New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-16

sps OF tho East Indian Archipelago desire to gaaos
stheA ehipeleeo itsclf; lie population commercial sscsl
n< geographical position and the inducements II holds
s h attention Of modern enterprise AMI civilization
re Indian Ocean IN VIII Cd lie those magnificent Islands
nning the Oriental Archipelago spreads from the cont.
si Of New Holland 90 the sOuih eastern shores Of Asia
M Archipelago Itself is in length about forty degrees Of
ssnde close 10 the equator from the western point Of
Igstra TO the parallel of the Aru Isles with breadth
IL Dirty degrees. from the SsndalwOod 70 Luzon, and
Isrzpisirg an OF five millions aud half OF square
sire Around i are spread, about center. the
tpous and civilized nations Of Aisle, who make it their
Ik(bvay OF maritime traffic China lie withn three days
~ Oh the eost the west three weeks viii carry slip
&C ports Of the Red Sea the brings vessel
feen days from Hirdo.tsn; Europe may be reached
sney. and Western America in fifty DAYS and the tn
nIh Of ocean steam navigation has reduced these dis
s one half while the inevitable creation Of the Pacific
RsRoad will place the Indian Archipelago within thirty
ISs OF tho Atlantic sesbcard and make the maritime
pos q the United States aso the commercial center of
IAfvohd The Islands which form the Archipelago are
irciudiDg New Guinea Borneo. Samatra Java and the
Nskysn Peninsula, Celebes, Luzon Mndanao-these
bssg the largest islands in the world next to Australia
..3 sixteen smaller Islands of the fourth clasaRa san
hsvs Ssmor &c. &c. The whole Archipelspo il divided
.ss the center by the line Of the Equator aud esry the
sbae of lies within ten degrees Of It, Gsograpaers
tsve divided these slands into various groups and az,
ned TO establish arbitrary lines of distinction between
bff population. soil products, &c. But these is unne
ssy here to trace IL cnoughto give the general
ret and character OF the products SOIL and population OF
hee islands and 10 pin out the geographical facilities
~ yhich their immense wealth can be made available
hk great group Of islands is doubtless the gGndei aud
o,cfatons Ii contains population Of between 250OOOOO
ssd 80 00o 900 The Dutch claim dominion 10 100000
ed edmDg there preten ions in its fullest extent there
sill remeins population If twelve t. fifteen Millions in
hsbitng country rich in every element Of natural pro
suaon End Offering the entciprising navigator far
moss profitable field Of enterprise than China any
thar portion Of the East. The narrow minded
girl Of Dutch monopoly has nullided, in great
nesure. the amelorating tendencies Of European
;ygizatcn in the Eastern Archipelago Holland. by
rsson OF graspiDg desire to secure oil the trade OF
ioss islands in Ter own hands rather than b. the phian
hfoic design Of expressing the common enemies OF man
kind in the Eastern Seas has cstabl he'd system of
rue police in the Archipelago, which has given rise to
mere piracy than it has suppressed According to
ibis syetern every trader of Bughs Achnese
Bsese or other tribes as well as those o the DIch DO
ences forced into limited channels OF trade aud
compelled in various WAYS by the requirements OF pass
pot to conform TO the mOnop0lzing exacions OF Euro
vssrs until at last striped often times of their property
By fines and exacOns hey resort TO reprsas o. their
own elemeDt,-tbet If, to piracy.
Cspt here dwe upon the great advantages for Amer
lean commercial enterprise Of AL grades which the nations
ohe Eastern Archipelago presented Ind China
FHe continued A host OF articles Of our manufactures
ssch clocks lamps trnkes thread fabrics and tools,
woad there find ready market China takes
luxuriestea and silk while the Archipelago, at the
time that ia disposed 10 take the productions Of almost
every American manufacture will send us back rich
invoice of grateful commodities both useful and luxurl
Gus, and will afford commerce TO thousands of
small craft and traders of small means in coffee,
sugar pepper spices gums valuable drugs sweet meii
cina food. But let for "A moment considera
ton of the inhabitants Of these islands they present the
greatest mixture of that be found on the surface
Of the earth. consequent conounding OF complexion,
language manners AMI cuioms aud religious and gene
raj hobudes also presented which offer TO the physi
ologst and the student Of an nny IF interesting
problems and present to the philosopher every graduation
between the lowest baTbaIsm and tOeraby hgh degree
Of civilization But in general characteristics all the
principal of the Archipelago resemble each other.
They generally Of the middle size and well made o.
pecioly the Malays of Sumatra of whom Ma-sden
"They well formed, and scarcely reco@c during six
4" vssrs TO have seen deoTmed person
The speaker here digresseo into vndicaon Of the
;eope frUm the criminal charges brought against them by
various travellers and asserted that their pratca practices
were the result Of spirit of reprsa for injuries done them
in ipjustly taking advantage Of their weakness
He continued:
remains be what will be the influence Of the
enlehtentd of America, that ne her seeks
desires any monopoly in these but that the spice
groves OF the MOluccas well as the coffee plantations
Of ysvahe coal and p,Pger OF sanatsa ana me d,a
and Japan-be open 10 their free competition
along with the ret of the commercial world
cannot attempt within the limits of this paper to give
outline of tho geographical features ofihe varIous
islands Of the Archipelago, but will introduce few new
fsc which had the pp0funity of determining during
erahiDgs in the Eastern seas | made careful hydro
GRAPHICAL surveys in the Java Sea, having with me skill
lul navigator and surveyor first officer, Mr. Graham
who by the way learn has just been liberated from
Dutch dungeon in which he was incarcerated for no other
crime han his sAil and spirit ofresearcb was fullycon
yneed that Horsburehs chart of Banca Straits is very
incorrect in the sOundngs and the following positions
Lacepera Passage following Horsburghs directions in his
East India Directory would bring ship entering from
The FOuth much too far TO the eastward by keeping Parmo
Gang Hi, in BaDca, with First Point on the
suuatran coast The Hill ought to DO kept completely
covering First Point for the first five or six miles after
Lucepara Island bears east and after gradually opening
with it till First Point bears NN.W. The Sumatran
bank lies two or three miles further off, between
second and third points, than laid down, aud
seepens suddenly from three to five fa'homs OF
the west side of Point Salary the water is
shoa and with overfalls from six to ten fathoms The
karHpg 1mbaga TO the north on its highest part
apparently than laid down The Nanka Islands are laid
tsx Incorrectly according TO the bearings Of Parmessng
A Banca which appears to be more to the west than
Iaado@n Tampeleng I'LL and Puo Boorong do not agree
with the chart At TanjOng Kodak the less than
eight fathOms where ten are marked shOalng suddenly
five where eight and nine laid down, and to two
thoms three miles of shore. Thecurent sets strong to the
3 i. in the n W monsoon Along the Sumatran shoreit
mooerate with ia many places eddy onthe Banca side
The natural wealth Of these islands incalculabe and
furnishes long catalogue enumerated by st. john
Of minerals coal anmony, iron, tin, nickel quicksilver
and gold in abundance Diamonds to be found in BOr
equal those of India Brazil and probably other
gemt Timber of the most valuable kinds abounds in
Ms woods of Java and Madura. The climate is favOra-
DE throughout the Archipelago to vegetation and the soil
wears perpetual Verdure. is rich and deep capable
OF producing sugar cane, nutmegs in abundance CHINA
mon oranges, and many other fruits and vegetables not
originally found there The cabbage palm the bamboo
he cocoa nut sage ratau npa and oher trees WELD the
most articles for native consumption with rice grateful
% the inhabitants Of the East Besides these there are
vegetable tallow and vegetable and native OIL wood
aous oil seeds gutta percha 50 abundant In the forests
S0maira damm6T, wild cinnamon cotton pepper coffee
rambler tobacco numerous dye sufis and aloes are
moDg the articles for expectation edible birds nests,
ezoa stones and tortoise shell may be added to the list
articles ofcommercal value produced in Borneo, and
be other Islands Of the Archipelago Ceebes, another of
hse islands in addition these articles have already
is destined outvie California and Australia
he places of gold This precious metal has beon lately