State Library of NSW
[Page 490]
386. Some account of the Isles near Savu
near so good & therefore now intirely neglected The inhabitants of each of these different Islands speak different languages & the cheif Policy of the duch is to prevent them from learning each others language as by this means they keep each to their respective Island preventing them from entering into trafick with each other or learning from mutual intercourse to plant such things as would be of greater value to themselves than their present produce tho at the same time less beneficial to the Duch East Indian Company & at the same time secure to themselves alone the benefit of supplying all their necessities at their own rates no dout not very moderate this may possibly sufficiently account for the expence they must have been at in printing Prayer books catechises &c. at their expence & teaching them to each Island in their its own language rather than in duch which in all probability they might have as easily done but at the risque of Dutch becoming the common language of these Islands & consequently the natives by its means gaining an intercourse with each other
This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.