The V O Y A 
ook I. 
only redoiihd to tlie Benefit of feveral Nations, but to that 
of Europe in general. 
If, notwithstanding all that has been faid, there fhould 
appear fomething romantic, or, perhaps, ridiculous, in 
fuppofing the public Councils of this Nation in fuch a Si- 
tuation, as that Projects of this Sort fhould be edeemed 
worthy their Notice, or any Part of our Naval Force em- 
ployed at fuch a Didance, and where their Commanders 
could expect fo little, even from the Succefs of their Un- 
dertaking, what hinders, that a private Company, by 
which I mean a Copartnerfhip of particular Merchants, 
may not carry into Execution fuch a Defign ? We have feen, 
by a Variety of Indances, by the Ecjl India Company in 
Holland , by the Englijh Eajl India Company, by our Le- 
vant, by our Hudftms-bay , but efpecially By our Rujjia 
Company, what private Merchants are able to do, if pro- 
perly countenanced and encouraged. The Dutch and Eng- 
lijh Eajl India Companies rofe both of them out of private 
Undertakings, while the State wifely affided and fupported 
them by her Authority, for the fake of promoting the 
public Good. If, therefore, at this Juncture, when there 
are fo many private Men who have acquired large Fortunes, 
while the fettled and ordinary Trade of the Nation is in 
fome meafure necelfarily fufpended by the War ; while the 
filtered of the public Debt continues low, and yet that 
Debt is daily iricreafing ; if, I fay, while Things are in 
fuch a Situation, a Body of Merchants fhould undertake to 
difeover new Countries* and to make new Settlements, 
what Reafon is there to doubt of their meeting with En- 
couragement and Succefs? There needs no mighty Sum 
to fit out two Privateers, and a Tender; and, befides, the 
very Expences of the Voyage might be probably borne by 
the Prizes taken in the South Seas, or both Schemes pur- 
fued at once, by wintering in California , and waiting the 
Arrival of the Acapulco Ships upon thofe Coads. It is on 
all Hands acknowledged, that the Climate is temperate and 
healthy, that the Natives are friendly and honed, that the 
oppofite Continent of America is very rich, and but thinly 
peopled by the Spaniards ; fo that, on the Whole, there is 
nothing adonifhing or abfurd in fuppofing, that 3 or 400 
Men, well-difciplined, and under experienced Commanders, 
fhould maihtain themfelves here, without any great Diffi- 
culty or Inconvenience, for feven, eight, or nine Months: 
We think it no Hardlhip to keep them continually on Ship- 
board, for two or three Years, in other Services, to at lead 
as little Purpofe. There is, however, another Thing to 
be confidered, and it is this ; that, failing from California 
in a higher Latitude than ufual, they might, if they found 
it practicable, winter in any new-difeovered Port, and be 
fure to return time enough to California , to accompliih the 
other Part of their Scheme 5 or, if they fhould fail of 
meeting with a proper Port in any of the Hands or Conti- 
nent between. California and th e' Eajl Indies , they may 
continue their Voyage to China , where they might find 
themfelves at Liberty to form and execute new Projects, 
equally honourable to themfelves, and advantageous to 
their Owners. At all Events, therefore, a Scheme of this 
fort, judicioufly carried into Execution* mud be very be- 
neficial to the Nation : It would ferve to extirpate old Er • 
rors, by informing us of new Truths; it would heighten 
our Credit for Maritime Power and Skill, it would exercife 
Men of adive Spirits, improve their natural Parts, and 
point out to them the Means of tranfmittirig W ealth to 
their Defcendants, and their own Fame to lated Poderity. 
If it fhould be demanded, why I am fo warm in recommend- 
ing fuch a Defign ; my Anfwer is, becaufe I think it for 
the Service of my Country, which can never be made 
happy at home, or maintain her Reputation abroad, but 
from the Appearance of fuch a Spirit, as would be necef- 
fary to accompliih fuch a Defign : And therefore to labour 
in exciting this, feems the highed Point of Patriotifm, of 
which a private Man is capable. If a feverer Critic fhould 
inquire. What Connexion this has with my Hidory ; I an- 
fwer, The clofed that can be : For, to what End do we 
record the Tranfadions of Times pad, but that they may 
become Examples to fucceeding Ages ? This Voyage of 
the Duke and Duchefs was, by far, the mod fuccefsful of 
any that was ever fet on foot at the Expence, and under 
the Management, of private Merchants ; and, beheld in 
that Light, is, of all others, the propered to encourage 
Britifh Traders to exert themfelves in the fame Way. I 
might perhaps go too far, fhould I affert, that this Voyage 
gave Rife to the South Sea Company ; but thus much I can 
fafely fay, that the Succefs of this Voyage was what the 
Patrons of that Company chiefly infided upon in their De- 
fence, when the Plan of it was attacked as infuiticient and 
chimerical. I fliall, however, conclude with this Remark 5 
that, as this is the lad Engliflo Voyage of its kind fo pro- 
fperous, and fo well conduded, as to merit fuch Obferva- 
tions, fo the Succindnefs with which I treat the red, will 
fufficiently excufe my dwelling fo long on fo agreeable and 
fo important a Subjed. 
SECTION XVII. 
The Voyage of Captain John Clipperton round the Worlds from an authentic Journal . 
1. The Qccafion of the Voyage, and the Reafon of obtaining the Emperors Commifjion. 2. The Englifh and 
Flemifh di (agree, and the Emperor s Commifjion is laid afide . 3. Captain Shelvocke removed, and 
Captain Clipperton appointed Commander in Chief. 4. Inf ructions given by the Owners, y. The Ships 
fail from Ply mouth, February xy. 1719; and are feparated in a Storm. 6. Captain Clipperton proje - 
cutes his Voyage to the Canaries. 7. Arrival, and Description of the Cape de Verde Iflands. 8.- Continu- 
ation of his Voyage to the Streights of Magellan. 9. They arrive at the If and of Juan Fernandez, and 
cruife there for the Speedwel. 10. Proceed for the South Seas, where they make abundance of Prizes. 
11. One of the Prizes ef capes y and alarms the Coaf. 12. They continue cruifng with good Succefs. 
33. A further Account of their Tranfaffions in thofe Seas. 14. Their amazing Succefs, notwit branding 
the Smaln ef of their Number, iy. A Confpiracy among the Crew to run away with the Ship, and turn 
Pirates. 16. Sail for the Gallapagos Iflands. 17. Meet with Captain Shelvocke very unexpectedly 
on the Coaf of Mexico. 18* Separate from him again , and go to the Eaft Indies. 19. Arrive 
at Guam, and are very ill treated by the Governor. 20. Continue their Voyage thence for China. 
21. Come into the Port of Amoy with great Difficulty. 22. A Mutffi there, in which Captain Clip- 
perton is deprived of his Command. 23. The Confequences of that Mutiny , and the Captains Care for 
his Owners. 24. Their Arrival at Macao. 25. The Crew feparate , and ffiift for themfelves. 
26. Captain Clipperton returns Horne , and dies of a broken Heart. 27. Remarks upon the Voyage. 
: i . T the time that the Affairs of this Nation, and with Spain , or Spain broke with us, refolved, about the 
fl\ of all Europe, were extremely embarraffed, by Beginning of the Year 1718, to fit out two Ships for the 
I 1 Difputes between the late Emperor Charles VI. South Seas, in hopes that they might make as happy a 
'and his Catholic Majedy King Philip V. of Spain , and Voyage as the Duke arid Duchefs had done, under the Com- 
the Quadruple Alliance was negotiating, fome Merchants mand of Captain W oodes Rogers ; and, with this View, 
liere g forefeeing that it could not be long before we broke they provided two fine Ships, in every refped fit for the 
6 " Voyage; 
