Japan and the Japanese

THE DUTCH AT DESIMA. 22&
of their conscience, to show any favor to foreigners. Nay, they
pursue this false reasoning still further, and pretend that a friend
of foreigners must of necessity be an enemy to his country, and a
rebel to his sovereign ; for, they say, if the country should hap-
pen to be attacked or invaded by these foreigners, the laws and
ties of friendship would oblige him to stand by them, and, conse-
quently, to become a traitor to his country and sovereign.
" Hence, to overreach a Dutchman ; to ask extravagant prices
of him ;
to cheat and defraud him (so much as they think will not
prove prejudicial to their reputation, which they have a very
tender regard for) ; to lessen the liberties and advantages of the
Dutch ; to propose new projects for making their servitude and
condition still worse, and the like, are looked upon as good, hand-
some, and lawful things in themselves, and unquestionable proofs
of a good patriot.
" If anybody steals anything of the Dutch, and it be found upon
him (which the kuli, or porters, we employ at the time of our sale
are very dexterous at), there is seldom any other punishment
inflicted upon him but restitution of the stolen goods, and a few
lashes from soldiers upon duty at our gate. Sometimes he is ban-
ished from the island for a short time, or, if the crime be very
notorious, from the town, though that is done but seldom. But
the penalty inflicted is upon smugglers no less than an unavoidable
death, either by beheading or the cross, according to the nature of
the crime, and the degree of guilt.
" The lading and unlading of our ships, and other business of
this kind, must not be done by our own people, but by the natives,
who are well paid for their work, whilst our people stand idle, and
have nothing to do but to look at them. But this is not the only
grievance, for they always hire at least twice as many people as
there is occasion for, and, if they work but one hour, we must,
nevertheless, pay them a whole*Way's wages.
" All the people who have anything to do for or with us, though
never so numerous, and mere meddlers, must be maintained by us,
either directly by appointed salaries, or indirectly by the money
which the governors of the town detain from the price of our com-
modities.
" No Dutchman can send a letter out of the country, unless the
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