CHAP. xxvi. INDIA AND CHINA. 317 



years, and though large quantities have been 

 transported there in some years, other quantities 

 have been again returned to Europe, not, indeed, 

 of the same species of metal, nor in equal quan- 

 tities. Silver has been conveyed to Asia, and 

 gold has been exported from thence. 



The account in the Appendix, No. 14, shows 

 the value of the imports and exports of gold and 

 silver into the dominions of the East India com- 

 pany and into China both by the company and 

 the Americans. As far as it goes, being drawn 

 from the official sources at the India House, its 

 accuracy may be implicitly relied upon; but there 

 are some omissions which must be supplied from 

 calculation, or rather from conjecture. In the 

 account is not included the treasure which was 

 carried by the Americans to any part of Asia 

 except China. It is well known that in some of 

 the years their trade to the English settlements, 

 to the islands in the eastern Archipelago, and to 

 other parts of India, was extensive. After the 

 peace of 1815 some of the other nations of 

 Europe, the French, Dutch, Danes, and Swedes, 

 formed commercial expeditions to India and 

 China ; and though we have no specific returns, 

 it may be safely assumed, from their supplying 

 few goods which those countries needed, that they 

 must have carried the precious metals with which 

 to purchase their cargoes. 



