THE BRITISH EMPIRE. i 5 



'lumbns, in the fervice of Spain, and have fmcc 

 been fhared, through force or treaty, by France, 

 Great Britain, Denmark, and Holland. Ofthefe 

 ifiands, Great Britain pofiefTes Jamaica, Barbadoes, 

 St. Kitt's, Antigua, St. Vincent's, Dominica, the 

 Grenades, and fome others of inferior importance; 

 from whence we import fugar, rum, cotton, cof- 

 fee, ginger, pepper, gnaiacum, farfaparilla, man- 

 chineel, mahogany, indigo, gums, and other valu- 

 able articles. 



Coaft cf Africa. The fouthern coaft of Africa 

 was difcovered by the Portuguefe in that adventur- 

 ous age which firll carried the Europeans to the 

 American world. Befides fupplying the Weft In- 

 dies with (laves, it produces gold duft, ivory, gums, 

 and other articles, far too valuable to be engrofTed 

 by the Portuguefe alone : confequently, the Eng- 

 lifh, French, and Dutch, have taken a fhare in this 

 commerce alfo. Each nation hath its refpective 

 forts at the entrances of the principal rivers, but 

 the unhealthinefs of the climate prevents the eftab- 

 lifhment of colonies. 



Eajl Indies. The Portuguefe gradually extended 

 their difcoveries along the coall of Africa, till at 

 length they arrived at the moft fouthern promontory 

 of that quarter of the globe, which, in their joy, 

 they called The Cape of Good Hope. 



This difcovery opened, unexpectedly, a new tract 

 to the Eaftern fhores of Africa; to Perfia, Arabia, 

 the Mogul empire, China, Japan, and the numerous 

 Spice Ifiands of the Indian feas. Here the Portu- 

 guefe erected a commercial empire at the expence of 

 the unhappy natives, on whom they pra6hfed all 

 the frauds, violences, and outrage, which their 

 Chriftian brethren of Spain were carrying on, with 

 unrelenting barbarity, in the weftern world. 



The great wealth which the Portuguefe brought 

 into Europe, while they enjoyed the monopoly of 



the 



