1846 .] 
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 
523 
America will pay any regard to the preposterous claims of Holland in this respect. 
They treat the natives very cruelly and unjustly, and their policy is of the most 
narrow and exclusive character. No Europeans but Dutchmen can get a footing 
where they are strong, as they are immediately ordered off. They have likewise 
nearly destroyed the effect of their treaty of 1824 with England, by making coun¬ 
tervailing laws of protection for shipping and manufactures entirely contrary to 
every fair principle in the construction of treaties. They have now the effrontery 
to complain of the English forming settlements in Borneo, in parts where a Dutch¬ 
man has never set his foot, and is even afraid to do so, as he knows with what 
strong hatred he is viewed by the Malays. 
The Chinese, in all the islands claimed by Holland and Spain, carry on a large 
and lucrative commerce in their junks, with their fellow countrymen settled in 
these countries; as also witli the English settlements in the Straits of Malacca, 
where the number of Chinese emigrants is said to amount to five or six hundred 
thousand. In the great islands above mentioned large numbers of Chinese agri¬ 
culturists and artisans emigrate every year, particularly to Java, Borneo, and Su¬ 
matra. They are an industrious and plodding race of creatures, very patient, but 
also very proud, and the most arrant cowards in the world. John Bull, to his 
credit, be it spoken, treats them with great kindness and justice, and throughout the 
East every man, from the Governor down to the lowest Hindoo, is the same in the 
eyes of the law, and has as fair a chance of getting justice, if he will have the 
patience to hang out against the delays of the law. It cannot but be confessed 
that throughout India, England shows the strongest desire to govern in the spirit 
of humanity and freedom; though she does it in a different way to what would ap¬ 
pear at first sight to be the best. There is, however—and it ought to be known to 
Americans that the best class of Englishmen in India admit that there is—much 
room for reform, retrenchment, and close watching of officials and the Government. 
The liberal party in England and India ought to insist on a retrenchment of the 
expenses of the Government and a curtailment of the company’s power, cautiously 
introduced. It will not do to carry on reforms with too high a hand in India, as 
the people are with difficulty induced to forsake old ways, however injurious. It 
may be said with truth also, that the British Government is beloved by the great 
bulk of the population of Hindostan, and they have only to confirm this conviction 
by the general introduction of the English language and English literature. One 
hundred thousand white men cannot always govern a hundred and fifty millions, 
even of ignorant heathen. Education should be extended to the lowest of the 
population, which will raise them from their present degraded and disgusting super¬ 
stitions to the level of intelligent beings. 
The English colonies in New Holland are just now said to be in a prosperous 
state, and the commerce increasing rapidly. The resources of the country are be¬ 
coming every day more developed, and their only drawback is the want of capital 
and of good steady emigrants. They have lately discovered valuable deposites of 
copper, iron, and lead in the colony of South Australia, near the seacoast, with 
every facility for shipping. Several ship loads of copper ore have been shipped 
since August, 1845, to England. Their whale fishery is also extending, as is like¬ 
wise the raising of sheep and cattle. The exports of wool have much increased 
since the rise in price. I could not help but notice, in reading some of their papers 
lately, a spirit of independence, keen discussion, and great energy and elasticity of 
mind. They also are quarrelling and wrangling (and particularly in Van Dieman’s 
land) with our common father, John, on account of the very expensive nature of 
his disposition and the obstinacy of his character. John will have to give in in 
the end, and reduce the extravagant salaries of some of his sons, and their fondness 
for high living and dissipation. The Kangaroos won’t stand it, as they are of An¬ 
glo-Saxon blood, and the children of a hot sun. 
I have often been surprised that our citizens have never extended their travels to 
oriental regions, particularly some of our Southern people, as there are objects 
highly interesting to be seen. If some of the Southern agricultural societies were 
to raise a fund to pay the expenses of two gentlemen, practical agriculturists, they 
would derive the most valuable and interesting information concerning many arti¬ 
cles which might be introduced with great profit into our country. They might be 
sure of being made heartily welcome wherever the English are located, only they 
would have to be careful, as they ought to be, not to offend John’s prejudices, and 
