When Java and its dependencies were restored to Dutch dominion after the peace of 1814, their East India Company had ceased to exist; the Government, however, continued to monopolize the traffic with the Moluccas. The Chinese merchants of Java and Macassar had, by this time, embarked largely in the trade with the Arru and Serwatty Islands; several brigs and large prahus, manned with Javanese, but having Chinese supercargoes, annually resorting to them from Sourabaya, and the other commercial ports to the westward. Christianity, the seeds of which had been sown by the Dutch during their occupation of the islands, also began to spread among the inhabitants, and the native Amboynese teachers, who established themselves in some of the chief villages, were encouraged rather than molested by the Bughis and Chinese traders, these perceiving that their interests would be promoted by any advance the natives might make in civilization. The Bughis, unlike the Malayan and Ceramese Mohammedans, care little about making proselytes; neither do the Chinese feel much inclination to obtain converts to their half atheistical creed, which they themselves seem disposed to ridicule. The founding of Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles, in the year 1819, forms an important era in the history of the Indian Archipelago. The liberality of the institutions adopted there gave an impulse to commerce and civilization throughout the Eastern Seas, and even the most distant and barbarous tribes have not been excluded from participation in the general improvement. Among the first to avail themselves of this new state of affairs, were the enterprising Bughis tribes of Celebes, who flocked to Singapore by thousands, delighted at the favourable opportunity offered them for disposing of their produce to Europeans and Chinese merchants, without being subjected to extortionate imposts, or the annoyances of custom-house officers, which had hitherto checked their enterprize. The islands in the eastern part of the Archipelago were, however, too distant from this emporium for the natives to partake of the benefits it offered, in an equal degree with those of the countries more adjacent. The greater portion of the produce afforded by the Arru and neighbouring islands, was collected and brought by the Bughis to Celebes, where it was re-shipped for Singapore; at least twelve months being required to send the goods to market and receive the returns.