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^90 COMMERCE WITH of the Archipelago at all, and almost certain that he could not have meant the Malayan Peninsula. The first direct mention made of any portion of the Archipelago is by the geographer Ptolemy, about the middle of the second century. Two names are distinctly mentioned in his map, which are unequivocally native, viz., MalayUy and Jaba, Java, or Jaioa, which are all synonimous. The word Malayu has appended to it the term koloUy and Jawa diuy or dib. Malayu and Jaisoay it is al- ready sufficiently known, are the names of the two great countries, or rather the two great tribes of the west. I shall presume to make a few observa- tions on each, endeavouring to illustrate the sub- ject by an application of the more accurate know- ledge of those countries, and their inhabitants, which has been acquired of late years. I think that the great geographer, or rather those from whom he had his information, must have had the notices in question directly from Hindus, and these again from the people of Java particular- ly. The word kolon is without any alteration Javanese, and means ** the west,'* and the com- pound word Malayu-kolon, exactly in the or- der in which it stands, Malays of the west. The Javanese must, therefore, the inference is, in all probability, have furnished the information in ques- tion, and the term west has probably reference to the geographical position of some one tribe of Ma-