824 A Supplemental Account of the Commodities* Book L 
.Child is boro, presently the Father and Kindred go to fee 
the 'Name of the Beaft by .. which the Hour was called 
when the Child ; was bom, believing that Animal will 
prove fatal to it. The prefent King of Tunguin was born 
in the Hour of the Horfe, and he would never give Au- 
dience, nor ftir out of the TIoufe, for fear feme Mifchief 
fhould befal him at that Time. And the fame Prince hav- 
ing a Child that died in the fifth Month, which is called 
by the Name of the Horfe, would not fuffer him to be 
buried, but caufed him to be burnt, and icattered his 
Allies in the Air. 
Thus far our Author, whofe confimimate Knowledge 
of the Country, People, and Commerce of the Indies , 
enabled him to enter more thoroughly into thefe Points 
than it was in the Power of any other Writer to, do. His 
Travels through Perjia , his feverai Journi.es by Land 
through the belt Part of Jfia, are no lefs excellent in 
themfelves, but are referved to furnifh. another Part of 
this' Work. 
But there remains however a Portion of his Labours, 
which, indifputably, claim our Notice here,inafmuch as they 
contain whatever is neceffary towards underftanding the 
Oeconomy of all the Nations that inhabit India , their 
Manner of Living among themfelves, and, with refpeCt 
to others, the Nature of their Manufactures, the Method 
of the carrying on domeftick Commerce, and, above all, 
that Relation which the Trades of India have to each 
other *, the Routs from their great Cities, the Nature of 
their Carriages and Caravans; and, in a Word, the De- 
tail of that Induftry, which, if I may be allowed the Ex- 
preffion, originally eftablifhed, and has ftill preferved the 
Trade of the Indies. I know the Phrafe is hard, but I know 
too that it is not in my Power to explain it better ; for it 
is not the natural Wealth alone of thefe Countries that have 
rendered them famous, that have in all Ages attracted the 
Trade of the whole World to them, and thereby made 
the Commerce of the Indies the great Commerce of the 
Univerfe. 
It is not, I fay, the Wealth alone of thefe Countries, 
’ but the Induftry, the Labour, and Add-refs of the Inha- 
bitants, by which we muft underftand the native Inhabi- 
tants, now called Banjans ; for, as to the Turks, and Tar- 
tars , they have been fo far from contributing thereto, that, 
in fad;, they feem to have made it their Bufinefs to op- 
prefs and cramp this -Spirit, by their tyranical Govern- 
ment. But, it feems, this Spirit of Induftry has been too 
hard, even for their Cruelty, and ftill fubfifts to fuch a De- 
gree, as to excite the Wonder of the beft Judges, as well as 
to outdo every thing of the fame kind in other Parts of the 
World, China only excepted. This will manifeftly appear 
from the fubfequent Section, from which we may fuffici- 
ently gather, what a mighty Figure the Indians muft have 
made in ancient Times, before the People were under the 
Oppreflipn of a foreign Yoke, before their Spirits were 
broken by the Tyranny of their cruel Matters, and before 
their Manners were corrupted by the Slavery under which 
they groan at prefent. 
It is from hence that we are able to diftinguifh how 
different a Figure they muft have made in thofe early 
Times, when their Religion was pure, when their Go- 
vernment, the moft exact, And beft contrived that ever was 
eftabiiftied in any Country, was in its full Vigour ; when 
their Lav/s had their free Courfe, and the People were 
made happy, by a conftant Obedience, to an excellent 
Conftitution ; when evsry Monarch confidered himfelf as 
Fstner Ot Ins SubjeCts, and when Subjects .'obeyed as 
Children, from a perfect Senfe of their own Happinefs, 
flowing from this Ooedience ; when, in iliort, every Prin- 
cipality was no other than one large Family well regulated ; 
and when even the minuteft Matters fell under the No- 
tice or the Laws, and under the Care of the Ma°i~ 
ftrates. *0 
For, if even now, when ail thefe Advantages, are loft, 
the Induftry of the Inhabitants is fo great, their Manufac- 
tures fo many, and carried on with fuch Spirit and Dili- 
gence, their Trade fo extenrive and well managed, as not 
only to employ and enrich themfelves, but- to draw like- 
wife the Attention of other Nations, and a Coneourfe of 
Merchants from the moft diftant Corners of the World, 
what muft it have been in its. former flourifhing Condi- 
tion? What muft it have been in the Times before de- 
fcribed, when they wrought for themfelves, and when their 
Induftry procured Happinefs ; whereas now it purchafes a 
bare Subfiftence ? This will fufficiently demonftrate to the 
intelligent Reader, the Truth of an Obfervation we have fo 
often made, that however Things may have gone in the 
reft of the World, and how muchfoeverMankind may have 
improved elfe where, they muft have neceffariiy declined 
here, and the modern Indies muft, in the Nature of 
Things, fall as far fhort of the Indies in the ancient and 
pnmitive State, as fiom the vaft Advantages which they 
enjoy above other Countries, they feem ftill to excel the 
reft of the World. 
We may from hence gather, what folid, what mighty 
Benefits are derived from a wife and well-fettled Conftiti 
tion, fince even the Relicks and Remains ofit are able to pro- 
duce fuch mighty EffeCts, as we fee amongft the Indians ; and 
from thence we may be taught that all Dangers ought to be 
dared, all Hardfhips undergone, all Fatigues patiently en- 
dured to prevent the Ruin, and avert the Fall of fuch a 
Conftitution. It is true, thefe Leffons may be learned 
nearer home, and there is no Neceffity to travel to the Indies , 
in order to acquire this ufeful Knowledge ; but, in the 
mean time, fince we have a natural Propen fit y to travel, 
fince Books of Voyages are fo much read, and fo juftly 
efteemed, it is furely right, to make them as ufeful as pof- 
fible, by inculcating thefe Leffons, which ought to be per- 
petually in our Minds, becaufe, on our Attention to them, 
depends our Freedom and Felicity. To what Ends do our 
Merchants vifit the moft diftant Countries, expofe them- 
felves to fuch a V ariety of Dangers, and chearfully under- 
go fuch innumerable Fatigues, but that they may bring 
back fufficient Wealth to live at home in Peace ? And, if 
they ad reafonably in this Way, why fhould we not read 
to the fame Purpofe ? Why fhould we not gain, by Expe- 
rience and Reflection, the true Principles of Patriotiftn, 
and a fettled Refolution to profit by other Peoples Mif- 
fortunes, and avoid, by a timely Conflderation of their 
Miferies, what muft, fome time or other, make their Cafe 
our own. We have, what the Indians once had, an excel- 
lent Conftitution, equally capable of bellowing Freedom 
and Felicity : It is to this we owe whatever diftinguifhesus 
from other Nations, our Liberty, our Induftry, our Ma- 
nufactures at home, our Commerce abroad, and, in ftiorf, 
whatever can rendeqLife defirable, or thisWorld valuable. 
I cannot help thinking, therefore, that every Opportunity 
fhould be fought, or, at leaft, every Occafion' taken for 
fetting thefe important Points in their proper Light, and 
thereby recommending, in the ftrongeft manner poffible s 
inviolable Duty to this our beneficent Conftitution. 
4 
SECT. 
