The Grand Armada

           ThelongandnarrowpeninsulaofMalacca,extendingsouth-eastwardfromtheterritoriesofBirmah,formsthemostsoutherlypointofallAsia.InacontinuouslinefromthatpeninsulastretchthelongislandsofSumatra,Java,Bally,andTimor;which,withmanyothers,formavastmole,orrampart,lengthwiseconnectingAsiawithAustralia,anddividingthelongunbrokenIndianoceanfromthethicklystuddedorientalarchipelagoes.Thisrampartispiercedbyseveralsally-portsfortheconvenienceofshipsandwhales;conspicuousamongwhicharethestraitsofSundaandMalacca.BythestraitsofSunda,chiefly,vesselsboundtoChinafromthewest,emergeintotheChinaseas.

           ThosenarrowstraitsofSundadivideSumatrafromJava;andstandingmidwayinthatvastrampartofislands,buttressedbythatboldgreenpromontory,knowntoseamenasJavaHead;theynotalittlecorrespondtothecentralgatewayopeningintosomevastwalledempire:andconsideringtheinexhaustiblewealthofspices,andsilks,andjewels,andgold,andivory,withwhichthethousandislandsofthatorientalseaareenriched,itseemsasignificantprovisionofnature,thatsuchtreasures,bytheveryformationoftheland,shouldatleastbeartheappearance,howeverineffectual,ofbeingguardedfromtheall-graspingwesternworld.TheshoresoftheStraitsofSundaareunsuppliedwiththosedomineeringfortresseswhichguardtheentrancestotheMediterranean,theBaltic,andthePropontis.

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