400 , The HISTORY of the 
ook 
from him in the former Seftion, concerning the Advan- 
tages that might be drawn from fettling his Province of 
Carolanar, from various Paffages in almoft all the Spanijh 
Hiftorians,. in reference to the Extremities of North Ame- 
rica^ of which they acknowledge themfelves to have Very 
indifferent Accounts •, and are, perhaps, not much in- 
clined to gratify the reft of the World, even with the 
beft Accounts they have •, from the memorable Fragment 
of the Spanijh Admiral’s Voyage, quoted in the former 
Seflion, with Mr. judicious Remarks, and a mul- 
titude of other Paffages, which it is needlefs to enumerate •, 
all of which agree in this, that the Part of America^ to 
which this North-weft Paffage would lead us, is a rich, 
fertile, and well inhabited Country, which would abun- 
dantly reward our Pains taken for the Difcovery of it, 
even fuppofmg this Paffage would lead us to no other 
Country befides. 
Yet this is far from being the Cafe ; fince it is evi- 
dent that it would likewife bring us to an Acquaintance 
with thofe Countries that lie oppofite to America^ whether 
Continents or lilands, and that fill up that vaft Space 
between California and the Land of Tedzo, of which, at 
prefent, we have heard fo much, and yet know fo lit- 
tle. But though we know fo little of them from ac- 
tual Difeoveries, yet we may be confident from Reafon, 
and the Confideration of the Climate in which they lie, 
that thefe Countries abound with valuable Commodities, 
and that the Inhabitants living, as they do, in a cold 
Country, would be very glad to deal with us for Vfool- 
len-Goods, &c. and perhaps for Iron Ware, and many 
other Commodities. If to this it be objected, that in 
the few Accounts we have of this Country, and thefe 
People, it is exprefly faid, they are well cloathed, ufe 
large Ships, and have Arms, and ; various Utenfils of Iron, 
and other Metals, as well as the Europeans ; which they 
barter with the Inhabitants of North America for Gold 
and other things ; if I fay this fhould be objedled, then 
the plain and eafy Anfwer is, they are a mercantile Peo- 
ple ; and confidering the vaft Diftance between us and 
them, there is no doubt that a very great and profitable 
Trade may be driven between us j and this is more than 
ilifficient to prove the great and general Propofition, that 
the Difcovery of fuch a Paffage would be very profitable to, 
this Nation, though we Ihould be ever fo much mifta- 
ken as to the Nature of the Commodities in which this 
Profit may lie. Some Benefit we fee refults to the Danes, 
by their Commerce with the poor barbarous Groenlanders, 
and can we doubt of bringing things to a better Market 
among a rich and civilized People } The former, indeed, 
part with what they have for a Trifle, but then they have 
not much to part with •, the latter may not be fo foon 
over-reached, but they have more to trade for, and con- 
fequently more is like to be got by them. 
There is ftill another great Advantage, which v/ould 
refult from the Difcovery of a South-weft Paffage ; and 
was that originally propofed from it, which is, the reach- 
ing Japon, the Land of Tedzo, &c. by a much eafier 
and fhorter Rout, than either that by the Cape of Good 
Hope, or round by Cape Horn-, fo that the finding it 
would give us a niuch more facile Paffage to the Eaji 
Indies, as well as the South Seas, and which is more, to 
thofe Parts of the EaJi Indies, with which we have no 
Correfpondence, and confequently would, in that refpedl, 
be abfolutely a new Branch of Commerce, probably of 
much greater Benefit to this Nation, than the whole of 
our Eaji India Trade, as it is now carried on. All thefe 
Benefits are fo far from being hazardous or uncertain, 
that at firft Sight, and from the bare Infpedlion of the 
Globe and Charts of the Northern Hemifphere, they ap- 
pear certain and indubitable ; neither have they hitherto 
been called in queftion, by any who have fought , to dif- 
credit this Paffage, v/ho all bend their Endeavours to 
prove the Difcovery impradbicable, without infinuating 
^ny thing to the Prejudice of the Expedlations raifed 
from it, in cafe it could be difeovered and failed through. 
We need not, therefore, wonder at all that fo much 
has been written on this Subjedt, fo many Undertakings 
fet on Foot, fuch a variety of Attempts made on all 
Sides, and by all means, to come at this North-weft Paf- 
fage-, fince, in refpedt to this Part of Eurgpe, it would 
be a kind of maritime Philofophers Stone a Difcovery 
every Way equal, if not fuperior, to that of Columbus. 
I domot mean in regard to the Subjeft of the Difcovery, 
but in refpedt to us ; and what I would fay is, that we 
Ihould, for our Part, owe as much Obligation to who- 
ever Ihould find this new Paffage, as to Columbus, who 
found out the new World j to which it is a Paffage, and 
fuch a one, as to us would double the Value of that 
Difcovery. So much may fuffice as to the firft Point we 
promifed to examine, let us now proceed to the fecond, 
and Ihew why this Paffage is thought pradiicable. 
3. We have already obferved that Cabot firft projecled 
this Paffage, in the Life-time of Columbus ; and from the 
fame Motive which engaged that illuftrious Perfon in the 
Difcovery of the new World, Nz. to find a Iliorter way 
to the Eajl-Indies, . than that praftifed by the Portugueze, 
by the Cape of Good Hope ; he offered many Arguments 
to prove this was practicable by the North-weft ; and 
fince his Time, and from the mighty Improvements that 
have been made in Navigation, there have been added 
many more. That we may reduce thefe within the nar- 
roweft Compafs poffible, without Prejudice to the Sub- 
jkCt, v/e will propofe them feparately, not in the Oi*der 
in which they were from Time to Time advanced, but 
in the Method the ipoft eafy, moft natural, and belt 
conneefted in our Power ; fo that the Reader may very 
Liny judge of the Merits of the Caufe, though perhaps 
fome triv’olous or doubtful Evidence may remain un- 
examined, in order to fpare Time and Trouble. 
Firft, It is thought probable there muft be a fi*ee Cir- 
culation of the Waters at the Pole, becaufe if it were 
otherwife, it would not be eafy to conceive how the Equi- 
librium of Land and Water is maintained, or that Regu- 
larity which is obferved in the Tides, where the Shores 
are not covered by Elands, Rocks, or broken Lands. 
Becaufe if it was otherwife, there muft fall out great 
Changes in the Tides, the nearer we approached the Pole, 
as is feen in the Mediterranean and Baltic, which are clofe 
Seas, and therefore differ from the Ocean, there being a 
fenfible Tide only in fome Parts of the former, and that 
too not very confiderable, and none at all in the latter ; 
whereas in the moft Northern Seas, the Tides are high and 
very regular, which renders it apparent there muft be fome 
Paffage, or rather Communication with the reft of the 
Ocean. 
Secondly, This Argument becomes more preffing 
when confined to Hudfon^s Bay, where there are not only 
Tides, but fuch irregular Tides in fome Places, as feem 
to indicate the Reception of more Water into that Bay,, 
than comes from Hudfords Streigbts, or any other Paffage 
into it hitherto known. But from the Nature and Height 
of thefe Tides, and the Situation of the Places v/here 
they are obferved, it feems almoft indifputable that they 
come by the Weft, either through fome large and prac- 
ticable, or through fome icy and impaffable, Channel ; the 
former is Mr. DobP s Sentiment, and the latter the Opi- 
nion of Captain Chrifopher Middleton, a very knowing 
and ingenious Gentleman, who did not embrace this No- 
tion, however, till he made a Voyage for the Difcovery 
of this Paffage, and failed in it. 
Thirdly, We may difeern the Cogency of this Argu-^; 
ment, from what has been adtualiy difeovered towards 
the South Pole, where the Situation of the Streights of 
Magellan agrees perfedlly with this Notion, and fuggefts 
according to the Analogy of things, a like Communica- 
tion between the Seas tov/ards the North Pole. We may 
alfo ol^erve, that thofe Streights are through broken 
Lands and lilands, in a very cold Climate, and, in many 
other refpedls, agreeable, as far as hitherto has been dif- 
eovered, to the Countries lying round the North Pole, 
more efpccially under the Latitudes where of late this 
North-weft Paffage has been fought for. 
Fourthly, It has been generally believed, from the 
great Difference between the Productions pf all kinds, 
and even between the Animals, in America, and the other 
Parts of the World, that they are abfolutely feparate ; 
and as to its Southern Extremity, Experience hasjuftified 
the Conjedture, and fo renders the Prefumption ftrpng. 
