On the Natural Boundaries of Empires. 103 
To others, — of forming a boundary, it presents a temp- 
tation to con 
The Gsecility. with which naval empires are founded is a 
most striking phenomenon, and is equalled _ by the rapid- 
ity with which they are overturned. The example of the 
Portuguese may be noticed. They first visited India as 
merchants, then invaded it as conquerors, and the terror of 
their arms were spread from Mozambique to the Ganges. 
Nothing appeared to stop their career. 
Their armies were so brave, their cities so strong, a 
their allies appeared so faithful, that the Portuguese a ee 
men considered their Indian empire, as placed on the firm- 
est foundation. 
The appearance of the fleets of the Hollanders in the = 
dian ocean, soon changed the face of affairs, they w 
joined by the natives, who were glad to escape from eg 
and the Portuguese empire crumbled in the dust. 
England owes her immense power to the facility of trans- 
porting her force on the an; with a moveable army of 
ten thousand soldiers, she rte acquired dominion over eighty 
millions of people, and it requires only rea: thousand dis- 
ciplined troops to keep them in subjection 
MOUNTAINS 
Are on several accounts, good boundaries between nations. 
Numerous bodies of troops, can not without a great ex- 
nse, be supported upon their summits; so th tions, 
to whom they serve as San. are content with placing a 
few centinels on the frontiers. 
mountains were always boundaries, wars would be less 
frequent ; ve difficulty of marching to combat would often 
cause even ambitious mer to pause. 
Thus ee armies = France have not so often crossed the 
Pyrenees and Alps in search of conquests, as they have in- 
vaded the valley a the Rhine and Netherlands. 
The Andes form a natural barrier to the States on the 
western coast of South America, and one of the most dis- 
astrous military expeditions, perhaps ever recorded, was 
t under Gonzalo Pizarro, in which this circumstance was 
disregar ded. 
