9 7 6 
The Hiftory of the Danifh- Com mer ce 
Book I. 
SECTION XXXVII. 
TThe ITijhry of the Danifh Commerce to the Eaft-Indies, their Cftabli foments there , the De- 
cay of their Old Company^ and the Motives which induced them to Jet up a New 
One . 
Interfperfed with Original Papers and Memoirs. 
j. The Danes anciently very powerful by Sea , famous for maritime Expeditions , and always remarkable for 
, keeping up a confiderable naval Force in the North. 2. Their frfi Voyages to the Indies 3 their EJlabliJhment 
on the Coafl ^/'Corromandel, their Fortrefs and Town of Tranquebar, or Trincombar, and the Fate of their 
Colony there . 3. An Account of their long War with the Rajah tf/’Tanjour, the Siege qp Tranquebar, the In- 
trigues of the Dutch to the Prejudice of the Danes, and the Relief of that Town by the Englith, thro * the 
Generofity of Mr. Pitt, Governor of Fort St. George. 4. The Hijlory of the Danifh Colony , continued 
down to the Time of the New Eaft-India Subfcription at Hambourgh on the Fall of the Offend Compa- 
ny. 5. An impartial View of' the new Efablijhmenty or the Incorporation of the New Company at Al~ 
tena, with the Old Eaft-India Company at Copenhagen. 6. Objections raifed againfl that Efablijhmenty 
and the Probability of its fucceeding in its Commerce, y. Anfwers to thofe Objections , and a farther Ac- 
count of the Privileges and Immunities granted to the incorporated Company by his Danifh Majefty. 8. The 
Oppofition made to the New Company (as it was called ) at Altena by the Maritime Powers , Metnorials pre- 
sented on this Subject to the Court of Denmark, and Ifue of that Difpute. 9. The thorough Completion 
of this Scheme under the Aufpice of the prefent King ( then Prince ) 0/* Denmark, and Progrefs of this incor- 
porated Company y from its Foundation to the prefent Time. 
1. *T^HE Danes were anciently as remarkable fora themfelves as much by Commerce as ever their Fore- 
« Naval Force as any Country in the North , fathers did by Courage and Force, as from the Contents 
A which manifeftly appears, not only from their of the prefent Section, we ftiall evidently make ap- 
Chronicles, but ours. It was by this Means that they be- pear. 
came Lords of almoft all the Countries round about them, 2. It was very early in the laft Century that the Danes 
and were fo formidable by their Fleets as to undertake va- thought of attempting a Trade to the Eaft-Indies ; and 
rious Expeditions into remote Countries. Thus, under about the Year 1612, King Chriftiaq IV. granted his Pro- 
the Name of Normans , they conquered a Part of France , tedion to a Company eftablifhed at Copenhagen, for carrying 
and even fettled themfelves in the Kingdom of Naples, on a Commerce from thence to the Indies . The Capital of 
It: is true, that the naval Concerns of Europe were then in this new Company confifted of two hundred and fifty 
a Condition very different from what they are now ; yet Shares, of the Value of One thoufand Rixdollars each, 
this, inftead of leffening, will, to a Man of good Senfe and about four Years afterwards they fitted out fome Vef- 
and Confideration, rather increafe the Difficulty •, for if fels for the Indies y with ftich Succefs that they eftablifhed 
we find it fo hard with all the Advantages we enjoy to themfelves on the Coaft of Corromandel y at no great Di- 
tranfport a fmall Body of Troops to the oppofite Part of fiance from the French Settlement at Pondicherry. The 
the Continent, what muft we think of the Danes landing Name of this Place is very differently written ; the Portu- 
fuch numerous Armies in this Eland, in France , and in gueze and Indians call it Tranguebar , the Englijh Sailors 
other Countries. Trincombar ; but I take the true Name of it to be Tran- 
Thefe Fads are not to be difputed, and, at prefent, it quebar. 
is not my Bufinefs to account for them ; all I aim at is, to It is fituated fifteen Miles to the Northward of Nega- 
fhew that the Danes had many Ages ago a great Maritime patan y and enjoys a confiderable Trade. The Danes have 
Power, and I believe Experience will fhew, that- where built here a regular Fort, faced with Stone, and furround- 
once a Nation has been poffeffed of fuch a Power, and ef- ed with a deep Mote, which makes it efteemed one of the 
capes being conquered by her Neighbours, fhe generally ftrongeft Fortreffes in the Indies. The Town alfo, 
preferves fomewhat of her ancient Spirit, which exerts which is about two Miles in Circumference, is furrounded 
itfelf, more or lefs, as Occafions offer, and is never totally with a noble Wall, faced with Stone, having large Bafti- 
overwhelmed. If the Danes had applied themfelves more ons at proper Diftances, mounted with Cannon. The 
to Trade, and lefs to foreign Conquefts, they would have Houfes which the Danes and other Europeans inhabit, are ( 
made a much more confiderable Figure in Europe than at of Brick or Stone, built all upon a Floor, but commodi- 
this Time they do, fince it is certain that their being dri- ous enough ; the Streets are wide and ftrait, and payed 
ven out of Sweeden and Part of Norway , exhaufted them on the Sides with Brick , but the Houfes of the Indians 
extreamly, and the Civil Wars in their own Country prov- are very mean, having Clay- Walls, and thatched Roofs, 
ed another great Caufe of weakening their Force. as in moft other I owns of India. 1 he Garrifon is not 
Yet they have never been totally deprived of Maritime anfwerable to fo large an Extent of Ground, confifting 
Power, or of a Maritime Spirit, but have frequently only of one hundred and fifty Europeans , or theieabouts, 
fhewn an Inclination to attempt confiderable Difcoveries and fome Indians , who are only fit to oppofe Soldieis 
In the Northern Parts of the World , to eftablifh Colonies like themfelves. In the long Space ol Time however, 
and Fifheries in thofe Parts, and have even made very that the Danes remained here, they collected together 
long Voyages, with a View of extending their Commerce, a great Number of Indian Subjeds, who live very happi- 
if not with all the Succefs they could wiffi, yet with more ly, and even grow rich under their Protedion. They hav e 
than fome of their Neighbours ; and have been alfo more likewife taken Care yo make PiGidites to cue Lutheran 
tenacious of what they acquired, as if they meant to re- Religion of a great Part or .thole who live among them, 
tain thefe diftant Conquefts, till fuch a Government arofe and they have thereby bound them more effi. dually, to their 
at home, as by giving due Attention to Trade, and juft Service; fo that their Colony is veiy confiderable, and 
Encouragement to thofe who endeavoured to promote it, grows more fo every Day, and this chiefly for the follow- 
might enable them to turn fuch an Eftablifhment to great- ing Reafon, that it lupports it felf, and pays the Dani[h 
er Advantage. By this Means they have been, and ftill Company Fen thoufand Rixdollars a Fear, by Way or 
are in a Condition to embrace any Opportunity that offers. Tribute, 
and will, in all Probability, fooner or later, diftinguiffi 
The 
