A. D. 1788. 139 



coafled along the eaftern fliores of China, Corea, and Tartaiy, afcertain- 

 ing the hitherto-unknown pofitions of the principal points of thofe 

 countries, and of fome large iflands lying to the northward of Japan, 

 which were very erroneoufly laid down in all our charts ; and then they 

 proceeded to the port of S'. Peter and S'. Paul in Kamtfchatka, the 

 worthy inhabitants of which, from the knowlege of their charaders ob- 

 tained by the perufal of Cook's third voyage, they confidered as old 

 known friends, who on their part received them with the fame warmth 

 of hofpitality, which they had fhewn to our Britifli navigators. From 

 that hofpitable extremity of the world they proceeded to explore the 

 Pacific ocean, and arrived at Botany bay en the the 26"' of January 

 1788, when Governor Phillips was getting under fail for Port-Jackfon. 



When Mr. De la Peroufe was at Chili, he remarked the wonderful 

 abundance of corn, vines, flocks, and herds ; the later in particular, 

 which are commonly killed merely for the fake of the tallow and hides, 

 there being no fufficient number of confumers for the flefh. But though 

 the produce of that country, if duely cultivated and encouraged, would, 

 he fays, be fufficient to maintain the half of Europe, and its wool would 

 fupply all the manufiiclures of France and England, the blellings of na- 

 ture are counteraded by the errors of government ; the people are poor 

 in the midft of plenty ; and the whole commerce of the place is con- 

 ducted by four or five fmall vefTels, which arrive once a-year from 

 Lima. 



His obfervations at Manila are nearly fimilar. The fruits of the earth 

 are abundant : but trade is fo fettered by impofiitions and reftrictions, 

 that what is over ferving the wants of the cultivators is almoft of no 

 value. Sugar has been fold at lefs than a penny a pound, and rice has 

 been left on the ground uncut. The people are not permitted to raife 

 tobacco, of which they are diftractedly fond, but are compelled by an 

 army of revenue officers and a military force to buy it from the govern- 

 ment at the enormous price of half a dollar a pound. With a profufion 

 of the richeft tropical produdions, and ten gatherings of filk in the year, 

 they are miferable, and confequently difcontented. And this moft de- 

 lightful country, capable from its fituation and its fertility of becoming 

 one of the moil important fettlements in the world under a wife and 

 moderate government, is of no advantage to Spain; and, to ufePeroufe's 

 own words, ' the moil charming country in the univerfe is certainly the 

 ' laft, which a lover of liberty would chufe for his relidence *.' The 

 Philippine company, lately eflabliihed with the moft oppreffive exclu- 

 lions and prejudices, have engroJJed the trade with America, and are at 



• Thefe piftures of mife y in the midft of re- contrail to the bleflings attendant on free induftry 

 dundcmt plenty, and poverty in countries which in countries lefs favoured by nature, but more £n-t- 

 roU down gold ia their rivers, are felected as a lighted by fcience and philofopky. 



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