*2 GENERAL VIEW OF 



at a low expence of inland carriage to the pur- 

 chafers ; and receive back by the fame eafy convey- 

 ance, the raw materials of both hemifpheres, Thefe 

 are advantages of the mod efTential importance to a 

 commercial country, and which no continent, or 

 widely extended mafs of land, can obtain fo com- 

 pletely. 



Thefe kingdoms are alfo happily placed between 

 the two great divifions of the globe > having Europe, 

 Africa, and Afia, and the valuable Oriental iflands, 

 on one fide ; North and South America, with the 

 Weft Indies, on the other. By this mod favourable 

 pofition, in the centre of the world*, they carry on 

 an expeditious intercourfe with commercial nations ; 

 their fhips are continually fleering through the ocean 

 i'n every direction, and the whole earth is their 

 market. Thus hath nature towards this ifland been 

 lavifh in favours, which furrounding nations may 

 admire, but cannot attain. She hath pointed out, 

 beyond a pOiTibility of mifconception, that the part 

 affigned to Britain on the great theatre of the world ? 

 is an invariable attention to arts, commerce, fifh- 

 eries and navigation. 



Nature is, however, fo cliverfified, that though, 

 in fundry refpects, Britain qjpjoys a decided fuperio- 

 rity amongft nations, yet this pleafing reflection re- 

 ceives a check in the review of our comparative fitu- 

 a,tion with France, the only European (late that hath 

 any pretenfions to rivalihip, or from which danger is 

 to be apprehended. 



* The antients confiderect Britain as placed at the weftern extre? 

 mity of the world; but, on the diieovery of America, our ifland was 

 found to lie between the two continents, and equally adapted for 

 the commerce of the one, and the other. Its fituation, alfo, facing 

 the entrance of the Baltic fea, affords it a fliort and eaiy com- 

 munication with Norway, Denmark, Sweden^ Germany, Poland, 

 and the great empire of Rullia ; countries that furnifh the mate- 

 rials of thofe mighty fleets which are Britain's glory and defence. 



France,' 



