37° A. D. 1631. 



ever, to trade or rciort to or within the faid limits, on any pretence 

 whatfoever *. Neither were any but thofe patentees to import any red- 

 wood, ficins, wax, gums, dyers-grains, (grana tindoria) nor any other 

 merchandize, upon forfeiture of (liip and cargo. And the patentees 

 were impowered to feize all fliips and merchandize they fliould find 

 within their bounds contrary to this charter, and might alio explore 

 the interior parts of Africa. [F^de?-a, V. xix. p. 370.] The patentees 

 erected forts and warehoufes on that coaft, at a great expenle : yet the 

 feparate traders (then called by the Dutch term interlopers) again broke 

 in upon this company, as they had done on that of the year 1618, and 

 almoft forced the trade open again : and fo it remained, till after the 

 reftoration of King Charles II ; yet in the year 1651, the rump par- 

 liament granted a charter for five years to the Eaft-India company, who 

 made ufe of the caftles and trade of the gold coaft, as lying in their 

 way to India ; and it feems found their account in this trade for fome 

 time : for there they landed their goods brought from England, and 

 carried the gold which they there received into India : although it feems 

 their capital ftock for this trade never exceeded 1^17,400 ; therewith, 

 however, they ere61ed two new forts. This third temporary company 

 likewife licenced iliips to trade to Guinea, for ten per cent of their car- 

 goes, or three pounds per ton on the fhips. A fine trade truely for this 

 company, if it could have held long. 



Two attempts were this year made for difcovering a north-weft paf- 

 fage through Hudfon's bay to China, viz. one at the king's command, 

 by Captain Luke Fox, who arrived at Port-Nelfon, where he found the 

 crofs and ini'cription formerly ereded by Sir Thomas Button, which he 

 renewed for the king ; concerning which voyage he afterwards publifli- 

 ed a fmall quarto treatife called the North-weft fox : and Captain Tho- 

 mas jaines was lent out by the merchants of Briftol, and wintered in 

 Hudl'on's bay, in latitude fifty-two, naming the country New South 

 Wales, giving names alio to fundry other bays, capes, &c. as Cape Hen- 

 rietta Maria, &c. His account was alfo printed in the year 1633, by 

 King Charles's order. The former author thinks there is a palfage, 

 though he miffed it ; the later thinks there is no great probability of 

 any fuch paflage, although he made much more difcovery in that bay 

 than either Hudlon, Button, or Baffin, had done. 



King Charles gave up the caftle of Briftol, with all its precindls and 

 inhabitants, to the city, to be for the future in all refpeds a part of it, 

 for the confideration of L959 paid to the king ; and of a fee farm of 

 L40 yearly : by which conliderable addition, the boundary, or pome- 

 rium, of the city of Briftol, was now above feven miles in circumference. 



* The king fiirely muft have known tbnt the on the coaft of Angola, &c. and that lie was grar.t- 

 Portugucfe were long before now ftrongly fettled ing privikges which he could not fugport. 



