662 
The HISTO R T of the Book J. 
which nothing could carry an Author but the Love of Truth. 
If either the Search of Eafe to myfelf, or the Defire of acquir- 
ing falfe Fame by amufing my Readers with pleafant Re- 
lations, could hate diverted me from the Execution of 
the Plan laid down at the Opening of this Chapter $ I might 
undoubtedly have taken my Journey over plainer Ground, 
and through a more cultivated Country, I mean that of 
fufpicious Voyages, where we are more indebted to the 
Imagination, than to the Induftry of the Writers ; but I 
was convinced, that this kind of Hiftory of the Indies * 
was. a thing equally wanted and defired to compleat the 
Univenal -Hiftory, if I may fo fpeak, of Voyages and 
T ravels *, I thought I Ihould render a greater Service to 
the Publick in compiling what had never been digefted 
before, than by tacking together Piece after Piece, that 
had been before made publick : As this is now finifhed, 
and we enter in the next Seftion on modern Voyages, I flat- 
ter myfelf, the Reader will, at every Step, difceVn the 
great Importance, and Angular Utility of the' foreuoino- 
Part of this Chapter. 
SECTION XXIIL 
i 
A compleat Hiftory of the Rife and Progrefs of the Portugueze Empire in the Eaft-Indies; 
their Difcoveries fet forth in their natural Order ; the Form of their Government in 
thofe Parts explained ; the Caufes of the Declenfion of their Power examined ; and the 
, prefent Pofture of their Affairs, in this Part of the TV or Id, truly fated* 
% 
Collected chiefly from their own Writers. 
X. An introductory Difcourfe , fhewing the Defign of this Sedition, and the Method obferved therein. 2. The 
Difcoveries made by the Portugueze in the fifteenth Century , and the Motives which induced them to attempt 
a ?iew Pafage to the Indies. 3. The Difcovery of the Cape of Good Hope, by Bartholomew Diaz, and 
the Reafons why it was fo called. 4. The glorious Expedition of Vafquez de Gama to the Indies, by this 
new Pafage , and his Exploits there. 5. The fecond Voyage to the Indies, under the Command of Don Pedro 
Alvarez de Capral, who in his Pafage difcovcred Brazil. 6. The King of Portugal fends Don Vafquez de 
Gama again into the Eaft. 7. Affairs of the Portugueze to the Arrival of the two Albuquerques 
in the Indies. 8 . Don Francis d’Almeyda fent with the Title of Viceroy. 9. The noble Acts, and exten - 
five Conquefis of Don Alphonfo d’ Albuquerque. 10. The great Wars carried on by , and the prodigious 
Succefs of the Portugueze in the Indies. 11. A fuccinSi Account of their Affairs to the Union of the 
Crowns of Spain and Portugal. 12. The Reafons which oblige us to diflinguijh between their Conquefs and 
Difcoveries. 13. The Maldives and Ceylon, firfl known to the Portugueze. 14. They vifit Sumatra, and 
the adjacent Iflands . 1 5. The important Difcovery of the Moluccas, or Spice-Iflands. 16. The Portugueze 
fir ft vifit the Coafts of China. 1 7. The Iflands de los Ladrones, dif covered. 1 8. The large Iftand of Celebes, 
fir ft vifit ed by the Portugueze. 19. They dif cover likewife the Iflands in the Str eights of Sonda. 20. The 
Coafts of New Guinea, firft known to the Europeans. 21. The Difcovery and Conquefi of the Philippines. 
22. The firft Voyage made by the Portugueze to Japan. 23. Attempts made to dif cover the Land of Yedzo, 
and to the North. 24. The Hiftory of the New Philippines, never before publifted in our Language. 
25. An Account of the Caroline Iflands , the loft difcovered in this Part of the Globe. 26. The Hiftory of 
the Portugueze Commerce in the Indies, refumed. 27. Several of their principal Colonies loft , to whom and 
how. 28. The great Declenfion of their Power in the Indies. 29. The Caufes of that Declenfion inquired 
into , and explained. 30. The prefent State of the Portugueze Settlements and Commerce. 31. Their Im- 
portance to the Crown of Portugal confdered. 32. Conjectures as to the future State of their Affairs . 
33. Obfervations and Remarks upon the foregoing Section. 
1. rpHE Difcoveries and Conquefts of the Portugueze 
I take up not only fo large a Part of their own Hi- 
ftories, but make fo confiderable a Figure in thofe of Europe , 
and above all concern the Subject of this Chapter fo nearly, 
that I find myfelf obliged to treat this Matter in fuch an 
Extent, as that it may anfwer the Reader’s Expectations, 
and fulfil what I have promifed for it in the original Plan of 
this Work. We have already many large and well writ- 
ten Books in feveral Languages, and fome in our own, 
which promife a compleat Pliflory of the Exploits of this 
Nation in the Eaft 5 but none of thefe come up to what I 
have in View. They take in only a certain Period of 
Time, and are rather calculated to inform us of the Ac- 
tions of the feveral Admirals, Governors, and Command- 
ers in chief, than to give us a compleat Idea of the Rife, 
Progrefs, and Declenfion of the Portugueze Power in thofe 
Parts, which is what I aim at, and which, God willing, 
fhall be performed in the Compafs of this Section. 
But to keep within due Bounds, and to bring fo vafl a 
Field of Matter within Compafs, I have found it neceffary 
for my Reader’s Eafe, and my own, to have Recourfe to 
the following Method. In the firft place, I fhall give a 
general and fuccind Account with due Regard to Perfons 
Circumftances, and Time, of the firft Difcoveries and Con- 
quefts of the Portugueze , the Growth of their Empire in the 
Eaft, and their feveral Eftablifhments, till other European 
Nations began to interfere with them in thofe Parts, with- 
out running into any Digreftions as to the Difcoveries made 
by particular Perfons, and by this means I hope to give a 
clear and eafy Account of that great Alteration made in the 
Commerce of all Europe , by the Difcovery of a dired Paf- 
fage by Sea to the Indies. But as in the fubfequent Part of 
this Work, it will be found extremely requifite to have R&- 
courfe to the particular Difcoveries and firft Intercourfe be- 
tween the Portugueze and feveral Indian Nations, I fhall 
next endeavour to ftate with all the Brevity that is confiftent 
with fuch a Defign, the particular Difcoveries that have 
been made by this Nation, or by the Spaniards , who ac- 
quired all that they poffefs in the Eaft-Indies , in right of 
the Portugueze down to the prefent Age ; and when this is 
done, I fhall refume the general Hiftory of their Empire, 
fhew the true Caufes of its Declenfion, and conclude with 
a fair and diftind Account of their prefent Poffeffions in 
thofe Parts. 
This, I conceive, will fully anfwer our Intention of re- 
prefenting as accurately as is pofiible the Progrefs of this 
Trade, which, with fo much Labour, we have conduded 
from the very earlieft Ages ; and in this manner of ftating 
it, the Matter contained in this Sedion, though not abfo- 
lutely new in itfelf, will, however, appear in a Light very 
different from that in which it has hitherto flood in any 
Colledion of this fort. It will be eafy to difeern, that die 
reducing 
