f 
372. The Difcovery, Settlement, and Commerce Book 1 . 
are Hkely to give Satisfaction to the Reader. We fhall alfo 
enter , as far as is neceffary, into the Difputes that have hap- 
pened, in thefe Parts, between 11s and the Dutch ; and par- 
ticularly the famous Affair of Amhoyna , by which we loft 
the Spice Trade; an Affair, which, though it has been 
long ago forgiven, ought never to be forgot, any more 
than the Arts and Contrivances by which we were expelled 
from Bantam in the Ifland of Javan, and other Parts of the 
Eafi Indies. Thefe things being dilpatched, we fhall exa- 
mine the prefent State of the Britijh Empire in that Part 
of the Globe, and give a particular Defcription of the Situa- 
tion and Confequence of each of our Factories, concluding 
with fome Remarks on the Nature and Value of the Eafi 
India Trade with regard to this Nation, more efpecially 
with refpedt to the great Exportation of Bullion, which it 
occafions. By this means we hope to render our Work 
equally agreeable and ufeful to the Subjects of thefe King- 
doms, by fetting in a true Light this important Branch of 
our Commerce, and demonftrating the Neceffity we are 
under, of maintaining and fupporting it, in order to bring 
the general Balance of Trade in our Favour. 
12. The firft Voyages of the Dutch to the Eafi Indies , 
and, in confequence to thofe Voyages, the Eftablifhment of 
their Eafi India Company, a Specimen of the molt import- 
ant Expeditions made under their Direction, and the Ac- 
count which they have been pleafed to give us of their Pro- 
ceedings at Amboyna , will fall here into their proper Place. 
To thefe we fhall add an Account of the (Economy of this 
Company at home, and the Manner in which their vaft Stock 
is managed for the Benefit of the Proprietors •, for, as to their 
Settlements in the Indies , there has been already fo copious 
and fo accurate a Defcription given of them in Commodore 
Roggewein’ s Voyage, that we fhall be under no Neceffity 
of faying any thing more on that Head. 
13. The French Eafi- India Company comes next to be 
confidered ; a Company not formed, like the reft, in con- 
fequence of Voyages made at private Expence, and in Com- 
pliance with the Genius and Defires of the People ; but 
Springing from a political Principle, projected by Minifters, 
and fettled, according to their good Pleaiure, by the Power 
of the Crown ; and this,, too, after numerous Efforts, and 
repeated Difappointments. We fhall infift the more parti- 
cularly on the Rife and Progrefs of this Company, or ra- 
ther enter into a Detail of the feveral Eafi India Compa- 
nies formed in France , in order to fhew how hard it is to 
force the Spirit, and model the Inclinations, of a People 
after the Will of the Government, even when the Will of the 
Government is, in fome meafure, right, and agreeable to 
the Interefts of the People. We fhall particularly defcribe 
the Methods, by which the two great Minifters, Richelieu 
and Colbert , obliged the French Nation to think of fettling 
themfelves effectually in the Indies ; and we fhall render it 
evident, that nothing but the fteady Care and conftant At- 
tention of their Succeffors, to the Principles by them laid 
down, overcame thofe Obftacles that at firfl feemed infur- 
mountable, and at laft brought this Project to bear, and 
put the Affairs of the French Eafi India Company into a 
flourifhing Condition. 
We fhall laftly give a full and diftindt Account of that 
Company, in refpect of its (Economy at home, as well as 
Its Settlements abroad ; and the Effects, which, in time, 
and by the Continuance of its T rade, it may have in regard 
to the general Commerce of the Indies , and the Trade of 
Europe . Thefe, we have Reafon to believe, will be fo much 
the more acceptable to our Readers, becaufe they are abfo- 
lutely new, and have not hitherto been treated, at leaft, 
clearly, methodically, and from authentic Memoirs, in our 
Language. 
14. It was the Succefs of this laft, as well as of the 
Englijh and Dutch Companies, that railed, about twenty 
Years ago, fo ftrong a Spirit of Trading to the Indies , 
throughout all Europe , and which firft difplayed itfelf in 
the Attempt made to fettle a Company for that Purpofe at 
Qfiend, under the Protedion of the late Emperor Charles VL 
We fhall give a fuccindl Account of the Origin, Pro- 
grefs, and Declenfion, of that Company ; and fhall fhew 
the Confequences that might probably have attended its Efta- 
blifhment, if it had not been oppofed fo vigoroufiy by the 
maritime Powers. This will naturally bring us to the Com- 
panies that have been fince erected, or rather revived, in 
Sweden and Denmark , with greater Succefs, than could well 
have been expedited, and which, profecutedwith the fame Dili- 
gence and Attention that have hitherto been bellowed upon 
them, mu ft neceffarily be brought to that Perfection, which 
has been thought incompatible with the Genius of thofe 
Nations, the Nature of their Governments, and the Strength 
their maritime Force. We fhall likewife take notice of 
of the Trade carried on to China by the Ruffians , and the 
Conveniencies they have for eftablifhing and extending it, 
together with fome Thoughts on the Confequences of our 
new Trade through Mufcovy to Perjia , and the vaft Regions 
of Great Tartary , which may poffibly be improved into a 
Commerce of as great Confequence, or, at leaft, of as great 
Profit, as that which we now carry on to the Indies. 
15. In the Conclufion of the Chapter we fhall compare 
the old and new Trade to the Indies ; examine the Advan- 
tages and Difadvantages of both, and the Confequence of 
this Commerce to the Eaftern Nations, and to the People 
of Europe in general . From which it will appear, that the 
Prejudices entertained againft this Trade, on account of the 
great Exportation of Silver which it occafions, are but in- 
differently founded ; and that the neceffary Attendants upon, 
this Commerce, provided it be properly managed, will 
much more than balance this Inconveniency, and prove the 
means of enriching Europe in a much higher Degree, than 
it is fuppofed to be impoveriffied by the fending out fuch 
Quantities of Bullion. 
Such is the Plan of this Part of our Work, which, tho ? 
very extenfive, is, however, fo regular, that, by the Per- 
ufal of this Section, the Reader cannot but be convinced, 
the Subject could not have been treated in lefsroom to any 
Purpofe. The Importance of it is fo great, that it may 
well juftify the Labour and Pains that it will coft in the Exe- 
cution ; and every Part of it will be fo curious and enter- 
taining, as well as ufeful and inftructive, will comprehend 
the Subftance of fo great a Number of valuable Books, and 
convey fo large a Proportion of practical Knowledge, in 
comparifon of the Bulk of the Chapter, that there is the 
greateft Reafon to believe our Readers will not think their 
Time at all mif-fpent in its Perufal. 
It is but a very few Years ago, that the Difputes about 
this Commerce to the Eafi Indies divided and diffracted all 
Europe : And it is very eafy to forefee, that, in the 
Courfe of a few Years, the fame Difputes muft neceffarily 
be revived with as great Warmth as ever; efpecially if there 
be any Truth in what fome People have furmifed in Hol- 
land , as to the Intention of the King of Pruffia to eftablifh 
a new Eafi India Company at Embden in Eafi Friejland. If 
this fhould ever take Effect, it would create greater Appre- 
henfions, efpecially in the Dutch , and with more Reafon, 
than the Attempt made to fix fuch a Company at Ofiend , 
becaufe, from the Situation of that Port, they would have 
much greater Reafon to fear the Ruin of a great Part of 
their Trade in Germany. 
Upon thefe Motives we have been led to handle this im- 
portant and interefting Subject in all its Branches, every 
Section of which will be a complete Treatife in its Kind \ 
and its Relation to, and Connexion with, the reft of the 
Work will immediately appear, by referring to the Scheme 
of the Whole, as it is in this Sedtion delivered. We have 
now nothing more to add, but an Affurance, that the fame 
Diligence fhall be ufed in rendering every Part of the Chap- 
ter as perfedlas poffible, that we hope is difcoverable in this 
large and particular Account of the whole Defign, intended as 
well to manifeft the Attention fhewn in compofing it, as to 
give fuch a Key to the whole Chapter, as may fervethe Pur- 
pofes before-mentioned. 
SECTION 
