by the natives, who keep no record of passing events, and have no desire to know the deeds of their forefathers.

4. The history of Java is best known, but is not very important or interesting. It was first visited by the Portuguese, in the year 1510. They found it an exceedingly fertile island, producing abundance of sugar, coffee, rice, pepper, spices, and delicious fruits; there were also mines of gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.

5. The island is six hundred and fifty miles in length. About a hundred years after its discovery, the Dutch got possession of a large portion of it; and built the city of Batavia, on the north-western coast of the island.

6. The city is situated on a low, marshy plain, and canals of stagnant water are seen in many of the streets. But the edifices were so splendid, that Batavia was called the Queen of the East. Its beauty was much increased by the trees that overshadowed the streets and canals.

7. In the year 1780, the population amounted to a hundred and sixty thousand. People from all parts of the world were among them; but the Europeans were the fewest in number, although the government was in their hands.

8. Of late years, Batavia has been fast going to decay. The climate is so unhealthy, that strangers are very liable to be attacked by dreadful fevers. Sometimes a vessel loses her whole crew by death.

9. In the year 1811, the English took possession of the island of Java, and kept it till 1816, when they restored it to its former owners. The Dutch are said to exercise great tyranny over the natives.

10. The Philippine Islands, a very numerous group, lying south of China and east of Borneo, were discovered by Magellan; they belong to Spain; and are fertile, and well peopled. The Spanish inhabitants are numerous, and many of the natives are Christians. Manilla, the capital, is a very large and fine city.

11. The Moluccas are a number of small islands to the east of Java, belonging to the Dutch, from which spices are procured. Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, and many other islands, are possessed by savage tribes, and have only a few European settlements along the coasts.

QUESTIONS. 2. What of Oceania? Extent? Divisions?3. What of Malaysia? The natives?-4. What of Java? What are its productions? Mines?-5. Length of Java? Who built Batavia?-6. Describe the city.-7. Population of Batavia in 1780? 8. What of this city of late years? Its climate? 9. What happened in 1811? In 1816? What of the Dutch? 10. The Philippine Islands?-11. The Moluccas? Sumatra ? Other islands?

1. THE second division of Oceania is called Australasia. This comprises New Holland, Van Diemen's Land, New Guinea, New Zealand, and the islands in their vicinity.

2. New Holland is an immense island, containing two millions of square miles. The native inhabitants are in the very lowest stage of civilization, but great efforts are now making by the English colonists to better their condition.

3. The western part of New Holland was discovered by the Dutch, in 1610, but the whole of it is now a territory of Great Britain. Captain James Cook, the celebrated navigator, took possession of the eastern coast, to which he gave the name of New South Wales, in 1770.

4. In 1788, a number of convicts were sent to form a settlement in New South Wales, at a place called Botany Bay. This colony has flourished greatly, and is now in a very prosperous condition.

5. In 1829, a settlement was made on the western coast, called Swan River; and more recently another at Port Lincoln, called South Australia. The European population of all these settlements is about eighty thousand.

6. So many criminals were sent from England, that in 1804 a colony was founded on Van Diemen's Land, an island, two hundred miles long and one hundred and fifty broad, lying to the south of New Holland. This island is very fertile, and now contains several handsome towns, and carries on an extensive trade. Its population is near thirty thousand.

7. The other islands of this division, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, &c. are inhabited by people resembling the New Hollanders, and have not yet been settled by Europeans.

8. The islands of New Zealand, however, lying to the south-east of New South Wales, are inhabited by an active clever race, who carry on some trade with the British colonies, and have many English traders and some missionaries settled among them, who have introduced some degree of civilization.

QUESTIONS. 1. What is called Australasia ?-2. What is the size of New Holland? What of the natives?-3. By whom and when was New Holland discovered? When was it visited by Captain Cook?- -4. What of the colonies of New Holland? When was New South Wales settled? What was the first settlement called? What were the first colonists?-5. Swan River? South Australia? 6. Where is Van Diemen's Land? Its population?7. The other islands ?-8. New Zealand?

CHAPTER CLXX. OCEANIA continued.-Polynesia.

1. THE third division of Oceania is called Polynesia. It consists of many groups of small islands, which are scattered over a large extent of the Pacific Ocean; the principal of them are the Sandwich, the Society, and the Friendly Islands, and the Marquesas.

2. The Sandwich Islands are among the most important in Polynesia. They consist of ten islands, of which Owhyhee, or Hawaii, is the largest. These islands were discovered by Captain Cook, in 1778.