A, D. 1684. ^13 



' may declare to fucceeding ages, that that place was once a member 

 ' of the Britifh empire.' And (let us juft fubjoin) who can tell but 

 that hereafter it may be judged the intereft of the Britifli empire to re- 

 affume its right to that ports ? More efpecially, if what is faid by fome 

 be true, that the foundation of its demoliflied mole, as well as of its 

 walls, remain entire, and that it is very poflible for its haven to be en- 

 tirely cleared of the rubbifli. ProfefTor Oakley, in his Account of fouth- 

 weft Barbary, thinks it would be an enterprife worth attempting, and 

 eafily to be effedled, to recover the place again. For, fays he, if 2CCO 

 men were to go, with three men of war and two bomb-ketches, they 

 might make themfelves matters of it in twenty-four hours time : for 

 upon the heaving of a fcore of bombs, not one foul of the Moors would 

 ftay within the town, and then the foldiers might land at pleafure, who 

 would have nothing elfe to do but to plant their guns on the walls, and 

 by night to empty a few places of the ditches that are filled. 



The French hitherto mifmanaged their Eaft-India company : for 

 though they kept up the figure of a great fociety, yet, upon a full ftate 

 of their circumftances, it now plainly appeared they had aftually run 

 out half their capital, or about L30o,ooo fi:erling. Whereupon it was 

 refolved to put that company upon a new bottom, laving afide the me- 

 thod of chambers of diretlors in the fea-ports, which had been fet up 

 in imitation of the Dutch company, and to place its entire management 

 in twelve directors refiding at Paris, with proper falaries. This com- 

 pany had, in the year 1670, furrendered their property of the ifland of 

 Madagafcar ; and then- king, in the year 16B5, in confirming their new 

 conftitution, left them at Hberty either to refume Madagafcar, or to 

 leave it in his hands, and they chofe the later. There were fundry 

 caufes of the company's misfortunes, as their war with Holland from 

 1672 to 1678, the mercenary management of their fervants in India, 

 and efpecially their intermeddling fo boldly, agreeably to the genius of 

 their nation, in the affairs of the kingdom of Siam, whereby the king 

 of Siam was murdered in his palace, and the French garrifon totally de- 

 ftroyed, after they had been at the expenfe of fending thither a fquadron 

 of Ihips, with land-forces, for making that king more abfolute than the 

 people liked him to be, and flattered themfelves with converting all 

 Siam to their chriftian religion. Tlais was the ftate of that company, 

 when Pont-Chartrain fucceeded Colbert as prime minifi;er. He was far 

 from being a friend to this company, as will briefly appear hereafter. 



In this year we have the lord chief-juftice Polle.xfen's argument, as fo 

 termed, printed in a fuit brought by the Eafl:-India company againfl; 

 Thomas Sands, who had fitted out a ftiip for India without being li- 

 cenced by that company, lit. Sands in his defence, pleaded a ftatute 

 [18 Edzv. Ill, c. 3] whereby it is enaded, that the feas fliall be open 

 for all merchants to pafs with their merchandize wherever they pleafe_ 



