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Malays of Ceylon, 
deed, to have imbibed such a rooted aversion for the English, 
that there was at first little appearance of their ever becoming 
our friends. This hatred had been inspired by the ungenerous 
policy of the Dutch, who endeavoured to secure their colonies 
by cherishing among the natives an implacable detestation of the 
other European nations, and in particular by representing the 
English as a nation of cruel and inhuman tyrants, who carried 
destruction and oppression wherever they came. These base 
and unjustifiable arts were not however always confined to mere 
misrepresentation; but the massacn'e of foreigners was at times 
had recourse to as a measure of precaution. The infamous af- 
fair at Amboyna has through the whole world circulated the 
eternal disgrace of the Dutch name. There is another instance 
of their abominable policy which is less known in Europe, but 
has excited general indignation in the eastern world. In the year 
1798, captain Packenham of the Resistance happening to be 
with his ship at Timar, one of the spice islands which we have 
lately conquered, he was invited, along with his officers, by the 
Dutch governor to an entertainment. Some circumstances pre- 
vented the captain from accepting the invitation: his officers 
however /went, and found with astonishment and horror, that 
the Dutch had made liospitality a pretext to obtain an oppor- 
tunity of assassinating them. They were set upon without the 
least warning, and the first lieutenant and one or two more in- 
famously murdered with some Sepoys who attempted to defend 
their officers. The surgeon, however, who was a very strong 
man, with the assistance of a couple of Sepoys fought his way 
to the beach, and made good his retreat to the ship. Upon 
the surgeon’s representing this barbarous conduct of the Dutch, 
captain Packenham instantly gave orders to fire upon the town. 
