, and the survivors were sent in
a small vessel to Europe.

Rotte was in much the same situation as Savu; a Dutch factor resided
upon it to manage the natives, and look after its produce, which
consists, among other articles, of sugar. Formerly it was made only by
bruising the canes, and boiling the juice to a syrup, in the same manner
as toddy; but great improvements have lately been made in preparing this
valuable commodity. The three little islands called the Solars were also
under the influence of the Dutch settlement at Concordia: They are flat
and low, but abound with provisions of every kind, and the middlemost
is said to have a good harbour for shipping. Ende, another little
island to the westward of the Solars, was still in the hands of the
Portuguese, who had a good town and harbour on the north-east corner of
it called Larntuca: They had formerly an harbour on the south side of
it, but that, being much inferior to Larntuca, had for some time been
altogether neglected.

The inhabitants of each of these little islands speak a language
peculiar to themselves, and it is an object of Dutch policy to prevent,
as much as possible, their learning the language of each other. If they
spoke a common language, they would learn, by a mutual intercourse with
each other, to plant such things as would be of more value to themselves
than their present produce, though of less advantage to the Dutch; but
their languages being different, they can communicate no such knowledge
to each other, and the Dutch secure to themselves the benefit of
supplying their several necessities upon their own terms, which it is
reasonable to suppose are not very moderate. It is probably with a view
to this advantage that the Dutch never teach their own language to the
natives of these islands, and have been at the expence of translating
the Testament and catechisms into the different languages of each; for
in proportion as Dutch had become the language of their religion, it
would have become the common language of them all.[111]

[Footnote 111: The Dutch in all their transactions abroad seem to have
invariably minded the _main chance, the one thing needful_; and to this
consideration, as a fundamental principle in their character, they never
scrupled to sacrifice every and any matter of religion, policy or
humanity,--as if the love of money was (to reverse the language of an
apostle) the root of all virtue, and alone worthy of cultivation in the