During his tour as Lieutenant Governor of Java, nearby Bali predictably attracted Raffles’ wide-ranging interest, but his other duties left him time for only one short visit. It took place in 1815 by accident when his ship, bound for a destination in East Java, was blown off course. His subordinate and intellectual rival, John Crawfurd, had visited a short time before. Both men fascinated by Bali’s Hindu culture, and both published accounts exaggerating similarities with Hinduism in India.