982 
Fhe Hiftory of the Swedifh-Cornpany, &c. Book L 
ledges, as if they were born Swedes y and the Money em- 
ployed, either by Natives or Foreigners, in the Capital 
of this Company, iliall net be liable to any Stoppage or 
Seizure, 
Such Perfons as are interefted in, or employed by the 
Company, fhall be naturalized according to their refpedrive 
Qualities, upon their applying themfelves to the King tor 
that Purpofe, The faid Henry Koning and Company, and 
fuch as are authorized, or employed by them, in cafe they 
are molefted, or difturbed in their Commerce, by any 
Perfon, or in any Part of the World whatever, fhall have 
full Power from his Majefty, to obtain ample Juftice and 
Satisfaction, by all convenient Methods*, and fhall beat 
Liberty to oppofe Force by Force, and to confider luch 
Difturbers as Pirates and Enemies to the publick Peace. 
His Majefty will grant them thefe Powers, efpecially 
in fuch Commiffions as their Captains fhall receive ; and 
in cafe, notwithstanding they fhould be attacked, and fuf- 
fer any Injury, or Injuftice from any Nation whatever, in 
the carrying on of this Commerce, his Majefty, upon due 
Information thereof, will grant them his high Protection, 
and endeavour to procure for them fpeedy and ample Sa- 
tisfaction, either by way of Reprizal, or otherwife. L he 
reft of the Subjects of the Crown of Sweden , are exprefly 
prohibited, and forbid to engage in, or interfere with the 
Trade of the faid Company, under Pain of his Majefty ’s 
high Difpleafure, and the Confifcation of their Veffels and 
EffeCts. The King promifes to alter, or augment thefe 
Priviledges, upon Application from the Company, as of- 
ten, and in fuch Manner, as fhall be found neceflary for 
promoting the Trade to the Eafi- Indies , and the Intereft 
of the Perfons concerned therein. This Charter is faid to 
be granted by the King in the Senate, which Phrafe I 
take to be pretty much the -fame with ours, of the King, 
by and with the Advice of his Privy-Council. 
I have dwelt the longer upon this Charter of the Swe- 
difh Eafi- India Company, becaufe I have heard it admired 
as one of thebeft drawn, and beft contrived Pieces of its 
kind, more efpecially, becaufe all the Powers therein, 
are fuch as, ftriCily fpeaking, concern Commerce Abroad, 
and are not calculated to give the Company, or its Direc- 
tors, too much Power at Flome, becaufe it fubjedts them 
to the Board of Trade, or, as it is called in Sweden , the 
Colledge of Commerce, which confifts of the Preftdent of 
the Treafury, and four Counfellors, who hear and deter- 
mine whatever comes before them in a fummary Way, 
according to the Laws of the Kingdom, and the general 
Maxims of Equity. There were great Expectations form- 
ed of this Company for various Reafons ; Firft, Becaufe 
they had all the Powers granted them that they could rea- 
fonably expedt, or defire. Secondly, Becaufe they were 
not limited in their Capital, but allowed to raife fuch Sums, 
and in fuch a Manner, as they fhall efteem moft for their 
Benefit. Thirdly, From their being prohibited from in- 
terfering with the Commerce of other Nations, and there- 
by running themfelves and their Country into Difficulties 
and Difputes. Fourthly, Prom their having the King s 
Protedtion fecured to them, in fuch a Manner, and for 
fuch Purpofes, as might ferve to anfwer all good Ends, 
without involving the Crown ot Sweden in any Controver- 
fies with the Maritime Powers, or any other of her Al- 
lies. And, Laftly, Becaufe from the Nature of the pre- 
fent Conftitution in Sweden , there feemed to be as nigh 
Security for the Properties of fuch as inteiefted themfelves 
in this Affair, as in any other Country whatever. 
Thefe Expectations were likewife heightened by the 
Company’s M.eeting with no Difturbance, or Oppofition 
from foreign Powers, who neither knowing who the Sub- 
fcribers were, or to what their Subfcriptions amounted, 
were the lefs alarmed by this new Company *, and befid.es, 
feeing themfelves fecure from any Apprehenfions of their 
interfering with the Trade already eftablifhed in the Eafi - 
Indies , found it more difficult to affign any rational Caufe 
of Complaint j to which we may add, that the Company 
p-oing on very (lowly at the Beginning, and being a long 
Time before they com pleated their Subfcriptions, or pre- 
pared to fit out Ships for the Indies , it was generally be- 
lieved, both in England and Holland , that the Defign 
3 
' would come to nothing, and the Company would vaniflt 
of itfelf. 
3. But though the Author- of this Defign, M, Henry 
Honing, and his Affociates, were not hafty in equipping 
Ships for the Indie Sy yet they took care to provide them- 
felves in every refpedt with what might be found neceflary 
for carrying on their Scheme with Succefs. They built, 
for this Purpofe, two very large and ftrong Ships, one 
called after the King, the Frederick , the other by the 
Name of the Queen, the Ulrica. Thefe they furnifhed 
in fuch a Manner, as to be equally fit for Trade, or for 
Defence. They made Choice of fuch Supercargoes 
as had not only eftablifhed Characters both for Honefty 
and Abilities, but were likewife well verfed in the parti- 
cular Bufinefs in which they were to be employed, and 
Men of Experience in the Trade to China ; they proceeded 
with no lefs Caution in the Choice of their Officers and 
Mariners; and tho’ they fpent full two Years in making 
Preparations, yet that Lofs of Time was very well com- 
penfated by the ExaCtnefs with which thofe Preparations 
were made ; fo that at the Time their Ships left the Har- 
bour of Gottenbourghy they were as well equipped, and in 
all refpedts as compleatly furnifhed for an Eafi- India Voy- 
age, as any that were employed in that Trade by the Ma- 
ritime Powers, and the fame Care and Diligence they have 
ufed ever fince ; fo that it may, with great Truth be faid, 
that as fcarce any Company was better eftablifhed at firft, 
fo the Affairs of none have been hitherto better conducted. 
Their firft: Voyages, though not attended with fo much 
Profit as might have been expeCted, were however tole- 
rably fuccefsful, and the Company eftablifhed their Facto- 
ry on the River of Canton in Chinay with the Confent of 
the Chinefey who feem to be very well pleafed with thefe 
new Comers, and every Way difpofed to favour and pro- 
mote their Trade ; fo that they were very foon on the 
fame Footing there with other European Nations. At 
Home, indeed, they met with fome Difficulties ; for the 
Company being obliged to make Ufe of a great many Fo- 
reigners in all Capacities, for the better carrying on of 
their Trade, and there being no Nation in Europe natu- 
rally more jealous of Foreigners than the Swedes , this oc- 
cafioned a great Clamour, efpecially among the common 
People, which, however, was in fome Meafure got over, 
by publiffiing an Order, that at leaf!: Two-thirds of the 
Mariners fhould be for the future Natives of the King- 
dom ; and as the Execution of this Order was apparently 
attended with Difficulties and Inconveniencies, it convinced 
even the Vulgar, of their firft Miftake, and that the Com- 
pany had done no more than what they were warranted 
to do by their Charter, and what the Circumftances of 
their Affairs, more efpecially at the Beginning, rendered 
not only expedient, but neceflary. 
Since that Time, the Swedijh Company have been very 
regular, both in fitting-out their Ships, and in their Re- 
turns, which, by being fold to Foreigners, have brought 
in great Sums of Money to the Kingdom ; yet, inafmuch 
as a great Part of this Money has been exported again, 
for the carrying on this Trade, a new Complaint has been 
created thereby, in refpeCt to the Silver carried to the Eafi - 
Indies. We need the lefs wonder at this in Sweden , be- 
caufe, tho’ the Trade of the Kingdom is not large, yet it 
produces annually a confiderable Balance in ready Money, 
as is known experimentally here, fince it is known, that 
Two-thirds of the Trade we carry on thither, is managed 
with ready Money only, and it is alfo pretty much the 
fame Thing with other Nations who trade thither, the 
French only excepted, who have a Balance in their Favour 
from the Swedes, which, however, has gradually grown 
lefs and lefs, in Proportion as they have taken more naval 
Stores of late Years, than they did formerly, and as their 
Subfidy-treaties bring in confiderable Sums to Sweden , or 
at leaft keep the Money there, that would otherwife be 
employed in difcharging the Balance of Trade; fo that 
the Swedes being ufed to fee great Sums of Money brought 
in by every other Branch of Commerce, and being net fo 
immediately acquainted with the Profits arifing from this, 
are the lefs difpofed to confider it as advantageous. 
Upon 
