DUTCH POSSESSIONS. 2%(J 



ful occasions/' whether natives or Europeans; to 

 break up the strong-holds of piracy, and eradicate 

 the disposition to it, by rendering its practice unsafe 

 or impossible. Having done that, we may safely 

 trust to the gradual, though slow, operation of 

 commerce, or to individual enterprise and philan- 

 thropy for the enlightenment and civilization of the 

 nations of the islands, and look forward to an ulti- 

 mate reward in the markets that will be opened for 

 our trade and manufactures. 



The people are naturally of a commercial turn, 

 capable of considerable advancement in the arts of 

 agriculture, or the collection of produce of all kinds, 

 and the surest way of encouraging the cultivation 

 of the interior of the islands would be to afford the 

 utmost facility for the exportation of their produc- 

 tions. 



There is one obstacle in the way, it may be said, 

 namely, the Dutch and their possessions. But why 

 should our old allies, and very good friends at home, 

 be our natural enemies in the East ? It is true, I 

 believe, that they are very jealous of us, and per- 

 haps rather bitter against us there ; and it is also 

 true, that from a feeling of mutual jealousy, we have 

 hampered each other with a treaty of non-interfe- 

 rence, and thus tied up each other's hands. Is it 

 necessary that this should always be so ? Surely, 

 we can persuade them to join with us in measures 

 that would be for our mutual advantage. Let the 

 Hollanders adhere to their exclusive system if they 



