SEPT. 1770 ISLANDS NEAR SAVU 361 



islands, preventing them from entering into traffic with each 

 other, or learning from mutual intercourse to plant such 

 things as would be of greater value to themselves than their 

 present produce, though less beneficial to the Dutch East 

 India Company. The Dutch at the same time secure to 

 themselves the benefit of supplying all their necessities at 

 their own rates, no doubt not very moderate. This may 

 possibly sufficiently account for the expense they must have 

 been at in printing prayer-books, catechisms, etc., and teach- 

 ing them to each island in its own language rather than in 

 Dutch, which in all probability they might have as easily 

 done, but at the risk of Dutch becoming the common 

 language of the islands, and consequently of the natives by 

 its means gaining an intercourse with each other. 



