A. D. 1746. 253 



■" ney into court ; and the plaintiff not accepting it with cofls, to be 

 • taxed, in full diicharge •, and fhall afterwards proceed to trial in fuch 

 ' adion, and the jury fliall not alTefs greater damages to pay cofls than 

 ' the money fo brought into court ; fuch pklintiff, in every fuch cafe, 

 ' fliall pay to fuch defendant, in every fuch adion, cofls to be taxed.' 

 [19 Geo. II, c. 37.] 



In confequence of an ad; of parliament of the preceding year 1745, 

 for granting a reward of L20,ooo to the difcoverers of a north-weft paf- 

 fage through Hudfon's bay to the feas of Japan and China, as already 

 related, a fubfcription for Li 0,000 was now fet on foot, divided into 

 100 fliares of Lioo each, for fitting out two fhips in fearch of that paf- 

 fage. Thofe fliips wintered at Port-Nelfon in Hudfon's bay, and in the 

 year following (1747) they made feveral attempts for a jiaffage weft- 

 ward, but were obliged to return home the fame year, quite difhearten- 

 ed and unfuccefsful ; as has alfo been another attempt fince made from 

 Philadelphia. Yet as this fuppofed paffiige was brought under the con- 

 fideration of parliament in the year 1749, we fhall fufpend any farther 

 obfervations thereon till we come to that year. 



The following fuccind furvey is taken from voyages, and other mo- 

 dern accounts, publiflied about this time, being a catalogue of all the 

 forts, fettlements, and fadories, of the feveral European nations trading 

 to, and in the way to, Eaft-India, from the ifle of St. Helena quite to 

 Japan ; and which may give the reader a good general idea of Europe's 

 correfpondence with Eaft-India, viz. 



Pofleffed by Great Britain, 



The ifle of St. Helena, fituated in the i6ih degree of fouth latitude, 

 about 1 200 miles weft of the African coaft, and 1 800 miles eaft of South- 

 America, being almoft an entire rock, with a thin covering of vegeta- 

 tive earth, about 20 miles in circumference, with only one paflage up 

 to it, well fortified. It contains about 200 families, who have fufficient 

 ]iroduce to fupply our Eaft-India fliips in their way from India, (and 

 ihole of other nations we are in peace with) with frefli provifions, fruits, 

 and vegetables : but it is difficult for fhips going to India to find it, be- 

 caufe of the winds. 



Balfora, or Baflora, at the upper end of the Perfian gulf, at the con- 

 fluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here is a Britifli, and alfo a 

 Dutch, fadory. Hither come many fliips from feveral nations of Eu- 

 rope and Afia, it being a place of great commerce. This place is alfo- 

 commodious to the Englilh and Dutch for conveying their letters 

 home over land by way of Aleppo. 



Gomroon, alfo in the Perllan gulf, has both an Englifli and Dutch 

 fadory, and iubordinatc inland ones at Ifpahan ; there being a confi- 

 derable trade carried on betwixt this place and India. 



To Mocha in Arabia, near the mouth of the Red fea, the Britifli and. 



