34 THE BEITISH ISLES. 



followed the routes already discovered, establishing commercial relations with 

 distant countries, destroying the factories of rival traders, and landing troops and 

 colonists. By degrees the admirable geograpliical position of England with 

 reference to Europe, America, and the whole of the habitable world revealed itself. 

 Its situation at the western extremity of the European continent marked it out as 

 the natural intermediary of the commerce carried on between the Baltic, Germany, 

 Netherlands, and France on the one hand, and America on the other ; and whilst 

 the trade winds and the equatorial current sped the progress of vessels sailing to 

 the West Indies, the gulf-stream facilitated their return to the shores of Europe. 

 London, as was first pointed out by Sir John Herschel, occupies very nearly the 

 geometrical centre of that hemisphere which embraces the greater part of the land, 

 and consequently no city is more favourably situated for attracting the world's 

 maritime commerce* This magnificent geographical position in a large measure 

 accounts for the commercial preponderance of England. English commerce grew 

 apace, but the English colonists established in distant countries never relaxed in 

 their efforts to extend it still farther. No colonising nation, the Dutch alone 

 excepted, has brought greater zeal and more sustained effort to bear upon the 

 work it had taken in hand ; and thus a small European people, numbering hardly 

 5,000,000 souls at the time it entered upon its career of conquest, has gradually 

 extended its dominions, until they embrace the sixth part of the habitable 

 globe, and close upon 300,000,000 human beings. In addition to this there are 

 wide territories in India, in Arabia, in Africa, and elsewhere, which do not 

 officially form part of the British Empire, but where English influence is never- 

 theless paramount, and the request of an English consul is tantamount to a 

 command. Travellers who explore distant countries contribute in no small 

 degree to the extension of British influence, for whether they wish it or not, they 

 are looked upon as the representatives of British power, and the precursors of 

 conquering armies. There is not a country in the world where these British 

 travellers and explorers are not to be met with, either simply in search of 

 adventirre, or anxious to do honour to the country of their birth by their dis- 

 coveries. Whilst artisans and labourers expatriate themselves, because in another 

 hemisphere they hope to acquire the comforts and independence they lack at 

 home, there are also thousands of the younger sons of the aristocracy whom no 

 responsibilities tie to the land of their birth, and who are at all times ready to 

 exchange their place of abode. Deprived of a share in the paternal acres, they, 

 like modern MamertineSj take the whole earth for their domain, and turn their 

 backs upon the land which dispenses with their services. 



And whilst mariners, colonists, and explorers discover and occupy new lands 

 beyond the ocean, the miners who remain at home explore the riches of an under- 

 ground world. British ships bring cotton, rice, and spices ; the miners raise coal 

 from the bowels of the earth, and it would be difficult to tell whose share of work 

 is most contributive towards an increase of British power. Huge industrial towns 



* The hemisphere ha\-ing London for its centre embraces 16-17ths of the land, that of which New 

 Zealand is the centre only 1-1 7th. 



