OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. I05 



longing for it by being always ready to open up a trade ; while the 

 most polished and highly civilized nations have often resorted to war 

 to maintain their right to trade. 



In the following pages I have endeavored to show some, a few 

 it may be, of the transactions of commerce in times far back, beyond 

 the publication of " Blue Books or Commercial Relations," and even 

 beyond the days of written records. I do not suppose, however, that 

 I have reached the beginning, in all probability I have commenced 

 in the middle of the history, and I confidently look forward to, and 

 expect a time when the explorations in the Eastern world, and fuller 

 examinations of the monuments of Europe will show us a record 

 which will place tlie few traces I have here presented in what might 

 be called modern times. This continent will also, without doubt, 

 when thoroughly known, widen the lines of evidence as already 

 known, and give us proof of the existence of a commerce dating far 

 back into the misty realms of the past. 



Man, by nature is always counting his successes, calculating his 

 gains, and looking to his losses — always looking to the future profit 

 and neglecting or overlooking the past. So it is when the reader of 

 the newspapers of the present day turns to the financial reports and 

 mentally calculates how much the richer or the poorer he has be- 

 come during the night, as the particular class of stocks or shares in 

 which he has invested has risen or fallen in the share market. He 

 is not apt to let his mind wander back through the past, and think 

 of the times when joint stock companies were so far in the future as 

 not even to be dreamed of by the most ardent progressionist when 

 every man was his ov/n banker and broker, when nations had not 

 learned to raise a revenue by the imposition of a customs tariff or 

 excise duties, or borrow from their neighbors by the issue of "Con- 

 sols'" or debentures, or even by war indemnities; when the con- 

 queror repaid himself for his trouble and annoyance by carrying off 

 whatever part of the property of the vanquished he could obtain ; 

 nor of the time when the internal revenue of a country was paid in 

 service. 



Nor are we, of these days of rapid transit by steam and electric- 

 ity, likely to give more than a passing thought to the time when a 

 short journey was a thing to be carefully considered before being 

 undertaken ; when the whole commerce of the world was carried on 



