tha t wherever her influence has been ext en ded , it has carried civilization and im prov em ent inits train . T o whatever qua rter of th e world her arms or her policy have led

her , it has been her object to ex ten d those blessings of freedom and jus ticefor which she herself stands so pre-em inent. W heth er in asserting the righ tsof inde pen den t nations, whe ther advocating th e cause of the captive and theslave, or prom oting the diffusion of truth and know ledge, En glan d hasalways led the van. In the vast reg ions of In dia , wh ere she has raised an

empire unparalleled in history, no sooner was the sword of conquest sheathed,than her attention was turned to the dispensing of justic e, to giving securityto the pe rsons and property, and to the imp rovem ent of the condition ofher new subjects ; to a reform in the w hole judicial and reven ue adm inistrationof the cou ntry , to the establishment of a system of internal ma nagem ent calculated to relieve the inhabitants from oppression and exaction, and to thedissemination of those principles and that knowledge, which should elevatethe people whom conquest had placed und er her sway, and thus to ren der

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2 M I N U T E O N

her own prosp erity depe ndan t on tha t of th e people over whom she ruled .A desire to know the origin and early history of th e peo ple, the ir institutions, laws, and opinions, led to associations expressly directed to this end ;

while by the application of the information thus obtained to the presentcircum stances of the cou ntry, the spirit and principles of Brit ish rule haverapidly a ug m ente d the power and increased the resources of the sta te, atthe same tim e that they have in no less degree tend ed to excite the intellectual energies, and increase the individual happiness of the people.

T h e acquisit ions of G rea t Britain in the East have not been made in thespirit of conqu est ; a con curr enc e of circum stances not to be controlled, andth e ene rgies of her sons, ha ve carrie d her forw ard on a tide whose impulse

has been irresistible. O the r nations m ay have pur sue d the same course ofconq uest and success, bu t they have no t l ike her paused in their career, andby m oderation and just ice consolidated w hat they had ga ined. T his is therock on which her In dia n em pire is place d ; and it is on a p erse vera nce inthe principles which have already guided her that she must d epen d for m aintaining her com m and ing station, and for saving her from add ing one moreto the l ist of those, who have con tend ed for empire and have sunk ben eaththe weight of their own am bition. Co nques t has led to conqu est, and ourinfluence must con tinue to exte nd ; the t ide has received i ts im petu s and i t

would be in vain to att em pt to stem its cu rre nt ; bu t let the same princip lesbe kept in view, let our m inds and policy expa nd with our em pire , an d itwill not only be the grea test , but the firmest and m ost en dur ing that has yetbeen held forth to th e view an d adm iration of the wo rld. W hile we raisethose in the scale of civilization over who m our influence or our em pire isex ten de d, w e shall lay the foun dation s of our dom inion on the firm basisof justice and m utual adv anta ge, instead of the uncertain and unsubstan tialtenure of force and intrigue.

Such have been the principles of our Ind ian administration w herever wehave acquired a territorial influence ; it remains to be considered, how theycan be best applied to cou ntrie s where terr itory is no t our object, bu t w hosecom m erc e is not less essential to our inter ests . W ith the co untrie s east ofBenga l an extensive com me rcial intercourse has always been carried on, andour influence is mo re or less felt thr ou gh ou t the whole, from the banks ofthe Ga nges to China and New Ho lland. Re cen t events have directedour attentio n to these, and in a p articular ma nner to the M alayan A rch ipelag o, w here a vast field of comm ercial speculation has been ope ned , the

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E D U C A T I O N . 3

limits of which it is difficult to foresee. A varie ty of circu m stan ces hav econcurred to extend our connections in this quarter, and late arrangements,by giving them a consistency and consolidation, and uniting them moreclosely with our best interests both in Ind ia and Eu rop e, have added muchto their impo rtance and consideration. O ur connection with them , however,stands on a very different footing from that with the people of India ; howeverinviting and extensive their resources, it is considered that they can be bestdraw n forth by the native energies of the people them selves, uninfluencedby foreign rule and unfettered by foreign regulations, and that it is by the reciprocal advantages of com merce, an d com merce alone, that we may bestprom ote our own interests and their advan cem ent. A few stations areoccupied for the security and protection of our trad e, and the indepen denceof all the surrounding states is not only acknowledged but maintained andsupported by us.

Com me rce being therefore the principle on which our connection w iththe Easte rn States is formed, it behoves us to con sider the effects which itis calculated to produc e. Com merce is universally allowed to bring manybenefits in its train , and in particu lar to be favou rable to civilization andgeneral improvem ent. Like all other powerful agen ts, however, it has

proved the cause of many evils when improperly directed or not sufficiently

controlled. It creates wants and introduces lux ur ies ; bu t if there exists noprinc iple for the regulation of these , a nd if the re be not hing to che ck theirinfluence, sensuality, vice and corru ption will be the necessary results. W her ethe social institutions are favourable to independence and improvement,where the intellectual powers are cultivated and expan ded, com merce opensa wider field for their exertion, and wealth and refinem ent bec om e cons istentwith all that ennobles and exalts human natu re. Edu cation must keep pacewith commerce, in order that its benefits may be ensured and its evilsavoided ; and in our connection with these countries, it should be our caretha t while with one hand we carry to their shores the capital of our m erc ha nts ,the othe r should be stretched forth to offer them th e mea ns of intellec tualim prov em ent. Hap pily our policy is in acco rdan ce w ith these views andprinciples, an d nei ther in the state of th e c oun tries them selves, no r in thecha rac ter of their varied and ex tensive population, do we find any thingoppose d. On the con trary , the y invite us to the field, and every mo tive ofhum anity, policy, and religion seems to combine to recomm end our earlyattention to this imp ortant object.

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A few wo rds will be sufficient to shew the n atu re and ex ten t of this field.Whithin its narrowest limits it embraces the whole of that vast Archipelago,which stretch ing from Sum atra and Jav a to the Islands of the Pacific, andthen ce to the shores of C hina and J ap an , has in all ages excited the attention and att rac ted the cup idity of more civilized na tio ns ; w hose valuableand peculiar produc tions co ntribu ted to swell the extravag ance of Ro m anluxury, and in more modern times has raised the power and consequence ofevery successive Eur opea n nation into whose hand s its com m erce has fallen.I t has raised several of thes e from insignificance and obs curity to pow er andem inence , and perhap s in its earliest period amo ng th e Italian states,com m unicated the first electric spark which aw oke to life the energ ies and

the literatu re of Eu rop e. T he native population of these interesting Island sca nn ot be estim ated at less than from ten to fifteen millions, of which Ja vaalone contains five or six, and Sum atra not less than thre e.

In a more extensive view must be included the rich and populous countries of Av a and Siam, Cam boja, Coc hin-China , and To nk in, the populationof w hich is still more extensive than tha t of th e Islan ds. A nd if to this weadd the num erous Chinese population which is dispersed th rou gh ou t thesecountries, and thro ugh the means of w hom the light of know ledge may beexte nde d to the rem otest par t of the Chinese emp ire and even to Jap an , it

will readily be ack now ledged that the field is perhaps as extensive, interesting, and im por tant, as ever offered itself to th e contem plation of thephilanthropic and enlightened mind.

W hen we descend to particula rs, and consider th e pres ent state and circumstances of this extensive and varied population, and the history andcha racte r of the nations and tribes of which it is com posed, we shall be m oreconvinced of the necessity which ex ists, an d of the adva ntages whichmu st result from affording them the mean s of education and impro vem ent.A m ong no people with whom we have becom e acq uainted shall we findgr ea ter aptne ss to rec eive ins tru ctio n, or fewer obstacles in the way of itscommunication.

W ith the exce ption of Java , the M olucca s, and Philippines, nearly thewhole of the native states of the Ar chipelag o may be considered inde penden t. T he Europea n settlem ents on the coasts of Sum atra and Borneo areconfined to com me rcial objects, a nd the interio r of these large islands hasnever felt the effects of Eu rop ean inter fere nce . A large p ortio n of their

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coasts and the whole of the sm aller islands, as well as the states on theMalay Peninsula, are exclusively under native authority.

Of the Malays who inhabit the interior of Sumatra, and are settled on the

coasts thro ugh out th e A rchipe lago, it may be necessary to speak in the firstplace. T he peculiar char acter of these people has always excited muc hatten tion, and various and opposite opinions have been enterta ined rega rdingthem . By so m e, who have viewed only the dark er side, they have beenconsidered, with reference to their piracies and vices alone, as a peopledevoid of all regular gov ern m ent and principle, and aba ndone d to the influence of lawless and ung ove rna ble passions. By others, how ever, whohave taken a deep er view, and have becom e more intimately acqu aintedwith their chara cter, a different estimate has been formed. Th ey adm it thewant of efficient gover nm ent, bu t consider the people them selves to be possessed of high qualities, and such as m ight, und er more favourable circu mstan ces , be usefully and beneficially dire cte d. T he y find in the person alind epe nd enc e of cha rac ter which they display, their high sense of honourand impatience of insult, and in their habits of reasoning and reflection, therudim ents of impro vem ent and the basis of a better order of society, whilein the obs cur ity of their early history, the wide diffusion of the ir langua geand the trace s of their former greatn ess , th ey discover an infinite source of

speculation and interest.Th at they once occupied a high and com ma nding political station in these

seas appears to be beyond a doub t, and that they m aintained this positionuntil the introduction of M ahom edanism seems equally probable. Fro m th egeographical situation of the more im portant coun tries then occupied bythem , they were the first to come in contac t with Mu ssulman Missionaries,and to em brace their tenets, to which circum stance may perhaps be attributed the dism em berm ent of the em pire and the decline of their powerpreviously to the arrival of Euro peans in these seas. A t tha t period, however, the auth ority of M enan gka bau , the ancient seat of gov ernm ent, wasstill acknow ledged, and the states of A chee n and Malacca long disputedthe progress of the Portug uese arm s. T he whole of Sum atra, at one period ,was subject to the supreme power of Menangkabau, and proofs of the formergr an de ur and supe riority of this state are still found, not only in the pompous edicts of its sovereigns, and in the veneration and respect paid to themost distant branch es of the family, bu t in the comparatively high and improved state of cultivation of the country, and in the vestiges of antiquity

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which have recen tly be en discovered in it. Th is co untry occupies the central districts of Sumatra, and contains between one and two millions of in-hab itan ts, th e whole of whom , with the excep tion of such as may be employed in the gold mines for which it has always been celebrated, are devotedto agriculture . T he rem ains of sculpture and inscriptions found near theanc ient capital corresp ond with those discovered in Java , and prove them tohave been und er the influence of th e same H ind oo faith which prevailed ontha t island till the establishm ent of Mah om edanism ther e in the fifteenthcentury.

At what period the people of M enangk abau embraced th e doc trines of thePr op he t does not appear, and would form an intere sting subject of inquir y.T he conversion of M alacca and Ach een took place in the thirtee nth ce nt ur y;but it is uncertain wh ether M enang kaba u was converted previous to thisdate, althou gh the religion is said to have been preac hed in Sum atra as earlyas the twelfth cen tury . It was abou t this latter period (1 16 0) , tha t a colonyissued from the interior of Sum atra, and established the ma ritime state ofSingapura at the extrem ity of the Malay Peninsula, where a line of H indo oprinces continued to reign until the establishm ent of M alacca and the conversion of tha t place in 1276. W hate ver may in m ore rem ote times havebeen the nature of the intercourse between foreign nations and M enan gkab au

itself, we know that Singapura, d uring the period noticed, was an extensively m aritime and c om me rcial stat e, and tha t on the first arrival of thePortuguese at Malacca, that emporium embraced the largest portion of thecomm erce between eastern and western nations. It is not necessary to enterinto the history of the decline and fall of the Malay states of M alacca andA chee n, or of the establishment of Joh or. T he maritime and com mercialenterprize of the people had already spread them far and wide through theArchipelago, and the power and policy of their European visitors, by breaking down their larger settlem ents , contr ibute d to scatter them still wider,

and to force them to form still smaller establishme nts wh erever they couldescape their power and vigilance.

Fro m this general acco unt it will appear tha t the M alays may be divide dinto two classes, agricultural and comm ercial. O ur acquaintance with thelatter being more intim ate, and the opinion genera lly formed of the character of this people having been take n from the maritime state s, it m ay besufficient, on th e present occasion, to adver t to some particu lars in the con

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stitution of their gove rnm ent, and to the habits and char acte r of the peoplewho compose them.

T he gov ernm ent of these states, which are established in more or less

pow er on th e different rivers on the eastern coasts of Sum atra and on theMalay Peninsula, as well as on the coast of Borneo and throughout thesmaller islands, is founded on principles entirely feudal. A high resp ect ispaid to the person and family of the princ e, who usually traces his des cen tthrou gh a long line of ancestors, generally originating on th e M alayan sidefrom Menangkabau or Johor, and not unfrequently on the Mahomedan sidefrom the desce ndants of the Pr op het . T he nobles are chiefs a t the head ofa num erous train of dependan ts whose services they com m and. Th eir civilinstitutions and internal policy are a mixture of the Mahomedan with their

own more ancient and peculiar customs and usages, the latter of which predominate : in the principal states they are collected in an ill-digested code,but in the inferior establishments they are trusted to tradition.

The Malays are distinguished not only by the high respect they pay to ancestry and nobility of descent, and their entire devotion to their chiefs andthe cause they undertake, but by a veneration and reverence for the experience and opinions of their elders. T he y never ente r on an enterp rize witho utduly weighing its advantages and consequences, but when once embarked init, they devote themselves to its accom plishme nt. Th ey are sparing of their

labou r and are judic ious in its application , but when roused into action arenot wa nting in spirit and enthusiasm . In their commercial dealings they arekeen and speculative, and a spirit of gaming is prevalent, but in their generalhabits they are far from penurious.

W ith a kno wle dge of this chara cter, we may find in the circum stances inwhich they have been placed some excuse for the frequent piracies, and thepractice o f " runn ing a m uck ," with which they have so often and justly beenaccused. T ha t European policy which first destroyed the independ ence oftheir more respectable states, and subsequently appropriated to itself the wholetrade of the Archipelago, left them without the means of honest subsistence,while by the extrem e severity of its tortures and punishm ents it drove themto a state of desperation. Th us piracy becam e honourable ; and th at devotion, w hich on an ano ther occasion would have been called a virtue , becam e acrime.

Of the Javans a higher estimate may be formed. Th oug h wanting in thenative boldness and enterp rize of character which distinguishes the Malays,

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they have many qualities in common with them, but bear deeper traces of foreign influence, and at the present period, at least, stand much higher in civilization. Th ey are almost exclusively agricultural, and in the extrao rdinar yfertility of their co un try they find sufficient inducem en ts to prefer a life of

comparative ease and comfort within their own shores to one of enterprize orhazard beyond them . T h e causes which have contributed to their presentimproved state are various, and however interesting, it would swell this paperbeyond its due limits to enter on them.

The Madurese, who inhabit the neighbouring island, are distinguished formore spirit and enterp rize ; but the people in that quarte r who m ore peculiarlyattract our interest are those of Bali, an island lying immediately east of Java,and who at the present day exhibit the extraordinary fact of the existence ofan indepe nden t Hin doo govern m ent in this remote quarter of the East. Itwas in this island tha t, on the establishm ent of Mahomedanism in Java in thefifteenth century, the Hindoos who adhered to their original faith took refuge,where they have preserved the recollection of their former g reatne ssand th ereco rds and form of their religion. Th is island, no part of which has everbeen subjected to Europe an autho rity, contains with Lom bok, imm ediatelyadjoining, a popu lation not far short of a million. T he shores are unfavou r

able to commerce, and the people have not hitherto been much inclined todistan t ente rpriz e. T he island itself has long been subjected to all the horrorsof an active Slave-trade, by which means its inhabitants have been distributedam ong the Europ ean settlem ents. A more honest com merce, however, hasbeen lately attracted to it, and both Bugguese and Chinese have formedsmall establishments in the principal towns. In their personal cha racte r the yare remarka ble for a high indep ende nce and impa tience of control. A redundant population added to the Slave-trade has separated them into various

states, which are generally at war with each other.In the island of Celebes we find the people of a still m ore ente rpriz ing

character : the elective form of their gov ernm eut offers a singular anom alyam ong A siatic states, and is not the least peculiar of their institutions. T h eBugg uese are the most adve nturous traders of the A rchipelag o, to every partof which they carry their speculations and even extend them to the coast ofNew Ho lland. Th ey are rema rkable for fair dealing and the ex ten t of the irtransa ctions. Th ey were converted to M ahomedanism at a muc h later periodthan either the Java ns or M alays, and no t generally till after the arrival ofthe Portugue se in the sixteenth cen tury. Th is island contains an exten sive

population.All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore


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population, but its interior and north-western provinces are but little know n,and are inhabited by the same description of uncultivated people as are found

in the interior of Borneo and the larger islands to the eastward.Of the population of the M oluccas it may be remarked, th at they are

for th e most part professing Christianity. The magn itude and importance of Borneo more peculiarly attrac ts our attentio n. Malay settlements are formed on its principal rivers, and extensive colonies of Chinesehave established themselves in the vicinity of the Gold Mines a short distanceinland , but the interior of the island is yet unk now n. Various estimates ofitspopulation have been formed, bu t the data a re too un certain to be depen d

ed upon. T he tribes which inhabit the interior differ much in character, bu tthe majority appear to be ag ricultural, and a race of people who migh t beeasily improved and civilized. O ther s, again, are extrem ely ba rbarou s; andit must be adm itted, that the p ractice of man-h unting , for the purpose ofobtain ing the heads of the victims, is too frequent thro ugho ut. Of this latterdescription are various tribes still inhabiting the interior of Celebes, Ceram,and Gelolo, usually known by the name of Harafuras or Alfoors.

If we add to the above the population of the Philippines, which is not estimated at less than three millions, Magindanao and the Soolo Archipelago, theBattas and other interior tribes of Sumatra, and the woolly-headed race occasionally found on the peninsula and the larger islands, and more extensively

established in Papua or New Guinea, some idea may be formed of the extentand n ature of the varied population of this interesting Arch ipelago. Bu t thenum erous C hinese settlers who now form a considerable portion of this population, and who have given a stimulus to the industry of its inhabitants, mustnot be passed over in silence. In the island of Jav a the nu mb er of these settlers is not less than 10 0,0 00 ; a similar number is to be found in Sia m : inBorneo they are still more num erous, and they are to be met with in everywell regu lated state. The valuable Go ld Mines of the latter island have offered a powerful inducem ent to their establishm ent: they are worked almostexclusively by Chinese, and an extensive population of Dayaks from the interior are rapidly extendin g cultivation in their vicinity. Th ere seems to beno limits to the increase of Chinese on this island, the redundance of population in the mo ther coun try, the constant intercourse which exists with it,and the inducements afforded for colonization in a new soil, where in addition

to agricultural and commercial resources the produce of gold and diamondsappears to be only proportioned to the labour employed, are such tha t, to a

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speculating and industrious people l ike the C hinese, the y m ust co ntinu e toope rate in spite of political restr iction s and partia l ex act ion s. I t dese rves

rem ark , tha t of all the inhabitants of the A rchipelag o, the Chinese , as well fromtheir assimilating more with the customs of Europeans than the native Maho-m edan s as from the ir h abits of obed ienc e and submission to power, are uniformly found to be the m ost peaceable and improvea ble

From the review now taken it will be seen how varied is the population ofthis A rchipelago both in char acter and e mp loym ents, and th at it consists bothof agricultural and commercial classes, of different ranks in the scale of each,from the wildest tribes who seek a precarious subsistence in their woods andforests, to th e civilized Jav an w ho has draw n forth th e riches of his uneq ualle dsoil and made i t the granary of these islands: and from the petty trader whocollects the scattered p rodu ce of the interior, to the Chinese capitalists who receives it from them , and disperses it again to m ore dista nt regio ns. Situ atedbetween the rich and populous continents of China on the one hand and Indiaon the other, and furnishing to E uro pe the means of an extensive com m erce,

the dem and for the prod uce of those islands is unfailing, and th at pro duc eis only l imited by the ex ten t of the pop ulation . By means of the variety of i tstr ibes, their interm ixture and con nection with each other, and the accessible

na tur e of t he coasts washed by the smoo thest seas in th e world, while largeand navigable rivers open com mu nication with the interior, the st imulus ofthis com m erce is prop agate d in successive waves throu gh the whole, and theinexhaustible resources of the country are draw n forth in a mann er and to anex ten t tha t could not otherwise have been obtained. Each is dep end ant onthe other, and receives and com mu nicates a portion of the general activ ity.Thus the savage and intractable Batta collects and furnishes the camphor andbenjamin the spontaneous produce of his woods ; the equally barbarous Dayakand wild Haraf ura ransack s th e bowels of the ear th for its gold and its diamon ds ;th e inhabitants of Soolo seeks for th e pearl bene ath the waters that surrou ndthem, and others traverse the shores for the tripang or sea slug, or descend intoits rocky caverns for the Chinese luxu ry of birds ' nests. A scen ding fromthese we find th e more civilized Sum atran, w hose agric ulture is yet rude , employed in the raising of p ep pe r; the native of the M olucca s in the c ultur e of thenu tm eg and the clov e; the sti ll higher Java n and Siamese, besides their abunda nt harve sts of rice, supp lying Eu ro pe with their coffee and suga r, and allimp elled and set in mo tion by the sp irit of com m erc e. N ot less varied ar e

the peo ple w ho collect this pro du ce from all these different q ua rte rs till it isfinally



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finally shipped for Europe, India, and China, from the petty bartering traderwho bring s i t from the interior to the ports an d m outh s of th e rivers, theMalay who convey s i t from p ort to port , the more adv entu rou s Bu ggu ese w ho

sweeps the remo te shores to conc entra te their pr odu ce at the em poria , to theChinese me rcha nt who sends his jun ks laden with this accu mu lated prod uceto be dispersed thro ug h the em pire of China and furnishes E uro pe an s w ith thecargoes of their ships . Th rou gh th e same diverging channels are again c i rculated the manu factures of India and Eu rop e, and thus a consta nt in tercourse and ci rculat ion is maintained thro ugh the whole . H ow m uch thisinter cou rse is facil itated by the nat ur e of th e countrie s, brok en into inn um erable islands, ma y be read ily conc eive d, an d th e vastne ss of the field m ay beinferred from the ex ten t to wh ich i ts com m erce has actually been carried,under every disadvantage of monopolizing policy and of insecurity of personand property, by which the condition of the people has been depressed andtheir increase preve nted. W he n we consider that they are placed at the verythres hold of Ch ina, a cou ntry overflowing with an ente rpriz ing and indu striou spopulation, anxious and eager to sett le wherever security and protection is afforded, that i t is this people who have chiefly contributed to maintain and support the energies of the native population and have diffused the st imulus oftheir own activity wh erever they h ave sett led, and tha t pro tecti on only is

wanted to accumulate them in any numbers, to create i t may be said a secondChina, the resources and means of this extra ordin ary Arc hipelago will appe arwithout l imits .

Viewed in this l ight , Borneo and the Eastern Is lands may become to China,what Am erica is a l ready to the nat ions of Eu rope . T he superab und ant andoverflowing population of China affords an almost inexhaustible source ofcolo niza tion, wh ile the new and fertile soil of thes e islands offers the m ean s ofim m edia te and plentiful subsistence to any num bers who may sett le in the m .

Ho w ra pidly, un der such circum stance s, these colonies may increase in population, w here th e clim ate is at least as congenial to the C hinese as th at ofAmerica to Europeans, may be readi ly conceived from the exper ience whichthe latter has afforded. T h e w ealth of their mines and the ex ten t of theirown nat ive populat ion, add ed to the greater proximity of China, are advantages which we re not enjoyed by A m eric a, and must con tribu te to acc elera tethe progress of colonization.

A scene l ike this cann ot be viewed with indifference by the philosoph ic

and con tem plative mind . T he diversified form in which the hum an ch ara cte rc 2 is



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12 M I N U T E O N

is exhibited, the new and original features which it displays, and the circumstances which have restrained or accelerated the develo pm ent of our natu rein these extensive and remote regions, offer sources of almost inexhaustibleinquiry and resea rch, while the obscu rity which dark ens the origin and earlyhis toryof the people, the peculiarity of their languages, laws and customs, andthe vestiges w hich rem ain of a highe r state of the acts and of le arn ing , offer,in a literary and scientific view, pursuits of no less interest than importance.Placed as we shall be in the very centre of this Archipelago, the life and soulof its extensive com me rce, and maintaining with its most distant parts andwith the adjacent continent a constant and rapidly increasing intercourse, themeans are afforded to us, above all other nations, of prosecuting these studies

with facility and advantage.We here find human nature at its lowest point in the woolly-headed savage

who roams his woods in absolute nakedn ess, deriving a precarious subsistencefrom roots and fish, and w ith no othe r habitation than a cavern or a tree . W ecan trace the progress of improvement in those whose agriculture is yet in its

infancy, who clear a portion of their woods by fire, and tak e a con ting enc y outof it by plan ting a little rice in the soil thu s enriched by the ashes. W e dwellwith more pleasure on those rich tracts of cultivation which adorn the slopesof the central districts of Java and Sum atra, where the m ountain torr ent isarrested in its course and made to flow over and fertilize successive terraceson which abu nd ant harvests are reaped . W e shall meet with states that haverisen by com me rce to wealth and em inence, and have now sunk since hersoil has been displayed on othe r shores. T o the historian and the antiq uaria nthe field here presented is unb oun ded . T he latter will trace in the languagesand m onu m ents, the origin and early history of these interesting people : hewill find the Ma layan lang uage diffused unde r various modifications, fromMadagascar on the coast of Africa to the islands of the Pacific ; he will findit con nec ted with H indu ism by an influx of Sans crit words, and will trac e theeffects of sub seq uen t conversion in an accession of Arab ic term s. In thei rancient monuments and inscriptions he will find proofs of the existence of thefaith of Brama or of Bou dh, and of their greatness as nations in the m agn itudeof their rem ains. H e will find tem ples and scu lpture s which rival in bea utyand ex ten t those of continen tal In dia, and through the mists of traditionwill discover the faint light of glories that have past away. H e will find languages of singular perfection and richness that are no longer understood except by the learned ; in short, he will find abundant proof of a former higher

state



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state of civilization from which they have-fallen. The causes of this declension, the vicissitudes they have undergone,and their history in more moderntimes, when the progress of the Mussulman faith and of European arms overturned and threw into confusion the ancient order of things, are subjects notless interesting than unto uch ed. Th ree centuriesof intercourse have givenbut little information upon theseand other interesting points. War or commerce has hitherto absorbed the attention of those who have visited thesere-gions, with some exc eption s, which have rath er servedto excite than to gratify curio sity. La te years have been more fertileand have opened the way tofurther inquiries, and the spirit which has been awakened should not be suf-fered to sleep.

It would be endless to point out the desiderata which yet remain to besupplied, or the subjects of interest which are yet to be investigated. Th eorigin of Boudhism, as it may be t raced in Siam, and particularly Laosandother countries not yet visited by Europeans but with which a commercialintercourse exists, is not the least of these. The objects of science arenot less numerous, to say nothing of the vast field which the immense empireof China opens to the speculative mind. Th rou gh the means of her nativetraders who frequent those seasand are protected by our flag, we have it in ourpower to prosecute the most extensive researches,and to communicate as wellas receive information whichmay be reciprocally usefuland acceptable. While,as a manufacturing nation,we are compelled to supply this em pire withtheraw produce of our territories, we can never want an interest in inquiringinto the principles and mean s by which theyare thus able to supersede us, evenwith the advantage of our unrivalled machinery. The Chinese mind itself, theliterature and character of this extraordinary people, of whomso little is knowntha t their place and rank in the scale of civilization is yet undetermined, arequestions which have long attractedthe attention of the western world. Thecur ren t of their ideas, the mould of their minds, and the whole ben t anddirection of their powers differ so much from our own, that an estimate ofthem is no easy task. We find them dispersing the mse lves abroad ,andcarrying with them a spirit of enterprize and speculation combined withanindustry and prudence that makes them flourishand acquire opulence where-ever they settle.

Such is the range of inquiry open to the philosopher ; but to him who isinterested in the cause of humani ty, who thinks that the diffusion of the hu-manizing arts is as essential to the character of our nation as the acquisition

of



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14 M I N U T E O N

of power and wealth, and that wherever our flag is carried it should confer thebenefits of civilization on those whom it protects, it will appear no less importan t, tha t in propo rtion as we ex tend the field of our own inqu iry and infor

mation, we should apply it to the advantage of those with whom we are connected, and endeavour to diffuse among them the light of knowledge and themeans of moral and intellectual impro vem ent.

T he object of ou r stations being confined to the protec tion and encouragement of a free and unrestricted commerce with the whole of these countries,and our establishm ents being on this footing and princ iple, no jealousy canexist where we make our inqu iries. W hen the man of science inquiresfor the mineral or vegetable produ ctions of any particular country ,

or the manner in which th e fields are cultivated or the mines w orked,no mo tive will exist for withholding information ; but if, in retu rn , we areanxious and ready to disseminate the superior knowledge we ourselvespossess, how much shall we increase this readiness and desire on the pa rtof the native s, an d what may not be the ex ten t of the blessings we may inexchange confer on these extensive regions? How noble the object, how beneficial the effects to carry with our commerce the lights of instruction andmoral impro vem ent. How much m ore exalted the character in which we

shall appear, how much more congenial to every British feeling. Bycollecting the traditions of the country, and affording the means of instructionto all who visit our stations, we shall give an additional inducement to generalintercourse; while the merchant will pursue his gain, the representativeof our go vern me nt will acquire a higher ch aracter and more general respect,by devo ting a portion of his time to the diffusion of tha t know ledge andof those principles, which form the happiness and basis of all civilizedsociety. T he native inhab itant who will be first attra cted by com merce, willimbibe a respect for our institutions, and when he finds that some of these aredestined exclusively for his own benefit, while he applauds and respects themotive he will not fail to profit by them. O ur civil institution s and po liticalinfluence are calculated to increase the population and wealth of these countries, and cultivation of mind seems alone wanting to raise them to such a rankam ong the nations of the world as their geog raphical situation and climatemay adm it. An d shall we, who have been so favoured amo ng other nations,refuse to encourage the growth of intellectual improvement, or rather shall wenot consider it one of our first duties to afford the means of education to sur

round ing countries, and thus render our stations not only the seats ofcommerce



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comm erce but of literature and the arts? Will not our best inclinationsand feelings be thus gratified, at the same time that we are con tribu ting toraise millions in the scale of civilization ? It may be observed, tha t in proportion as the people are civilized, our in tercou rse with the islands willbecome more general, more secure, and more adva ntage ous; that the nativeriches of th e countries which they inhabit seem inexhaustible, and tha t theeventual extent of our commerce with them must consequently depend on thegrowth of intellectual improvement and the extension of moral principles. Aknow ledge of the languages of these cou ntries, considered on the most extensive scale, is essential to all investig ation; and may no t the acquisition of these

be pursued with m ost advan tage in connection with some defined p lan foreducating the higher orders of the inhabitants ? May not one object mutually aid the other, and the interests of philanth ropy and literatur e be b estconsulted by making the advantages reciprocal ?

There is nothing, perhaps, which distinguishes the character of these islanders from th e people of In dia more than the absence of inve terate prejudiceand the little influence Mahomedanism has had over their conduct and mode

of think ing. W ith them neither civil nor religious institutions seem to stand

in the way of improvem ent, while the ap tness and solicitude of the people toreceive instruction is re m ark ab le; and in the higher classes we often find adisposition to enjoy the luxuries and comforts of European life and to assimilate to its man ners and courtesies. Th e states more advanced in civilization have embraced the M ahom edan faith, which still con tinues to make aslow progress throug hout the Arc hipe lago . Th is faith was not introdu ced byconq uest, bu t by the gradual progress of persuasion ex erted by active missionaries on a simple and ingenuous people. It is on the Mussulman teachers

alone that they are at presen t dep end ant for instruction , but these are nowcomparatively few and of an inferior order ; many of them little better thanmanumitted slaves, though assuming the titles of Seids and Sheiks. W henwe consider that the whole of the Arch ipelago is left open to the views andschemes of these men, that they promise the joys of paradise in recompensefor the slight ceremony of circumcision, and in this world exemption from thepains of slavery to which all unbelievers are liable, we may account for thefacility with which conversion is still effected, and the little impression it makeson the people. Institu tions of the nature of colleges were formerly m aintained by the native princes of Bantam and in the interior of Java and Sumatra, pa rticularly at M enan gkabau , to which latter a visit was considered only

less



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16 M I N U T E O N

less meritorious than a pilgrimage to M ecca . Th ese colleges have disappearedwith the power of the native g ove rnm ent which sup ported them , an d their

place is very imperfectly supplied by the inferior and illiterate priests who aresettled am ong them . Th e w ant of an institution of this nature has long beenfelt and complained of by the highe r orde rs, and a desire has even been expressed of sending their children to Be ngal, b ut the distance and wan t ofmeans to defray the expense has generally prevented them from doing so.In an instance, however, in which this has taken place, we shall find evidenceof the capacity of the people to rece i vein struction, and are able to formsome estimate of the degree of imp rovem ent to which they m ight attain if

similar adv antages were enjoyed by all. Sho rtly after the conquest of Jav a,two sons of the Regent of Samarangwere sent to Bengal where they remainedonly two years, but returne d to their native coun try not only with a gene ralknowledge of the English language, but versed in the elements of generalhistory, science, and literatu re. T he rapid progress made by these you ths,not only in these attainments but in their manners, habits, and principles, hasbeen the surprize and admiration of all who have known them . It may beobserved generally with regard to Mahomedanism in the Eastern Islands, thatalthough the more respectable part of the population pay some attention to itsforms as the established religion of the country , they are far m ore attachedand devoted to their ancient traditions and customs, insomuch that in mostof the states the civil code of the Koran is almost unk now n. In many ofthe countries which have not yet embraced Mahomedanism, such as those ofthe B attas and othe r interior tribes of Sum atra, the islands along its W esterncoasts and the Da yak s of Bo rneo, it is difficult to say what are their religioustenets. Fa int trace s of Hinduism are occasionally discovered, b lende d withlocal and original ideas, and it has even been questioned whe ther some ofthem have any religion at all.

The inducements and facilities which are thus afforded, suggest the advantage and necessity of forming, und er the imm ediate control and supe rintendenc e of g ove rnm ent, an institution of the nature of a native college, whichshall embrace not only the object of educating the higher classes of the nativepopulation, but at the same time that of affording instruction to the officersof the Company in the native languages, and of faciliating our more generalresearches in to the history, condition, an d resources of these cou ntries.

An institution of this kind, formed on a simple but respectable plan, wouldbe hailed with satisfaction by the native chiefs, who as far as their immediate

means



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E D U C A T I O N , 17

means admit may be exp ected to contribu te to its su pp ort ; and a class of in-telligent natives, who would be employed as teachers, would always be at thecomm and and disposal of go ve rnm en t T he want of such a class of men has

long been felt, and is perhaps in a considerable degree owing to the absence ofany centre or seat of learning to which they could resort.

The position and circumstances of Singapura point it out as the most eligiblesituation for such an establishm ent. Its cen tral situation am ong the Malaystates, and the comm anding influence of its comm erce, rende r it a place ofgeneral and convenient resort, while in the minds of the natives it will alwaysbe associated with their fondest recollections, as the seat of their ancient government, before the influence of a foreign faith had shaken those institutionsfor which they still preserve so high an attach m ent and reveren ce. T h e advantage of selecting a place thu s hallowed by the ideas of a remo te antiqu ity,and the veneration attached to its ancient line of kings, from whom they arestill proud to trace their descent, must be obvious.

The objects of such an institution may be briefly stated as follows :Fi rst . T o educ ate the sons of th e higher order of natives and othe rs.Secondly, T o afford the means of instruction in the native lang uag es to such

of the Co mp any 's servants and others as may desire it.Thirdly, To collect the scattered literature and traditions of the country,

with whatever may illustrate their laws and cu stoms, and to publish and circulate in a correct form the most important of these, with such other worksas may be calculated to raise the character of the institution and to be usefulor instructive to the people.

In order to embrace these objects, it will be sufficient, in the first instance,that an European superintendant and assistant, with three native professorsor head teachers and a few native assistants, should be appointed to conductthe duties. Hereafter, as the institution becomes more generally know n and

its advantages felt, an extension of this establishment may become necessary.Th e imm ediate expenses may be estimated not to exceed a thousand rup eesper mo nth, and ten thousand rupees for the co nstruction of an approp riatebuilding.

In the formation of the establishmen t the utmost simplicity will be necesaryas well with a view to economy as with reference to the character and circumstances of the peo ple. T he rules for its internal discipline will be few andobvious, and the m eans of exciting emu lation such as may be best suited to

the condition of the students. T he establishmen t proposed will include aD nat iv



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18 M I N U T E O N

native professor in each of the three principal languages, M alay, Bugies andSiamese, with an assistant in each department, and four extra teachers in theChinese, Jav an, Burm an, and Pali languages. Th e course of education will

be the acquirement of such of the above languages as the students may select,togethe r with Arab ic, to which the same professors will be co m pet en t; and inthe higher classes, the Roman character and English language will be taught,together with such elementary branches of general knowledge and history,as their capacity and inclination may demand. Th e extra num ber of M oon-she es are inten ded to afford instruc tion to the Co mpan y's servants andothers ; and it will be the duty of the superin tendant and native professorsto form the co llections , and carry into effect the third and last object,under such directions as they may from time to time receive.

The more immediate effects which may be expected to result from an institution of this na ture , have already been poin ted out, and are such as willreadily sug gest themselves. Native schools on the La nca strian plan havealready been established at som e of our sta tions, an d may be expected tospread in various direc tion s; connected with these an institution of the naturenow proposed is calculated to complete the system, and by affording to thehigher classes a participation in the general progress of improvement, to raisethem in a corresponding degree, and thus preserve and cement the natural

relations of society. After what has been said, it is needless to enlarge onthe more obvious and striking advantages which must result from the generaldiffusion of know ledge among a people so situate d. The natu ral and certaineffect must be the improvem ent of their condition, an d a consequent advan cem ent in civilization and h appiness. Th e weakness of the chiefs is anevil which has been long felt and acknowledged in these countries, an d tocultivate and improve their intellectual pow ers seems to be the m ost effectualrem edy . Th ey will duly apprec iate the benefit conferred, and while it must

inevitably tend to attach them more closely to us, we shall find our recom-pence in the stability of their future authority, and the general security andgood order which mustb e th e result.

Th ere are , however, some results of a more distan t and speculativena ture , which it is impossible to pass over unno ticed. Th ese relate moreparticularly to the even tual abolition of slavery, the modification of theirmore objectionable civil institutions, particularly those relating to debts andmarriages, and the discontinuance of the horrid practices of cannibalism and

man-



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man -hunting, but too prevalent amon g some of the more barbarous tr ibes,as the Battas and Alfoors.

I t is almost unnec essary to state , that slavery is not only tolerated andackn ow ledged by the Malay law, bu t until recently it was openly e nco urag edby the chief Eu rop ean auth ority in these seas, Batavia for the last two centuries has been the principal and fatal m art to which the majority were carried, a nd the Islands of Bali, Celebes , and Nia s, are the cou ntrie s w hencethe supplies w ere principally proc ured . M any thousa nds of the victims ofthis lawless traffic were annua lly obtained in mu ch t he sam e m ann er as on thecoast of A frica, and the tra de has always been a very profitable one and th eprincipal suppo rt of piracy. W hile the British were in possession of Java,the act of Parliament declaring the trade felony on the part of its own sub

jects was made a colonial law ; this prohibition does not appear to have beenrepealed, and much benefit may be anticipated from the Batavian G ove rnm ent not sanctioning the practice by i ts autho rity. Bu t when we considerthe e xte nt and varied interests of the Arc hipe lago , the num ber of slaves stillin Java, and the right which every M ahom edan exercises, according to hisability, of c onv erting or reducin g to slavery every unbeliever he me ets w ith,the ex te nt of the pop ulation still uncon ver ted, an d the sanction given toslavery by the Malay custom, we can only look for the complete remedy ofthe evil by the extension of our influence among thenative states, and theeffects which a better education may produce on the chiefs.

Throughout the greater part of the Eastern states the Mahomedan law hasnever been ad opted in, its full ex ten t. In some it has been blended with theoriginal custom s and institution s, and in others not intro duc ed at all. T h elaws rega rdin g debts and marriage s are peculiarly illustrative of this, andhowe ver in principle th ey may have been applicable to a former s tate of

society, are now in practice found to be in many places highly oppressive andinjurious to the increa se of pop ulatio n. T h e fact is fully exemplified in the

vicinity of B enco olen, wh ere a large portion of the population is redu ced toa state little better than that of actual slavery on account of debts, and fullyone-fourth of the marriageable females remain in a state of celibacy from theobstacles which their custom s oppose to m arriage . T he former arises fromthe custom which gives the creditor an unlimited right over the services ofthe debtor for any sum however small; in many cases the family and relationsof the debto r are further liable in the same m anne r. In the case of m arriageit may he observed tha t the da ug hte rs are considere d to form a par t of t he

D 2 property



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20 M I N U T E O N

property of th e father, and are only to be purchased from him by the suitorata price exceeding the usual means of the men. The effects of educationmay be expected to be felt in the gradual modification and improvem ent ofthese institu tions, especially if aided by our influence and example. However attached the natives may be to the principles on which these institutionsare founded, experience has proved that they are by no means unwilling tomodify them in practice, on conviction that they are injurious in tendency.In a recent instance, they readily agreed to lower the price paid for wives,on the advantage of such a measure being urged and explained to them.

On the subject of the barbarous practices alluded to as common among thewilder tribes, it may be sufficient for the present purpose to state that the

Battas, a numerous people having a language and written character peculiarto themselves, and inhabiting a large portion of the northern pa rt of Sum atra,are universally addicted to the horrid practice of devouring the flesh of theirenemies whom they take in battle ; and that many tribes of the Dayak s ofBorneo, and the Alfoors of the further East, are addicted to the practice ofman-hu nting, solely for the purpose of presenting the bleeding head as anoffering to their mistresses. A man is considered honourab le acco rding to thenumber of heads he has thus procured, and by the custom of the country such

an offering is an indispensable prelim inary to marriage. It is not to be expected that our schools will have any direct or immediate influence on peoplewhere such practices are p reva len t; b ut indirectly and eventually, as thechiefs of the more civilized states in their neighbourhood acquire power andstability, they may be expected gradually to be brought under their influenceand subjected to the restraints of a better state of society.

From this it will appear, how much more extensive are the advantages tobe obtained from educating the higher classes, to whom alone we can look foreffectually promoting the progress of improvement among the lower orders,and for ex tending the benefits of civilization to the barbarous tribes w howould otherwise be entirely beyond the sphere of our influence, than couldbe obtained from any scheme which should reverse the order, and commenceinstruction from the bottom rather than the top of the scale. In everycou ntry the lights of know ledge and improvement have com menced withthe higher orders of society, and have been diffused from thence dow nwards.No plan can be expected to succeed which shall reverse this order, andattem pt to propaga te them in an opposite direction ; and more especially in

countries



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countries where the influence of the chiefs, from the nature of the governmen t, must always be considerable.

In affording to such of the C hinese as are settled in the islands a participation in th e benefits of this institution, the rich er classes are partic ular lyadve rted to . M any of these , if not possessed of the advantages of birth ,have raised themselves by their talents to opulence and a respectable rankin society. Th ese men at p resent frequently send their sons to China foredu cation, for wan t of an institution of this na tur e which would supersedethe necessity. A recen t establishment of the kind has been formed atM alacca, under th e supe rintendance of an en lightend missionary, and abranch of it is already exten ded to Singapore. It has been atten ded with

considerable success, bu t must necessarily be limited in its operation by itsmore imm ediate and direct object being tha t of religious conversion. T herapid acquisition of the Chinese langu age which has been the consequenceof this establishment, and the num erous tra cts which have issued fromits press in that language, give the institution much interest, and the meanswhich have thus been afforded of open ing what may be term ed a literaryintercourse with this peculiar people are gradually increasing. T h e advantage of exten ding the plan on a broader and more general principle is

acknowledged by those u nder whom it is cond ucted, and they may be expected, if not to comb ine their labours with the plan now proposed, at least togive it all the aid in their power. T he expense of this branch of theinstitu tion will probably be born e principally by the Ch inese themselves, whoare wealthy enough to do so, and are sufficiently aware of the advantages ofeducation.

Ha ving now shewn the ex tent and objects of the proposed institution, thefield prese nted for its operation , and poin ted out some of the advantages

which may be expected to resu lt, it will be sufficient in conclusion to rem ark ,tha t the progress of every plan of improvem ent ou the basis of edu cationmust b e slow and g ra d ua l; its effects are silent and unobstrusive, and thepresent generatio n will probably pass away before they are fully felt andapp reciated. Few nations have m ade much advance in civilization by theirown unassisted endeavours, and none have risen suddenly from barbarism torefinement. T h e experience of the world informs us th at education affordsth e only means of effecting any considerab le amelioration or of exp and ingthe powersof the human min d. In estimating the results of any scheme ofthe kind the advantages must always be in a great measure speculative, and

dependant



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22 M I N U T E O N

dep end ant on the con currenc e of a variety of circumstanc es which can notbe foreseen. Th is is ad m itted to apply with its full force to th e institu tionin question ; but when it is considered that education affords the only reasonable and efficient means of improving the condition of those whoa re so muchlower than ourselves in the scale of civilization, that the want of this improvem en t is no wh ere mo re sensibly felt than in th e field before us, and th atthe propo sed plan has the double object of ob taining inform ation ourselves and affording instru ctio ns to oth ers, it will be allowed to be at leastcalculate d to assist in objects which are no t only im po rtan t to our nationalinterests, but hono urable and consistent with our national c hara cter. T heoutlay proposed is m od erate , when c onsidered even with re ferenc e to theimm ediate adv antage s, to say noth ing of those which are of a mo re rem oteand specu lative na tur e. O ne single family of rank raised into im po rtan ceand en ergy by means of the proposed institution, may abu nda ntly repay ourlabou r by the establishm ent of a be tter orde r of society in its neigh bou rhoo d,by the e xam ple it may set, and by the resou rces of the co un try it maydevelope. W e are not plodd ing on a barren soil, and while the capacity ofthe people for imp rovem ent is acknow ledged, the inexha ustible riches of thecountry are no less universally admitted.

If we consider, also, that it is in a gre at me asure to the influence of Eu ropeans, and to the ascende ncy they have acquired in these seas, tha t thedeclin e of the peo ple in wealth and civilization is to be as cribed , and tha tthe same causes have contributed to take away the means of instruction theyformerly possessed, it is almost an act of duty and justi ce to ende avo ur torepair the injury do ne the m . T h e British influence in these seas is a lready

hailed as bringin g freedom to com m erce, and support to the inde pen den ce

of th e native st at es ; and shall we not also afford them th e me ans of reap ingthe fruits of these blessing s? Of wh at use will it be to pr ote ct the personsand raise the wealth and indep en de nc e of these people, if we do not alsocultivate and expa nd their minds in the same prop ortion. Besides theindu cem ents of huma nity, besides the consideration of what is due t o ournation al cha racte r, shall we not best preserve the tranq uility of these c ou ntriesand the freedom and safety of our own interc ou rse, by imp roving their moraland intellectu al cond ition ? Shall we not bin d th em to us by the firmest of allties, and b uild an emp ire on the rock of o pinion, wh ere we ne ithe r wish norseek for it on any other prin ciple ?

It may be urg ed, tha t the institutio n here proposed is too limited in itsextent ,



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exte nt, and too inad equ ate in i ts means to emb race the vastness of the objectcon tem plated . I t may be said, is the im pr ov em en tof so ma ny millionsofthe h um an race to be effected, and the light of k now ledge diffused over such

extens ive regions by me ans so simple?

T h e objection is in some respec tsj u s t : an establishm ent on a much m ore extend ed scale would certainly havebeen desirable, b ut m any obstacles have presented themselves to the imm ediate adoption of any very expensive plan.

T h e o bject has been to brin g it to th e very lowest scale consisten t withefficiency, in order to avoid the chan ce of failure w ere too much atte m ptedin the beg inning . Vo luntary endow me nts are what such insti tutions mustdepend on for support ; but it has appeared unadviseable to commence a planof this kind in a remote quarter of the world, where its advantages are notyet fully com pre hen ded , on any unc ertain calculation which m ight risk itssuccess. A ce ntr e or nucleus is w anting which shall be placed on a footingbeyond the reach of contingencies or accidents ; a nd the supp ort of governm en t is necessary, in the first insta nce , to give stability and security to th einfant institution : this once established, the re can be little d oub t of itsextension in proportion as the benefits becom e mo re and m ore app aren t.The noblest institutions of mankind have arisen from small beginnings, andwh ere the principles are sound and the benefits of un equivoc al applica tion,

such a comm encem ent is perhaps bette r than one of more boastful pretensions.

The object at present has been, with the least pretension to commence aninstitu tion which shall contin ue to grow and exten d itself in pro por tion tothe benefit it affords. A situation has been chosen the most adv anta geo usfor this purp ose, from w hen ce, as a cen tre, its influence may be diffused andits sphere g radually exten ded , unti l i t at length em brace even the wholeof tha t wide field w hose natu re has already been sh ew n. T h at it will spreadmay be considered almost beyond a dou bt. W e kno w th e readiness and

aptnes s of th e people to receive instruction ; we know that they have hadsimilar insti tu tions of the ir own in happier and more prosperous t imes, andtha t they now la m en t the w ant of the m , as no t the smallest of the evils tha thas at te nd ed the fall of their pow er. It is to Britain alone tha t they canlook for the restora tion of the se adv anta ges : she is now called upon to layth e foundation stone, and there is l i t tle doub t that this once don e, thepeople themselves will largely contribute to rearing and completing theedifice.

B ut



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24 M I N U T E .

But it is not to remote and speculative advantages that the effect of suchan institution will be confined ; while the enlightened philanthropist willdwell with pleasure on that part of the prospect, the immediate advantageswill be found fully prop ortionate. T o afford the means of instruction in thenative languages to those who are to adm inister our affairs, and watch overour interests in such extensive regions, is surely no trifling or un importan tobject. In promoting the interests of litera ture and science not less will beits effect. To Bengal, where inquiries into the literatu re, history, and customs of oriental nations have been prosecuted with such success, and attended with such important results, such an institution will p rove a powerfulauxiliary in ex tend ing these inquiries among the people of th e further East.Many of the researches already begun can only be completed and perfec tedon this so il; and they will be forwarded, on the p resent plan, by collectingthe sca ttered remains of the literatu re of these countries, by calling forththe literary spirit of the peop le and awakening its dorm ant energies. T herays of intellect, now divided and lost, will be con cen trated into a focus,from whence they will be again radiated with added lustre, brigh tened andstren gthe ned by our superior lights . Thu s will our stations not only becom e

the centres of com merce and its luxuries, b ut of refinement and the liberalarts. If commerce brings wealth to our shores, it is the spirit of litera tureand philan thropy that teaches us how to employ it for the noblest purposes.It is this tha t has made Britain go forth am ong the nations, strong in hernative m ight, to dispense blessings to all around her. If the time shall comewhen her empire shall have passed away, these monuments of her virtue willendure when her triumphs shall have become an emp ty name. Le t it stillbe the boast of Britain to write her name in characters of li gh t; let her

not be rem embered as the tempest whose course was desolation, bu t as thegale of spring reviving the slumbering seeds of mind, and calling them tolife from the win ter of ignorance and oppression. Let the Sun of Britainarise on these islands, no t to wither and scorch them in its fierceness, bu tlike tha t of her own genial skies, whose mild and ben ignant influence ishailed and blessed by all who feel its beams.

minute by sir stamford raffles

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