THE
PREFACE.
THE Peninſula beyond Ganges ſtretching down to Johor, which is the extream Southern Point,and is the moſt Southern did Point of Land in Aſia, is generally called and known by the name of the Malayo Country, and very probably with great Reaſon, it retaining to this day the Malayo Language, as the Mother Tongue, and general Language of the Country.
Whereas in all the Hands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Maccaffer, Balee, Cumbava, Sallayer, Bootoon, Booro, Ceram, the Mollucas, and Innumerable other Ilands, the Malayo Language is received and generally used in all the Trading Ports of thofe lands, only as the Trading Language, moft of thofelflands having a peculiarLanguage of their own: Nay on fome of the greater Ilands, (as particularly on Borneo) there is feveral different Na- tions and Languages, with feveral of which I have converfed. But I muft tell you, that the Malayo Language Spoken in the Iflands, is fome- what different from the true 'alaye Spoken in the Malayo Country, al- tho not fo much, but to be eafily understood by each other. The May fpoken in the Iflands is called Bafa dagang, that is to fay, the Merchants or Trading Language, and is not fo well efteemed as the true Malayo. The Inhabitants of thole Iflands are fuppofed to proceed originally Grom the Malayo Country, as being the neareſt Continent, from which the Iflands proceed in a conftant Progreffion, innumerably difperfed all o- ver thofe Southern and Eastern-Seas to New Guinea, part of Hollandia Nova, and from thence by that wonderful large Iland of Hollandia Nova, which reaches to Forty four Degrees, South Latitude, not far to the Eaft- mard of which Southern Point is other Land, which probably may te part of Terra Auftralis, and likely to reach near to Terra del fuego the moft Southern part of America, as yet known to us, and by this way is not improbable America came to be peopled, as fome have not without great Reafon conjectured. ancifs
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