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difficult, as to induce men to undertake almoft any 

 thing in order to avoid them. 



It is certain, that the art of navigation "has fliared 

 the fame fate with many others, of which we have 

 noproof that our early anceftors were entirely ignorant, 

 fome of which are now loft, and others again pre- 

 ferred only among a few nations but what does 

 this prove ? We muft always return to this princi- 

 ple, that the arts neceffary to the defigns of God 

 have never been unknown to thofe whole bufinefs it 

 was to put them in execution. Induftry, has, per- 

 haps, invented fome which were ufeful only, and 

 luxury difcovered others which ferved only to gratify 

 the paflions. We may alfo believe, that what has 

 caufed many to fall into oblivion, is their having be- 

 come no longer neceffary, and that fuch has been 

 the making long voyages as foon as all the parts of 

 the world were fupplied with inhabitants. It was 

 fuffkient for the purpoles of commerce to range 

 along the coafts, and to pafs over to the neareft 

 iflands. Need we then be furprized, if men, for 

 want of practice, loft the fecret of making long 

 voyages on an element fo inconftant, and fo fre- 

 quently tempeftuous. j 



Who can ever affirm that it was loft fo foon ? 



Strabo fays in feveral places, that the inhabitants of 

 Cadiz, and all the Spaniards, had large veflels, and 

 excelled in the art of navigation. Pliny complains, 

 that in his time, navigation was not fo perfect as it 

 had been for feveral ages before ; the Carthaginians 

 and Phenicians were long poffelTed of the reputation 

 of being hardy and expert mariners. Father Acofta 

 allows, that Vafco de Gama found, that the ufe of 

 the compafs was known among the inhabitants of 

 Mozambique. The iftanders of Madagafcar have 



