1770* ROUND THE WORLD. 277 



to the town, but their companions who had been left 

 upon the road were missing, having, as it was sup- 

 posed, been kept among the Indians, either by per- 

 suasion or force ; for they are very desirous of having 

 Europeans among them, to instruct them in the art 

 of war. After a stay of more than two months at 

 Concordia, their number was diminished nearly one 

 half by sickness, in consequence of the fatigue and 

 hardship which they had suffered by the shipwreck, 

 and the survivors were sent in a small vessel to Europe* 

 Rotte is in much the same situation as Savu ; a 

 Dutch factor resides upon it to manage the natives, 

 and look after its produce, which consists, among 

 other articles, of sugar. Formerly it was made only 

 by bruising the canes, and boiling the juice to a 

 syrup, in the same manner as toddy ; but great im- 

 provements have lately been made in preparing this 

 valuable commodity. The three little islands called 

 the Solars are also under the influence of the Dutch 

 settlement at Concordia : they are flat and low, but 

 abound with provisions of every kind, and the middle- 

 most is said to have a good harbour for shipping. 

 Ende, another little island to the westward of the 

 Solars, is still in the hands of the Portuguese, who 

 have a good town and harbour on the north-east 

 corner of it, called Larntuca : they had formerly a 

 harbour on the south side of it, but that being much 

 inferior to Larntuca, has for some time been alto- 

 gether neglected. 



The inhabitants of each of these little islands speak 

 a language peculiar to themselves, and it is an object 

 of Dutch policy to prevent, as much as possible, their 

 learning the language of each other. If they spoke 

 a common language, they would learn, by a mutual 

 intercourse with each other, to plant such things as 

 would be of more value to themselves than their 

 present produce, though of less advantage to the 

 Dutch; but their languages being different, they can 

 communicate no such knowledge to each other, and 



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