Chap.. L Captain Abel Jansen T ASMA N. 3 3 3 
Settlements in ten Months ; and if the Trade was found 
to anfwer, it might encourage the fettling a Colony at Ma- 
dagafcar , to and from which Ships might, with the gr.eateft 
Conveniency, carry on the Trade to New Guiney . I can- 
not fay how far fuch a Trade might be confiftent with their 
prefent Charter ; but if it fhould be found advantageous to 
the Public, and beneficial to the Company, I think there 
can be no Reafon affigned, why it fhould not be fecurecl 
to them, and that too in the moil effectual manner. 
A very fmall Progrefs in it would reftore the Reputation 
of the Company, and in time, perhaps, free the Nation 
from the annual Expence fhe is now at, for the Support of 
the Forts and Garifons belonging to that Company on the 
Coafts of Africa ; which would alone prove of great and 
immediate Service, both to the Public, and to the Com- 
pany : To fay the Truth, fomething of this Sort is abfo- 
lutely necefifary to vindicate the Expence the Nation is at ; 
for if the Trade, for the Carrying on of which a Com- 
pany is eftabli fiaed, proves, by a Change of Circumftances, 
incapable of fupporting that Company, and thereby brings 
a Load upon the Public, this ought to be a Motive, it 
ought, indeed, to be the ftrongeft Motive, for that Com- 
pany to endeavour the Extenfion of its Commerce, or the 
ftriking out, if poffible, fome new Branch of Trade, which 
may reftore it to its former Splendor ; and in this as it 
hath an apparent Right, fo there is not the lead: Reafon to 
doubt, that it would meet with all the Countenance and 
Aftiftance from the Government, that it could reafonably 
expeX or defire. 
If fuch a Defign fhould ever be attempted, perhaps the 
Ifland of New Britain might be the propereft Place for 
them to fettle. As to the Situation, Extent, and prefent 
Condition of that Ifland, all that can be faid of it muft be 
taken from the Account given by its Difcoverer Captain 
Dam-pier \ which, in few Words, amounts to this : ‘The 
c Ifland which I call Nova Britannia , has about 4 0 of La- 
* titude, the Body of it lying in 4 0 , the Northermoft: 
s Part in 2 0 30', and the Southermoft in 6^ 30’. It has 
‘ about 5 0 18' Longitude from Eaft to Weft ; it is gene- 
4 rally high mountainous Land, mixed with large Valleys, 
4 which, as well as the Mountains* appeared very fertile ; 
4 and in moft Places that we faw, the Trees are very large, 
* tall, and thick. It is alfo very well inhabited, with 
4 ftrong well-limbed Negroes, whom we found very dare- 
4 ing and bold at feveral Places : As to the ProduX of it, 
4 it is very probable, this Ifland may afford as many rich 
4 Commodities as any in the World ; and the Natives may 
4 be eafily brought to Commerce, though I could not pre- 
4 tend to it in my Circumftancesd If any Objections 
fhould be raifed from Dampiers Misfortune in that 
Voyage, it is eafy to fhew* that it ought to have no 
manner of Weight whatever, fince, though he was an ex- 
cellent Pilot, he is allowed to have been but a bad Com- 
mander : Befides, the Roebuck , in which he failed, was a 
worn-out Frigate, that would hardly fwim ; and it is no 
great Wonder, that in fo crazy a Veflfel the People were 
a little impatient at being Abroad on Difcoveries : Yet, 
' after all, he performed what he was fent for ; and, by the 
Difcovery of this Ifland of New Britain , fecured us an in- 
difputable Right to a Country, that is, or might be made, 
very valuable. 
It is fo fituated, that a great Trade might be carried on 
from thence through the whole Berra Auftralis on one Side, 
and the moft valuable Iflands of the Eaft Indies on the 
other. In fhort, all, or at leaft moft, of the Advantages 
propofed by the Dutch IFeJl India Company’s joining with 
their Eaft India Company, of which a large Account has 
already been given, might be procured for this Nation, by 
the eftablifhing a Colony in this Ifland of New Britain , and 
fecuring the Trade of that Colony to the African Company 
by Law the very pafting of which Law would give the 
Company more than fufficient Credit, to fit out a Squadron 
at once, capable of fecuring the Pofleftion of that Ifland, 
and of giving the Public fuch SatisfaXion as to its Im- 
portance, as might be requifite to obtain further Power and 
Affiftance from the State, if that fhould be found neceflfary. 
It would be very eafy to point out fome Advantages pecu- 
liarly convenient for that Company ; but it will be time 
enough to think of thefe, whenever the African Company 
Numb, 23. 
fhall difcover an Inclination to profecute this Defign. At 
prefent I have done what I propofed, and have fheWn, that 
fuch a ColleXion of Voyages as this, ought not to be con- 
fidered as a Work of mere Amufement, but as a Work 
calculated for the Benefit of Mankind in general, and of 
this Nation in particular, which it is the Duty of every 
Man to promote in his Station ; and whatever Fate thefe 
Reflexions may meet with, I fhall have always the Satif- 
faXion of remembring, that I have not negleXed it in 
mine, but have taken the utmoft Pains to turn a Courfe of 
laborious Reading to the Advantage of my Country. 
But, fuppofing that neither of thefe Companies fhould 
think it expedient, or, in other Words, fhould not think 
it confiftent with their Intereft, to attempt this Difcovery, 
there is yet a third Company, within the Spirit of whofe 
Charter, I humbly conceive, the Profecution of fuch a 
Scheme immediately lies. The Reader will eafily dif- 
cern, that I mean the Company for carrying on a Trade 
to the South Seas, who, notwithftanding the Extenfive- 
nefs of their Charter, confirmed and fupported by Autho- 
rity of Parliament, have not, fo far as my Information 
reaches, ever attempted to fend fo much as a Angle Ship 
for the fake of Difcoveries into the South Seas, which, 
however, was the great Point propofed when this Com- 
pany was firft eftablifhed. In order to prove this, I need 
only lay before the Reader the Limits affigned that Com- 
pany by their Charter, the Subftance of which is contained 
in the following Words. 
‘ The Corporation, and their Succeffors, fhall, for ever, be 
4 veiled in the foie Trade into and from all the Kingdoms 
4 and Lands on the Eaft Side of America , from the River 
4 Oroonoco , to the Southermoft Part o f Berra del Fuego, and 
4 on the Weft Side thereof from the faid Southermoft Part of 
4 Berra del Fuego , thro’ the South Sea, to the Northermoft 
4 Part of America , and into atid thro’ all the Countries, Iflands, 
4 and Places within the faid Limits, which are reputed to be- 
4 long to Spain , or which fhall hereafter be found out and 
4 difcovered within the Limits aforefaid, not exceeding 
4 300 Leagues from the Continent of America , between the 
4 Southermoft Part of the Berra del Fuego and the North- 
4 ermoft Part of America , on the faid Weft Side thereof, 
4 except the Kingdom of Brafil, and fuch other Places on 
4 the Eaft Side of America , as are now in the Pofleftion of 
4 the King of Portugal , and the Country of Surinam , in 
4 the Poffeffion of the States General. The faid Company, 
4 and none elfe, are to trade within the faid Limits ; and, 
4 if any other Perfons fhall trade to the South Seas, they 
4 fhall forfeit the Ship and Goods, and double Value, one- 
4 fourth Part to the Crown, and another fourth Part to the 
4 Prolecutor, and the other two-fourths to the Ufe of the 
4 Company. And the Company fhall be the foie Owners 
4 of the Iflands, Forts, &c. which they fhall difcover within 
4 the faid Limits, to be held of the Crown, under an an- 
4 nual Rent of an Ounce of Gold, and of all Ships taken 
4 as Prizes by the Ships of the faid Company : And the 
4 Company may feize, by Force of Arms, all other Britijh 
4 Ships trading in thofe Seas.’ 
It is, I think, impoflible for any Man to imagine, that 
either thefe Limits fhould be fecured to the Company 
for no Purpofe in the World ; or that thefe Prohibitions and 
Penalties fhould take place, notwithftanding the Company’s 
never attempting to make any Ufe of thefe Powers : From 
whence I infer, that it was the Intent of the Legislature, that 
new Difcoveries fhould be made, new Plantations fettled, 
and a new Trade carried on, by this new Corporation, 
agreeable to the Rules prefcribed, and for the general Be- 
nefit of this Nation ; which, I apprehend, was chiefly .con- 
fidered in the providing, that this new Commerce fhould 
be put tinder the Management of a particular poippany. 
But I am very well aware of an ObjeXion that may be made 
to what I have advanced •, viz. that, from my own fhew- 
ing, this Southern Continent lies abfolutely without their 
Limits ; and that there is alfo a Provifo in the Charter of 
that Company, that feems particularly calculated to exclude 
it, fince it recites, That 
4 The Agents of the Company fhall not fail beyond the 
4 Southermoft Parts of T 'err a del Fuego , except through 
4 the Streights of Magellan , or round B erra del Fuego ; nor 
4 go from thence to any Part, of the Eaft Indies , nor return 
4 Q 4 to 
