Fhe Pliflory of the French Eaft-India Commerce, Sc c. Book I. 
fhould, for the future, be as regularly paid, as ever they 
had been in Times paft. It is from this general Account, 
that Strangers, as well as the Proprietors of this Company, 
have come to fo diftinCt a Knowledge of their Affairs ; 
fince, had it not been for this unforefeen and unexpected 
Accident, they would never have let the World into the 
Truth of an Affair which they had concealed with fo 
much Care for fuch a Number of Years. We will begin 
with the Account of the Shipping employed by the Com- 
pany in the Indies , which will demonftrate the Truth of 
what has already been advanced upon this SubjeCt, both 
as to the Matter and Manner of it : But then the Reader 
is to obferve, that the fame Number of Ships were fent an- 
nually from Bengal as from Pondicherry , and confequently 
the Numbers of this Lift are to be doubled. In the next 
Place, he is to take Notice, that the Sums fet down are 
the Prime-coft of the Goods in India. And, laftly, 
that the Value of a Pagoda is about nine French Livres, 
or feven Shillings and Six-pence of our Money ; by the 
Help of which Diredlions this Table will be found to com- 
prehend a fhort Hiftory of the Progrefs of this Com- 
pany, to the prefent Time. 
A Scheme of the Commerce of the French Company 
of the Indies, Jhewing the Number of Ships re- 
turning annually from Pondicherry, and the Va- 
lue of their Cargoes . 
From 1727 to 1742, inclufive. 
In Ships. PagodaV. 
1727, Odlober 
1728, January 3 248,265 
September 
1729, January 3 20,03a 
September 
1 730, January 3 -248,083 
Odlober 
1 731, January 4 — 600,711 
Odlober 
1732, January 4 302,006 
September 
1733, January 4 — 260,640 
September 
1734, February 4 — — 392,987 
September 
1 735 i January 4 —375,341 
September 
1 73 6 > January 3 223,484 
Odlober 
J 737 > January 5 — 351,691 
Odlober 
1738, January 5 — — 522,315 
Odlober 
1 739 ? January 5 586,156 
Odlober 
1740, January 4 —485,732 
Odlober 
1741, January 4 —555,643 
Odlober 
1742, January 7 —954,376 
It would be needlefs to fatigue the Reader with the reft 
of this Report, calculated only to fhew that the prefent 
Stop of their Dividends, was a Meafure abfolutely necef- 
fary for the Company, as well as the State, and alike cal- 
culated for the Service of both ; fince, on the one Hand, 
it would enable his Majefty to employ, for the prefling 
Occafions of his Government, thofe Sums which otherwife 
the Company might have made ufe of ; and on the other, 
though it might be a prefent Inconvenience to the Pro- 
prietors to raife this Money for their own Service, yet it 
would entirely take away another Inconvenience to which 
4 hey had long been fubjeCt, viz. their not having a fuffi- 
cient Fund of their own to carry on their Trade, which 
hindered them from receiving general Accounts, or know- 
ing the true State of their Affairs, and when they might 
expert to have their ftated and annual Dividends augment- 
4 
ed by the Profits arifing from their Traffiek, which 
they were now given to underftand was a Thing not far 
off, and ought therefore to confole them for the Trou- 
ble they were put to by this unfortunate Accident. 
I fhall not pretend to reafon on thefe Particulars, or to 
point out the Caufes why all thefe Affurances have given 
fo little Satisfaction : It is fufficient for our Purpofe, that 
the Fall of their Actions has very fully demonftrated the 
Truth of the FaCt, that they have given no Satisfaction, 
and that the Affairs of this Company are at prefent in a 
very lamentable Condition, and are not likely to be in a 
better, at leaft, fo long as the War continues. Our Bufi- 
nefs is now to conclude the SeCtion, with a few ufeful Re- 
marks, deduced from the FaCts contained in it, hitherto un- 
publifhed in our own, or any other Language, but entirely 
collected from Memoirs furniflied to me by fome intelli- 
gent and inquifitive Perfons, who thought it would be of 
publick Service, to have the true State and Condition of 
this French Company of the Indies exhibited to the View 
of the Englifh Reader. This like wife muff be my Apo- 
logy for the fmall Delay which the waiting for thefe Me- 
moirs has occafioned, and which, I hope, will be fully 
attoned for by their Publication. 
1 5. After the Reader has perufed this Hiftory, he will 
not need many Arguments to perfuade him, that Trade, 
or, at leaft, the Commerce of the Indies , is by no means 
fui table to the Genius, Difpofition, or Condition of the 
French Nation, fince he fees not only how often Attempts 
of this Sort have mifcarried, but alfo how hardly, and with 
what prodigious Difficulties they have been ever brought 
to fucceed in any tolerable Degree, notwithftanding all the 
Pains and Afliftance the Government has bellowed upon 
them. In all other Countries, but particularly Great-Bri- 
tain and Holland , Undertakings of this Sort have been 
the Work of private Men in the Beginning, and have ne- 
ver claimed the Aid, or even the Protection of the State, 
till they were in fome Degree of Forwardnefs, and then 
only from the Apprehenfion of this Difficulty, that the 
Defire of Gain might engage fuch Numbers of Adventu- 
rers in the fame Branch of Commerce as might prove pre- 
judicial both to the Publick and to themfelves. 
But in France it has been quite otherwife ; private Peo- 
ple never did any thing till excited and encouraged by the 
Government, and then were able to do little more than 
ruin themfelves, by launching out into Enterprizes beyond 
their Abilities. This evidently demonftrates, that Com- 
merce, at leaft extenfive Commerce, is not the natural 
Growth of the Climate of France ; and therefore, though 
with much Care and Cultivation, it may be brought 'to 
fome Degree of Perfection ; yet it can never be naturali- 
zed, or brought to grow fpontaneoufly in that Region, 
but will be ever drooping and pining, if the Care necef- 
fary at the firft Raifing it, be either through Negligence, 
or by Accident withdrawn. It may indeed, be faid, and 
the FaCts laid down in the foregoing SeCtion,* may be 
brought to prove it, that fome great Minifters have fhewn 
Talents equal to, if not exceeding thofe of Merchants, for 
extending, maintaining, and fupporting Trade ; but then 
the Trade they fupport mult be temporary, and can laft 
no longer than they have Power, which is fo precarious 
a Situation, that no extenfive or advantageous Trade can 
flourifh therein. 
But this is not the only Contingency neither, for how 
well foever a Minifter may be difpofed, it will be impofli- 
ble for him to aCt but in favourable Conjunctures, that is 
to fay, in a Time of full Peace, when his Matter’s Affairs 
are perfectly well fettled, as well as his own Fo^er ; for, 
if there be any thing wanting as to either, it is impoflible 
that the Commerce under his Protection fhould thrive. 
What we have feen therefore in this fhort Hiftory of the 
Company of the Indies , proves no more than that once 
or twice in two or three Centuries, France has a Chance of 
fixing fuch an Eftablifhment, and that is all. The whole 
Series of the Hiftory of that Kingdom hardly furnifhes 
an Inftance of fo fteady an Admin iftration as, from the 
time of the Death of the Duke of Orleans , to that 
of Cardinal Fleur y ; fo that we may look upon the Con- 
fequence. of this Adminiftration as 4 kind of Miracle. 
4 1 ? 
