EAST INDIA ISLANDS.

Comprise two groups of islands, viz. the Isles of Sunda and the Philippine Islands.

Borneo is the largest of these islands. It has an unhealthy climate, and a fertile soil. The Ourang Outang, the largest of the monkey species, is common in this island.

Sumatra is a mountainous and wild country. Its forests abound with the elephant, rhinoceros, bear, and wild boar. Bencoolen, the only European settlement, belongs to England.

Java has many volcanic mountains, an unhealthy climate, and fertile soil. Batavia is the chief town, and was founded by the Dutch.

Celebes and Gilolo, together with many of the neighboring smaller isles, are called the Moluccas or Spice islands. All these islands, from their broken and rocky appearance, seem to have been formed by volcanic agency. Earthquakes are frequent. These islands belong to the Dutch.

The Philippine Islands are very numerous, and abound in marshes, and are frequently visited by earthquakes. Luzon is the largest of them, and Manilla is the principal town.

The East India Islands produce in abundance rice, cotton, pepper, camphor, coffee, sugar, nutmegs, cloves, sago, sandal wood, and diamonds.

AUSTRALASIA.

Embraces many large islands, lying in the south Pacific Ocean.

New Holland is the largest island in the world, having a greater extent of surface than the United States. It is at present but little known. Its native inhabitants are said to approach nearer to the brute creation than any other savages.

Van Dieman’s Land is a fertile island, belonging to the British. Of New Guinea little is known.

New Britain and New Ireland have a fertile soil, and produce abundance of nutmegs. The inhabitants resemble those of New Holland in their characters. They are exceedingly warlike.

POLYNESIA.

This name is given to those islands lying in the Pacific ocean between Asia, the West India and Australasian islands on the one side, and America on the other. In this division Owhyhee, one of the Sandwich islands, is the largest. The inhabitants of the Sandwich, Ladrone and Navigator’s islands, are notorious thieves. Those of the Friendly, the Society, the Pelew islands, are hospitable and kind. Otaheite is the largest of the Society islands, and has a missionary establishment, as has also, Owhyhee. Many of the people have embraced Christianity.

The climate and soil of these islands are peculiarly adapted to the production of numerous fruits and necessaries of life. The productions are bread fruit, sugar, cocoa-nuts, oranges, limes, sandal wood, plantain, yams, and sweet potatoes.