276 A, D. 1 6 14. 



affirm, that he then planted and fortified it, but was difpofTefled in the 

 year 1629, by the earl of Carlifle. It is the mother of all our Wefh- 

 India fugar illands, and the chief of the Caribbees ; and it has proved 

 of exceeding great confequence to the kingdom by its excellent produc- 

 tions, as we fliall hereafter have occafion to obferve. 



Lord Napier, a Scottifh nobleman, now invented thofe excellent arti- 

 ficial numbers called logarithms, which are fo ufeful in operations of 

 trigonometry, &c. by performing, in the eafieft manner, by addition, 

 the office of naultiplication, and by fubtradion that of divifion ; where- 

 by they are of great and fpecial utility to mariners at lea, in calcula- 

 tions relating to thei-r courfe, diftance, latitude, longitude, &c. 



The famous market for live-cattle, horfes, and hay, in London, named 

 Wefl-Smithfield, was become fo miry and nafty, that it was now found 

 neceflary to pave it for the firfl time. 



The Englifli Eafl-India company fent out, an the joint flock account, 

 four fliips, with which they defeated a Portuguefe fleet in India, by 

 whom they were attacked : at Surat, they loaded indigo and Cambaya 

 cloths ; and at Bantam, mace and filk. Great complaints were made 

 againft the Dutch by our people, both at Bamara and Macaflar, the par- 

 ticulars whereof are in all our accounts of voyages. 



The Eaft-India commerce of England becoming very eonfiderable, 

 King James at the Eaft-India company's requeft and expenfe, appointed 

 Sir Thomas Rowe his and the company's ambafllidor to the great mogul, 

 to treat for a commercial intercourfe with Eafl;-India. This was the firfl 

 royal embafTy from England to that remote country, and will probably 

 be the lafl; ; the company ever fince managing their concerns at the 

 eaftern courts by their own proper and more private agents *. This able 

 minifter, however, fent the company very good intelligence P-nd in- 

 flrudions concerning the mercenary and treacherous temper and difpo- 

 fition of the mogul and his minifters, and for the advancement of their 

 trade ; all which are to be found at large in the printed coUedions of 

 voyages. He remained in India feveral years ; in which time the follow- 

 ing European goods were the mofl acceptable in India, viz. knives of all 

 forts and fafhions, toys of the figures of beafts, rich velvets and lattins, 

 good fowling-pieces, polifhed coral and amber beads, faddles with rich 

 furniture, fwords with fine hilts, inlaid, &c. hats, choice pidures, wines 

 of Alicant, &c. cloth of gold and filver, flowered filks of gold and fil- 

 ver, French fhaggs, and fine Englifli Norwich fluffs, fine light armour, 

 emeralds, &c. finely fet in enamelled work, fine arras hangings, large 

 looking-glafTes, quivers of arrows and fine bows, figures of brafs or flone, 



Sir Thomas Rowe freely advifcd the Eaft-India company to fend no more fpecial ambaffadors 

 tQ India, as they could not live in due honour there; and a meaner agent would better effeft their 

 bufincls with the haughty Moors, I 



