NATIVES EXTERMINATED BY THE DUTCH. £17 



olized tlie trade of these islands, and appear to have 

 generally kept on good terms with the natives, but in 

 1009 the Dutch ap|)eared with seven hundred troops, 

 as large a force — Mr. Crawfurd pointedly remarks 

 — as Cortez had with which to subjugate all Mexico. 

 The admiral commanding this expedition, and forty- 

 five of his companions, were taken by an ambuscade, 

 and all slain. The Dutch then began a war of exter- 

 mination, which lasted eighteen years, and was only 

 brought to an end by a large expedition from Java, 

 conducted by the governor-general in person. Dur- 

 ing this long contest the natives are said to have 

 lost three thousand killed and a thousand prisoners, 

 or more than a fourth part of what has been stated 

 as theii* whole number when the Dutch arrived. 

 All who were left alive fled to the neio-hborino; 

 islands, and not a vestige of their language or pecu- 

 liar customs is kno\vn to exist at the present time. 



The Dutch were thus left sole possessors of the 

 coveted prize, but there were no natives to cultivate 

 the nutmeg-trees, and they were therefore obliged to 

 import slaves to do their labor. When slavery was 

 abolished in the Dutch possessions, convicts were 

 sent from Java to make up the deficiency, and at this 

 time there are aljout three thousand of them in all 

 these islands. Most of them are in Lontar and 

 Neira. They are a most villanous-looking set, and 

 liave nearly all been guilty of the l>loodiest crimes. 

 They are obliged to wear around the neck a large iron 

 ring, weighing a pound or a pound and a lialf It is 

 bent round, and then welded, so that it can only be 

 taken off by means of a file. It is not so heavy that 



