296 
Some Account of the Keeling Islands ; 
[Oct, 
they might serve. But Mr. Hare is said rather to oppose himself to any thing of 
this kind, and to be desirous of retaining his full power over his former slaves, though 
nominally manumitted. He would prevent their acquiring any property of their 
own, or even their labouring for their own support. He considers the produce of 
their labour to belong to him, they being entitled to a bare subsistence at his 
hands. They are said to be even prohibited from taking any of the lish which 
are in abundance amongst the islands over which they are distributed ! Being 
employed under overseers in preparing the cocoanut oil and coir, which these 
islands yield in abundance, and which, in Mr. Hare’s opinion, constitute their only 
claim on our attention; they are entirely dependent on his stores of grain (which 
are regularly imported from Java,) for support. These are kept at West Island, 
where Mr. Hare himself resides, aud where he has built a sort of stockade for his 
defence, besides keeping the children of these people as hostages for their good 
behaviour. Their supply of rice is sent every ten days to them from his granary; 
so that they are completely dependent on him for their food, and as that is 
withheld, must starve. Such a sate of things is to be regretted in the case of 
islands, which, if properly settled, in the first instance, would rapidly rise into 
notice, and become a place of resort to ships in whose path they' lie. 
The diiferent views with which these two settlers have singularly enough chosen 
for their abode so remote, and till now neglected a spot, has occasioned the develope- 
ment of a less cordial spirit than might be desired, between two Englishmen who 
have cast their lot so far away from the active sympathy and assistance of their 
countrymen. r lhe diversity of their views has had the further effect of influencing 
their conduct with regard to the question of the sovereignty of these islands. Mr. 
Koss. whose plans were connected with the facilitating our commercial proceedings, 
and who is in every respect an Englishman, looked, of course, to England for protec- 
tion, and, in taking possession, naturally enough, hoisted the English flag. He soon 
afterwards addressed a representation to the governor of the Mauritius, pointing 
out how useful these islands might become to our commerce, and solicited their being 
taken formally under his protection, and the islands annexed to the Mauritius as 
a dependence. This step did not, however, appear to be an advisable one to the 
authorities at that island, and he was left, in consequence, a little longer to his 
own resources. He has since that addressed a similar petition to the King in 
Council, hut what has been the success of this latter is not yet known. Mr. Hare 
again, though an English subject, aud consequently incompetent to transfer his al- 
legiance ; having no designs that should particularly give him a claim to the support 
of Englishmen, but having extensive estates in Java, access to which he 'was denied 
by the Java government ; has been, perhaps, as naturally, led into a coquettish sort 
of correspondence with that government, in which, however, he has been careful 
to avoid asking them directly to take these islands under their protection, not- 
withstanding the evident wishes of the latter that he should adopt such a course. 
The natural consequence, however, of Mr. Hare’s proceedings at length appeared, 
in the arrival, in October, 1829, of a Dutch commissioner from Batavia, to enquire 
into all the particulars of the settlement of the islands, and to collect all the infor- 
mation which the Netherlands government might require towards judging of the 
question to whom these islands by right belonged. Some ill defined expressions 
in the treaty of 1824, by which Java and the Eastern Settlements had been ceded to 
that government, appeared to give some color to the claim, which the authorities 
at Batavia were evidently now desirous of setting up ; and as the English govern- 
ment lias bee u always slow to acknowledge the importance of such settlements, they 
thought a little well-timed bustle might, before the matter was well understood, set- 
tle the point in their favour. Fortunately, however, for Mr. Ross, and those whom 
liis exertions are likely to benefit, means have been taken to put the government iu 
England in possession ot the real state of the case ; so that it is to be hoped these 
islands, which being without the limits of the Company’s charter, can never justly 
be claimed by the Dutch, may continue in the possesion of the spirited individual 
who has had the merit of first bringing their value to the notice of the public. Being 
without the limits ot the treaty, every circumstance in their history stamps them 
English. Discovered by, and named after an English navigator; they have beenpos- 
sessed and settled by English subjects; and this, whether we consider Mr. Hare or 
Mr. Ross the first settler. The British flag is the only one that has ever waved 
t 'oie. How then can any other nation set up a claim to their possession ? 
n the 28th October, 1829, arrived the Blora transport, Captain Batten, having 
on oaid Mynheer Van der Jaht, the Batavian commissioner. His orders were, 
as he alter wards explained them to Mr. Ross, to enquire into the particulars of 
