364 7 ^^ Discoveries Settlements Book I. 
yet» to fpeak impartially, there is very little Ground to 
believe, if we mind our own Affairs, and could once 
come to a right Underftanding with Spain, they will 
be ever able to fucceed. I may add farther, that if ever 
we come to form right Notions of the Importance of the 
Sugar Trade, and in Confequence thereof give all necef- 
fary Encouragement to the Inhabitants of our Iflands, in 
Time of Peace, and make it our Bufinefs, in Time of 
War, to diftrefs the French in this tender Pointy it is pof- 
fible we may drive them out of a great Part of that 
Trade, which would be the happieft Event that could be 
for us, as well as the greateft Difappointment to them. 
SECTION XXIII. 
Discoveries, Conquests, Settlements, Present State of the Dutch 
Colotnes in America ; the Nature and V alue of their Commerce with the Spaniards, 
and the Manner in which their Returns are made to Europe ; to which is added a7t 
Accoutit of the Danifli Settlemetit^ the whole colleEled chiefly from the Dutch Writers^ 
1. A fijort View of the Scheme formed by Count Maurice of NaiTau, for erediing a Dutch Ejnplre in Ame- 
rica, equah if not fuperior, to that of Spaniards. 2. The Expeditio?i of General 'Qi’Q'W tv, in order to 
the Execution of that Scheme ; and his Succefes in Chili, to the fime of his Death. 3 . Dhe Hifory of 
that Expedition continued, in which the principal Caufes of its Mifcarriage are clearly pointed out. 4. 
Dhe Dutch Settlements on the Continent of South America, at Surinam, Boron, Berbice, and Appro- 
wack, defcribed j together with an Account of the Commodities raifed there, and the Importance of thofe 
Settlements. 5. A View of the Iflands pofjefed by the Dutch in the Weft Indies, Az. Tabago, St. 
Euftachius, St. Martin, Curacao, and its Dependencies j their Produce, and the Nature of their Commerce 
with Holland. 6. A large and exadl Relation of the clandefine Drade, carried on by the Inhabitants of 
thefe Iflands, with the Spaniards, 7. The prefent State of the Weft India Company in Holland, and the 
Caufes of its declining Trade. 8. A Defcription oj the Ifland of St. Thomas, of the Danifli Settlement 
there-, its Produce, Commerce, and Importance. 9. Obfervations' and Remarks on the foregoing SeBion, 
which concludes the Hiflory and prefent State oj the Continent 0/^' America and the Weft Indies. 
I . '\%T E have, in feveral former Seftions, taken fome 
V V Pains to explain the Rife, Progrefs, and Extent 
of the Dutch naval Power ; which, if I am not altogether 
miftaken in my Judgment, was much fuperior to any thing 
of the fame Kind, that we read of in ancient or modern Hif- 
tory; fo that if their Projebt of eftablifhing 2,Weft India Com- 
pany had fucceeded, as well as that did for eredting one 
for managing the Trade of the Eaft Indies, I fee no Rea- 
fon to doubt of their becoming the moft formidable Power 
in Europe. It would take up a great deal of Time, which 
we have not to fpare, tp Ihew how this mifcarried ^ but 
there is a particular Incident, which falls in with the Sub- 
jedl of this Sedtion, that will ^fully prove the Truth of 
both thefe Affertions. The Reader may remember that 
we infifted in the Hiftory of Brazil very largely, on the 
Condudl and Meafures of Prince Maurice of Najfau, as 
able a Captain, as great a Statefman, and I muft have 
leave to fay, becaufe I am convinced of it, the honefteft 
Man, and the beft Patriot, that Family ever produced. 
In that Sedlion we clearly proved, that the running him 
down by the republican Faftion in Holland, was the Ruin 
of their Affairs in Brazil, and, at prefent, it fhall be our 
Bufinefs to fhew, that it loft an Opportunity of making 
them as great in the Weft Indies, as they are now in the 
Eaft •, for that Prince had formed a Scheme of raifing fuch 
an Empire at once in America, as, had it been as fteadily 
purfued as it was wifely projedled, would have defied the 
Rage of Enemies, defeated the Power of Accidents, and, 
perhaps, would have efcaped the Teeth of Time itfelf. 
He faw plainly, that their Eftablifhment in Brazil, as 
fair and as flouriftiing as it feemed, under his wife and 
glorious Adminiftration, would fink to nothing, if it 
was not fupported by new Acquifitions *, for he knew 
that a naval Power is, of all others, leaft at a ftay j and 
that if it did not proceed, it would decline with the lame 
Rapidity with which it rofe •, and, to prevent this, he 
formed Pro] eft after Pro] eft, all of which fucceeded but 
one j and, had that one fucceeded, he knew that there 
had been need of no more. This Project we are to give 
an Account of here, and in few Words *, it was this ; He 
was informed that the Inhabitants of Chili, which lies at 
the back of Brazil, fronting the South Seas, as this does 
the North, and the richeft Country in America, had re- 
volted from, and driven out, the Spaniards he conceived 
therefore a Defign of fixing a Dutch Colony there. 
which he thought might be eafily done, under the plau- 
fible Pretences of affifting the Natives againft their late 
imperious Lords the Spaniards. 
He communicated this Defign to the States General ; 
he Ihewed them the Utility of it ; he explained to them 
the Advantages with which it would be attended, and 
which were chiefly three., Firft, That it would give them 
the Poffeffion of a large, fruitful, and agreeable Country, 
abounding with the Neceffaries of Life, and with what is 
capable of fupplying Neceffaries in any and all Countries, 
the richeft Gold Mines in the World. Secondly, That 
it would humble the Spaniards, by diftreffing them in the 
tendereft Part j fecure, as well as open, a Commerce in 
the South Seas •, and render their two great Empires in 
Mexico and Peru precarious, unlefs fecured by a Peace 
with the Dutch. Thirdly, That it would complete, and 
firmly cement, the Circle of their Commerce j for the 
Slaves, procured by their Settlements in Africa, would 
be taken off by that Colony and by Brazil. The Paffage 
from thence to the Eaft Indies, and from them round to 
Europe, would, in Time, become common •, that this 
new Trade would fill that Country with People, and fa- 
cilitate a Correfpondence between their Dominions on both 
Sides the Continent of South America •, which would foon 
put them in a Condition of rooting out all their Ene- 
mies, and enable them to keep the beft and moft valuable 
Part of the new World entirely to themfelves. Vaft and 
prodigious as this Defign was, every competent Judge 
will, at firft Sight, perceive, that in the State things were 
then, it was both poffible and prafticable, and there- 
fore we need not at all wonder that the States General 
readily embraced it, and chearfully difpofed all things re- 
quifite for the carrying it into Execution, without much 
regarding either the Difliciilty or the Expence. 
2. The States, however, thought it requifite, that a 
great Part of the Charge Ihould be borne by their Weft 
India Company, becaufe in Cafe of Succefs they were 
to reap the 'greateft Part of the Benefit, fince, in Virtue of 
their Charter, the new conquered Country was to belong 
to them •, but, how-ever, the regular Troops that were to 
ferve in this .Expedition were to remain in the Pay of 
the States. 'The Perfon fixed upon to command in chief, 
with the Title of General, was Captain Henry Brewer, a 
Man of great Abilities, and remarkable for his perfonal 
Courage 5 which had, however, a ftrong Tinfture of 
what 
