ABSTRACT
The Indian Archipelago, at the moment of the discovery of both, may be advantageously compared even with the New World itself, to which, in fact, it’s moral and physical state bore a closer resemblance than any other portion of the globe. The Indian Archipelago, whether from number or extent of particular islands, is by far the greatest group of islands on the globe. The whole Archipelago is arranged into groups and chains of islands, with and there a great island intervening. Five portions of the ocean which encompass or intersect the different islands of the Archipelago are of considerable extent, and tolerably free from islands. The approaches into the Archipelago from this quarter are numerous and narrow, proportionate to the number of islands, and their vicinity to each other. The eastern boundary of the Archipelago is more extensive, broken, and irregular, than any of the rest.
