On the Natural Boundaries of Empires. lOS 



To others, instead of forming a boundary, it presents a temp- 

 tation to conquest. 



The facihty with which naval empires are founded is a 

 most striking phenomenon, and is equalled only by the rapid- 

 ity with which they are overturned. The example of the 

 Portuguese may be noticed. They first visited India as 

 merchants, then invaded it as conquerors, and the terror of 

 their arms were spread from Mozambique to the Ganges. 

 Nothing appeared to stop their career. 



Their armies were so brave, their cities so strong, and 

 their allies appeared so faithful, that the Portuguese states- 

 men considered their Indian empire, as placed on the firm- 

 est foundation. 



The appearance of the fleets of the Hollanders in the In- 

 dian ocean, soon changed the face of affairs, they were 

 joined by the natives, who were glad to escape from tyranny, 

 and the Portuguese empire crumbled in the dust. 



England owes her immense power to the facility of trans- 

 porting her force on the ocean ; with a moveable army of 

 ten thousand soldiers, she has acquired dominion over eighty 

 millions of people, and it requires only thirty thousand dis- 

 ciplined troops to keep them in subjection. 



MOUNTAINS 



Are on several accounts^ good boundaries between nations. 



Numerous bodies of troops, can not without a great ex- 

 pense, be supported upon their summits ; so that nations, 

 to whom they serve as barriers, are content with placing a 

 few centinels on the frontiers. 



If mountains were always boundaries, wars would be less 

 frequent ; the difficulty of marching to combat would often 

 cause even ambitious men to pause. 



Thus the armies of France have not so often crossed the 

 Pyrenees and Alps in search of conquests, as they have in- 

 vaded the valley of the Rhine and Netherlands. 



The Andes form a natural barrier to the States on the 

 western coast of South America, and one of the most dis- 

 astrous military expeditions, perhaps ever recorded, was 

 that under Gonzalo Pizarro, in which this circumstance was 

 disregarded. 



