Upon the conquest of the island by the British in 1811, the condition of this class of its subjects excited the attention of government; and though we could not, consistently with those rights of property which were admitted by the laws that we professed to administer, emancipate them at once from servitude, we enacted regulations, as far as we were authorized, to ameliorate their present lot, and lead to their ultimate freedom. Steps were immediately taken to check further importation, and as soon as it was known that the horrid traffic in slaves was declared a felony by the British parliament, it was not permitted for an instant to disgrace a region to which the British authority extended. The folly and perfect uselessness of slavery on Java has been often pointed out by Dutch commissioners and Dutch authors[42].
Having thus attempted a brief description of the different classes of the Asiatic population of the island, I shall proceed to a short detail of the habitations, dress, food, and domestic economy of the natives; but, in order to enable the reader to understand some of the terms in the tables, and likewise in the subsequent observations, it may not be improper simply to state the names and titles expressive of the different gradations of rank, leaving a more particular account of the power and authority with which they are connected to another opportunity. The sovereign, who is either called _Susuhúnan_, _Susúnan_, or _Sultan_, is the fountain of honour and the source of all distinction. His family are called _Pang'érans_, his queen _Rátu_, the heir apparent _Pangéran adipáti_, and the prime minister _Ráden adipáti_. Governors of provinces, called by the Dutch _Regents_, are styled by the natives _Bopátis_, _Tumúngungs_, or _Ang'abéis_; and are ranked among the chief nobility of the country. All the inferior chiefs, including those termed _Rádens_, _Mántris_, _Demángs_, _Lúras_, and others, except the heads of villages, termed _Kúwus_, _Búkuls_, _Patíng'gis_, &c., who are elected by the common people out of their own number for the performance of specific duties, may be considered as _petite noblesse_.