I. 
416 TRAVELS IN 
effed of making fudden and violent changes, even where abufes 
are meant to be reformed, and a certani benefit procured for 
thofe who have long been fufFering under thera. Gradual altera- 
tions are ufually the moft acceptable, and, in the end, moft ef- 
fedual. 
1 2. Jntereft of the capital lent out through the loan or Lom- 
bard bank arifes from a fum of paper money iflfued by the Dutch 
Government as a loan to individuals, on mortgage of their 
lands and houks, with the additional fecurity of two fuffiqient 
bondfmen. The fum thus lent out is about 660,000 rix dollars. 
The intereft is 5 per cent., which is one per cent., lefs than the 
legal intereft of the colony. Government receives a clear profit 
of 4 per cent , and the bank one per cent, for its trouble. The 
rule is never to lend a greater fum than half the value upon 
eftates in town, nor more than two-thirds on eftates in the 
country. The term for which the loan was made was not to 
exceed two years, and it refted with the diredors to prolong the 
loan, or to call it in, at the expiration of that time. 
The eftabli(hment of this bank, by the Dutch Eaft India Com- 
pany, was one of the many fymptoms, that of late years had 
appeared, of the declining condition of their commercial credit, 
and of their political influence in their Indian polTeffions. Driven 
to the necefTity of raifing revenues, by dired or indired means, 
to defray the contingent expenccs of the year and to keep to- 
gether their numerous eftablilhments, and of maintaining their 
cxiftence by temporary expedients, their finances were reduced 
at length to fuch a ftate, that their capital was employed to pay 
3 the 
