Captain W o o d e s Rogers. 
“ formed; by feveral Merchants whom we took in thofe 
*« Seas, that, by a modeft Computation, the French , in a 
-« few of the firft Years of that Trade, carried home 100 
41 Millions of Dollars, which is near twenty-five Millions 
Sterling, befides the Advantages they made by trading 
to the North Sea, when they convoy the Spanifh Gal- 
4C leons and Plot a to and from the Weft Indies This was 
written before the Clofe of the laft War * and it is worthy 
of Notice, that, fince the prefent War commenced, the 
French and Spaniards have had recourfe again to the fame 
Expedient, I mean that of licenfing Ships from St. Malo 
to trade to the South Seas, contrary not only to Treaties, 
but in direCt Violation of the Privileges pf the native Spa- 
niards , who cannot but be fenfibly affeCted, to fee the only 
Trade they have, and by which alone they are able to bear 
the heavy Burden of a French Government, thrown into 
the Hands of Foreigners. But, however angry they may 
be, it does not appear, that at this Juncture they have 
the Means of redreffing this Grievance in their own Hands ; 
whereas, fo far as it affeCts us, we certainly have ; and, ei- 
ther by following, thefe French Interlopers into the South 
Seas, or by watching them clofely in their Return home, 
may render ineffectual this Expedient for turning the Riches 
of the new World to the Subverfion of the Peace of the old. 
If this cannot be done, our ruining the French Trade elfe- 
where will fall Ihort of the End propofed ; becaufe, be- 
ing temporary only, if they can find a Way to carry on 
this Commerce effectually in the mean time, jt will, in a 
great meafure, fupply the Lolfes they fuftain in the other 
Branches of their Commerce : As, on the other hand, if 
we can put an End to this, as well as to the reft, it muft 
foon bring the War to a Conclufion ; for the modern 
Maxim, that Money does all Things, is never found more 
agreeable to Truth, than when applied to military Affairs, 
which demand fo great and fo conftant an Expence, that, 
if a Nation cannot fupply it, lhe muft be content to accept 
of thofe Terms, and remain in that Condition, which her 
Neighbours are willing lhe fhould be in ; and this is that. 
Condition, to which I conceive we would be willing to re- 
duce the French. 
Before I take my Leave of this Subject, I cannot for- 
bear putting the Reader in mind of the great Utility oi 
Voyages to the South Seas •, and obferving, that as thefe 
can never be undertaken but when we are at War with the 
Spaniards , fo that Opportunity ought never to be let flip ; 
fince, otherwise, we are in Danger of lofing all Knowledge 
of that Navigation, to which we have a Right in common 
with the reft of Mankind •, which, lome time or other, 
may turn to the infinite Advantage of the Briti[h Nation, 
The Reader has feen what Succeflion of Adventurers there 
has been from the Days of Queen Elizabeth to this time ; 
all of whom have intimated the mighty Advantages that 
might be expected from our endeavouring to fix in fome 
Part, rather than be continual Wanderers in the South Seas, 
The grand Objection has been, that it is very difficult tc 
furnifly Provifions for fo long an Expedition, or to keej: 
our Ships fufficiently manned, fo as to be in a Conditior 
of fettling when they come thither. But, perhaps, weougffi 
to inquire, whether thefe Difficulties really fpring from the 
Defign itfelf, or from our Method of managing it ; for, 
undoubtedly, if there be not as much of Prudence in the 
ConduCt of a public Scheme, as is generally feen in the 
Management ol a private Concern, we may eafily guefi 
what will be the hate of it. The good Scnfe and great 
Attention of the Briftol Merchants, appear in the Pre- 
cautions they took for the right Management of this Ex- 
peditjon, which effectually anfwered their Intentions : 
And mail we be weak enough to believe, that a ProieCt 
formed for the common Benefit of the Britijh Nation' 
might not be as well regulated, and as fuccefsfully executed* 
as one which tended only to the Benefit of a few Mer- 
chants m one of its Ports ? It is eafy enough to conceive, 
that it wrong Methods are ufed, or right ones negleCted, i 
Ships go out at improper Seafons of the Year, heavily loadec 
with Things unneceffary,- commanded by unexperienced 01 
frelh-water Seamen, who think any Hardffiip intolerable, 
we need not wonder that things mifcarry. But this ven 
fn°K aS n°r Capt ? in JVoodes Rogers clearly demonftratei 
inch a Defign to be very practicable, notwjthftanding whai 
is daily thrown out to make the contrary Notion gain Belief $ 
for their Ships were much fuller of Men than is ufual for 
Ships of their Burden, and yet they carried Provifions for 
fixteen Months j which puts it beyond all Difpute, that 
Men of War, and Tranfports, may conveniently go on this 
Expedition, well filled with Men, and carry twelve Months 
Provifion at leaft for each Ship : Befides, for every Man 
of War, or Tranfport, that carries confiderable Numbers of 
Men, a proportionable Victualler may be allowed, with no 
more Men than are enough to fail her ; fo that fhe may 
carry eight or ten Months Provifions more for the other 
Ships, that embarque the Men. Thus a fufficient Number 
may go for a Settlement, and fully victualled for twenty-two 
Months, which is time enough, and to fpare, to go and 
return from the South Seas ; and, if any Ship fliould lofe 
Company, there is little Danger of their meeting again at 
Places appointed for Rendezvous. ? Tis true, the Diftance 
from Home is great, but the Ships that have traded thither 
find it an eafy Paffage in a proper Seafon ; and their Men 
continue more healthful, than thofe that trade to the Weft, 
Indies by the North Seas. The general Diftemper in fuch 
long Voyagers is the Scurvy ; and the Methods to prevent 
the ill EffeCts of it are fo well known, that they may be 
eafily provided againft. The Ships may likewife refrefti 
by the W ay, firft at the Cape de Verd Iflands, and then at 
Brafil ; betwixt which, and the South Sea, is the longeft 
Paffage, and that, in all Probability, cannot exceed ten 
Weeks at Sea ; fo that, when they arrive at Chili, the Cli- 
mate is fo wholfome, and agrees fo well with European 
Conftitutions, that fuch as are fick ipeedily recover. 
Then, as to proper Places for a Settlement, where Pro- 
vifions abound, there are fo many of them on the Coaft of 
Chili , &c. that a Body of Men difciplined, and under good 
Commanders, may eafily fettle there. It is not indeed 
eafy to fay, where fuch a Settlement might be made with 
the greateft Probability of Succefs ; but, fure, it is very 
ftrange, that no Attempt has been hitherto made to difcover 
that Continent that lies between California and Japan ; 
fince, that there is fuch a Continent, feems to be a Point 
the Spaniards are as induftrious to conceal, as other Nations 
are negligent of inquiring after it, though none of their 
Subjects, that ever were in thofe Seas, quitted them, with- 
out recommending it to the Notice of their Countrymen. 
Sir Francis Brake , the firft, and, perhaps, the moft know- 
ing of ourDifcoverers, took Poffeffion of California , with 
this View particularly. The brave Candijh, his only Rival 
in Reputation, fuggefted the fame thing ; and, if I mif- 
take not, delivered his Thoughts at large on this SubjeCt, 
in a Djfcourfe directed to the Queen his Miftrefs, and de- 
livered to his Patron the Lord Hunfdon , in relation to a 
Map of China , which he brought over, and of which I 
fhall have Occafion to fpeak more largely in another Place. 
Captain Bampier , though he was far from being a deep 
Politician, yet faw and mentioned the Expediency of fome 
fuch Settlement j which was again hinted by Captain 
Rogers. If the Reader fhould incline to be farther in- 
formed, as to the Advantages that might be reafonably 
expeCted from our having a Colony in thofe Parts, I will 
endeavour to give him fome Satisfaction in that Particular. 
Firft, then, this Situation would afford us an Opportunity 
of correfponding in both the Eaft and Weft Indies , and that 
with much greater Eafe than the Spaniards find in carrying 
on their Trade between Manilla and Acapulco-, becaufe we 
fliould not have above half the Run of their Ship to either 
of the Indies ; and, as the Winds on that Coaft are eon* 
ftant and regular, we muft, in the Space of a few Years, 
eftablifh a fafe and certain Correfpondence. In the next 
Place, there is the higheft Probability, that, in fuch a Cli- 
mate, we might meet with, or, in a Abort Space, create, a 
confiderable Demand for our coarfe Cloths, and other 
Manufactures, which would be doubly advantageous to the 
Nation, by encouraging Induftry at home, and increafing 
and enlarging our Navigation. There is another Circum- 
ftance that deferves to be mentioned, and it is this ; that 
fuch a Colony would give us an Opportunity of examining 
effectually, whether there be any fuch thing as a practicable 
Paffage into thefe Seas, either from the North-eaft, or the 
North-weft ; which is an old Queftion revived of late Years, 
and with good Reafon ? fince the Solution of it would not 
>, only 
