A. D, 1641. 41^ 



' thofe too but very few in number, have not above ten pieces of ord- 

 ' nance.' Mr. Roberts had been himfelf an eminent merchant ; and 

 although the ruin of Antwerp is well known to have been principally- 

 owing to its being facked by the Spanifh army and the fubfequent 

 blocking up of the river Scheldt by the Dutch forts below that city, yet 

 the caufe he here adigns might have confiderable influence before the 

 fiege of it by the Spanifh army. Lyons and Marfeilles have fince his 

 time profpered exceedingly under wifer management. All which fhews 

 how delicate a matter commerce is, and how carefully and conftantly to 

 be attended to by the rulers of ftates and kingdoms. 



It was in this fame year that the Dutch Eail-India company found 

 means to get the Portuguele and other chriftians excluded from all trade 

 to Japan ; but, whether it was done in fo deceitful and impious a way as 

 their enemies gave out, we fliall not take upon us to determine. They 

 enjoy a trade thither from Batavia and other parts of India to this day, 

 though fubjed: to difficulties therein from the caprice of that very jea- 

 lous nation. It was a cunning trick (fays Puffendorf in his Hiftory of 

 Europe) in the Dutch at Japan to drive the Portuguefe out of that trade, 

 by laying before the emperor an intercepted letter from the Portuguefe 

 jefuits there to the pope, promifing his holinefs in a fliort time to re- 

 duce all Japan to his obedience. But it produced terrible effeds, not 

 •only to the jefuits, but to the poor Japanefe converts, who, to the num- 

 ber of 400,000 and upwards, were all put to death, and the Portuguefe 

 for ever (hut out from Japan on pain of death. Dr. Gemilli fays, that 

 the Dutch factory at Nangafache enjoys not that liberty nor authority 

 which they have in their trade to other parts ; for as foon as the fhips 

 come to an anchor, a mandarin comes on board to count the men, and 

 to carry the fails and rudders on (hore. They have no communication 

 with the city, but live in their factory, which is on a rock inclofed with 

 a wall ; and no trade is allowed but once in a year. 



Hitherto, according to Ligon's Hiflory of Barbados, and other au- 

 thors of the hiftory of the Caribbee iflands, very bad tobacco, together 

 with fome ginger and cotton, were all the produce they had ex Barba- 

 dos till this year, when fome of the moft induftrious planters procured 

 fugar-caries from Fernambuc in Brafil ; and thefe thriving very well, 

 they planted more and more as they multiplied ; and at length found 

 it would anfwer well to fet up a very fmall ingenio or fugar-mill ; yet 

 the fecret of making fugar was not fo well underftood by the Barba- 

 dians till two or three years after, when fome of their people made a 

 voyage to Brafil, from whence they brought better inftrudions and 

 more fugar plants. Yet even at Mr. Ligon's arrival at Barbados, which 

 was not till the year 1647, although there were" then many fugar-works 

 fet up, they were neverthelefs ignorant of the true manner of planting, 

 and the time of cutting the canes, the proper manner of placing the 



Vol. II. 3 G 



