30 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON, 
rican war, the French and English fleets successively occupied 
their harbours, while the Dutch seemed in resigned apathy 
to await their fate from the fortunes of others. 
These errors, and this misconduct which ended in depriving 
its successive possessors of this valuable island will, it is to 
be hoped, be avoided by our countrymen ; and from my own 
observation, I can confidently state, that if the care of it be 
entrusted to such men as the present Governor, and the officers 
under his command, the advantages to this country must be 
both speedy and secure. 
I now proceed to describe this new acquisition to the British 
empire, avoiding any circumstances of which I either was not 
an eye-witness, or had not authenticated in the most indubi- 
table manner. 
