e sacrifice was useless. The sudden whim for Radicalism at home,
and revolution abroad, which seized British statesmen in the first
frenzy of the Reform Bill, instead of punishing the revolt of the
Belgians, suffered the dismemberment of the kingdom of the
Netherlands; a measure of the most shortsighted policy, which has now
placed Belgium in the most serious hazard of being absorbed by its
all-swallowing neighbour France, on the first convulsion of the
continent. But, as England has no inclination to disturb her
neighbours, and is never guilty of that last atrocity of nations,
breach of treaties; the great colony is still left in Dutch hands, and
will be left, until some new folly compels its resumption.

Java is a noble island; singularly shaped, for its length is about
four times its average breadth; six hundred miles by about one hundred
and fifty. Its whole extent is fifty thousand square miles, or nearly
the size of England. But its fertility of all kinds is incalculably
superior. From its diversity of climate, it is obviously capable of
raising European as well as tropical productions. Its climate, too, is
healthful, notwithstanding the illfame of Batavia. Even there, the
inhabitants have at length learned to prefer fields to swamps, and
fresh air to the vapour of ditches; for the greater portion have
either gone into the interior, or live in suburbs extending to
considerable distances. In fact, the original fen-loving Hollander has
passed away, and another generation has sprung up, which prefers
health and long life even to dollars and dyspepsia. Yet, what is Java,
to the islands almost within her view? To Sumatra, with her one
hundred and sixty thousand square miles, and Borneo, with her two
hundred and eighty-six thousand--almost a continent; and those vast
territories not wild and barren plains, like the huge spaces of
Australia, nor frozen for one half of the year, like our settlements
in America, but overflowing with the richest vegetable products of the
earth, covered with herds of the buffalo and other cattle, and sheeted
with forests up to the summits of their ranges of mountains. What
their mineral wealth may be, remains for European investigation; but
gold has been found in their rivers, and from the various heights of
their hills, we may fairly suppose them, in some instances at least,
metalliferous.

Yet Java--of the same extent with England, produce almost spontaneous,
without any endemic disease,