396 A. D. 1637. 



* or fettlednefs for eftablifhing of traffic in the faid Indies for the good 



* of pofleiity ; whereas the Portuguefe and Dutch had both planted 



* and fortified, and alfo eftablifhed a lafling and hopeful trade there, 



* for the good of pofterity ; by the advantage whereof they had not on- 

 ' ly rendered our people there fubjed to their infolences, but had in a 



* manner worked them out of the trade, which we find by the com- 



* plaint of divers adventurers in that fociety, and principally by the 

 ' dayly decreafe of our cufloms for imports from India, owing to the 



* faid company's fupine negled: of difcovery, and fettling trade to divers 

 ' parts, when they had a plentiful flock and fair opportunities to ef- 

 ' fca it.' 



And as all the attempts for a north-weft paflage to Eaft-India have 

 hitherto proved unfuccefsful, which, however, we beUeve might be per- 

 formed from Japan, north-eaft to the north of California, on the back, 

 fide of America, in about forty degrees north latitude, and fo to coaft 

 along northwards, eaftward, and weftward, as the land will give way, 

 to fixtv-four degrees northward, where it was left undifcovered by Sir 

 Thomrs Button, Captain Luke Fox, and others, to come through the 

 ftraits of Mudfon in the Weftern or Atlantic fea. The king, in the faid 

 grant of 1635, direc^d that the grantees fhould, from the fea of China, 

 Japan, or eliewhere, fend one of their fhips, well furniflied and manned, 

 to attempt that difcovery ^ allotting them half the cuftoms and other 

 benefits that fhould arife from all fuch new difeoveries as fhould be 

 made, referving to himfelf the other half, with the fovereignty of the 

 countries. The king next prefcribes the rules and government of thofe 

 fhips and people in the voyage to and from India, China, and Japan, 

 and on land there. He grants them the ufe of a new common feal, 

 and to all intents makes them a feparate company for the Eaft-India 

 trade ; direding the old company, their agents and fervants, not to mo- 

 left them in their Eaft-India commerce. 



The perfons who fet on foot this new company were, Sir William 

 Courten, Sir Paul Pindar, See. ; but the king himfelf, as he therein de- 

 clares, and Endymion Porter, a groom of his bed-chamber, had fhares 

 therein jointly with them and Weddell, &c. In this year, 1657, there- 

 for, the king confirmed their privileges (the fnips being already gone- 

 en their voyage) as to all places in India where the old company had' 

 not fettled any fadcries nor trade before the r2th of December 1635, 

 but without prejudice to the old company in other refpeds. This new 

 company's grant of trade and privileges was to laft for five years, during 

 whicli time they might annually re-export what India goods they fhould 

 bring home, and might in that cafe draw back the entire cuftoins paid 

 on their importation. Moreover, during the faid five years, they might 

 export L40,oocv.to India in gold and filver bullion, paying to the king 

 Li : 10 per cent for that privilege: and they might alio, during the 



