1836. 



Fill ST SETTLEMENT. 



631 



time till 1823, when one Alexander Hare, a British subject, 

 established himself and a small party of Malays, upon the 



was driven on shore at the Isle of Wig-ht. The sight of the riches 

 it contained excited a desire of attempting' to open a trade with Turkey, 

 through which the merchandize of India was transported. The ad- 

 vantages arising from this Turkish trade to the Eastern merchants 

 shewed that it might be rendered still more lucrative if it were carried 

 on by a direct route. In order that no measures of prudence which 

 seemed likely to ensure success to this grand enterprise might be omit- 

 ted, the queen sent to explore the two routes already opened, that of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, by Captain Stephens, in 1582, and that of the 

 Strait of Magellan, in 1587. From the reports Avhich they made, it was 

 conceived impossible for England to appropriate to itself, by means of 

 single ships, a part of that commerce, to the prejudice of two nations, 

 jealous, and well established ; and, that, while it employed all the ex- 

 ertions of industry, it would be necessary also to show a respectable 

 force. These considerations, highly judicious, gave rise to the East 

 India Company, which sent out its first adventure with a capital of 

 ^74,000, and four ships equipped from that sum. In IGOl the company 

 was established under the auspices of the state, which granted it a char- 

 ter of protection for a time limited. 



Lancaster, who commanded this squadron, behaved like a private 

 merchant, entered into a treaty of commerce with the King of Achen, 

 and found means to establish a small factory, but not without experi- 

 encing some marks of displeasure from the Portuguese. He took on 

 board a considerable quantity of pepper and other spices. His success- 

 ful return encouraged the company to send out three ships under the 

 command of Henry Middleton. The latter, however, began to assume a 

 higher tone than that of a plain merchant. He found the Dutch and 

 Portuguese engaged in war ; not on their own account, as appeared, but 

 as auxiliaries, the one of the King of Ternate, and the other of the King 

 of Tidore. It seemed most advantageous to Middleton at that period to 

 espouse the part of the Portuguese. The Dutch M ere incensed, and 

 threw impediments in his way, which, however, did not prevent him from 

 returning with a very rich cargo; but the company sent out another 

 squadron under Edward Michael Bourne, who assumed with the Dutch 

 that air of superiority which his force authorized, and threatened open 

 hostilities in case they interrupted the English commerce. To support 

 these threats, William Keeling arrived, in 1608, with a body of regular 

 troops. The Dutch made no resistance, and even applied to the English 

 to defend them against the inhabitants of Banda ; but after this service 

 they behaved with duplicity to their benefactors, and fettered their com- 

 merce : jnit Keeling found means to return with a very rich cargo, and, 

 what is remarkable, without the loss of a single man. 



