THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
163 
tlieir conduct on other occasions, it was strongly suspected 
that they had instigated the Malays to perpetrate this savage 
act. 
By such arts as I have described, the Dutch succeeded in 
inspiring the Malays with the most rooted aversion to our 
countrymen ; and there was no piece of atrocity which they 
were not ready to commit on our troops. Several of the 
Malays have since told me, that on our taking possession of 
Ceylon, their minds had been exasperated to such a degree 
by misrepresentation, and an assurance of the Dutch that 
the English would give them no quarter, as to determine 
them to do us all the mischief in their power. The cowardly 
and base conduct of the Dutch, however, both in yielding 
without resistance to our troops, and in abandoning the 
Malays who fought their battles to their fate, has completely 
alienated the Malays from their former masters. They now 
look upon the Dutch with contempt, and call to mind their 
former tyrannical behaviour ; while the brave and open con- 
duct of the English has gone far to do away their former 
prejudices against us. After the capture of Columbo, the 
Malays for the first time during our long intercourse with 
India entered into our service. The regiment stationed there 
in the service of the Dutch was brought over to the British, 
and the command given to Captain Whitlie, one of the East 
India Company’s officers. By his assiduous exertions and ju- 
dicious conduct in the management of them during a consider- 
able time, this corps was brought to a very excellent state 
