s were sent to general Yorke,
the English ambassador at the Hague, to demand an explanation. He
accordingly presented a memorial to the states-general, signifying that
their high mightinesses must doubtless be greatly astonished to hear, by
the public papers, of the irregularities committed by their subjects in
the East Indies; but that they would be much more amazed on perusing the
piece annexed to his memorial, containing a minute account, specified
with the strictest regard to truth, of the irregular conduct observed
by the Dutch towards the British subjects in the river Bengal, at a time
when the factors and traders of Holland enjoyed all the sweets of peace
and all the advantages of unmolested commerce: at a time when his
Britannic majesty, from his great regard to their high mightinesses,
carefully avoided giving the least umbrage to the subjects of the United
Provinces. He observed that the king his sovereign was deeply affected
by these outrageous doings and mischievous designs of the Dutch in the
East Indies, whose aim was to destroy the British settlements in that
country; an aim that would have been accomplished, had not the king's
victorious arms brought them to reason, and obliged them to sue for an
accommodation. He told them his majesty would willingly believe their
high mightinesses had given no order for proceeding to such extremities,
and that the directors of their India company had no share in the
transaction: nevertheless, he (the ambassador) was ordered to demand
signal satisfaction, in the name of the king his master; that all who
should be found to have shared in the offence, so manifestly tending to
the destruction of the English settlements in that country, should be
exemplarily punished; and that their high mightinesses should confirm
the stipulations agreed upon immediately after the action by the
directors of the respective companies, in consideration of which
agreement the Dutch ships were restored, after their commanders
acknowledged their fault, in owning themselves the aggressors. To this
remonstrance the states-general replied, that nothing of what was laid
to the charge of their subjects had yet reached their knowledge: but
they requested his Britannic majesty to suspend his judgment until he
should be made perfectly acquainted with the grounds of those disputes;
and they promised he should have reason to be satisfied with the
exemplary punishment that would be inflicted upon all who sho