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1012, A curious and concife Defer iption of Book III. 
Space of fix Months, Letters would reach Hamburgh, 
from a Fa6lory upon the Coaft of Japan *, in this there 
is nothing dark or unintelligible, nothing that refls upon 
Suppofition or Conjedlure, the whole is juft as certain, 
as that the Dominions of the Czarina border upon 
thofe of the Emperor of China. 
Thus then, whether a North-eaft Paffage, or no Paf- 
fage, fuch a Settlement would be highly ufeful, highly 
advantageous, and highly convenient. But I have fome- 
thing farther to fey, fuch a Settlement as this might be 
of Ufe, if not to the Difeovery, yet to the Prefervation 
and Improvement, even of a North- weft Paffage ; for 
though I am not fo fanguine, as to imagine, that thofe 
who fhall be fo lucky as to make that Paffage, would 
afterwards have the Courage to make fuch an enormous 
Stretch, as from California to Japan ; yet I prefume, 
that in Procefs of Time, fuch a Difeovery being once 
made, Endeavours might be ufed on both Sides, by dif- 
covering to the Eaft one Way, and to the Weft the 
other, to facilitate a Jundion in fome middle Port ; for 
to me it appears a Thing certain, that there are Coun- 
tries, at leaft Iflands all the Way. This double Difeo- 
very would lay open the Whole, in half the Time that 
• would be otherwife neceffary, perhaps in lefs than half 
' the Time, for in both Cafes our Seamen having reafon- 
able Hopes of reaching an Englijh Port, would make 
infinitely greater Efforts than could be expeded from 
them in a State of Uncertainty, and proceeding con- 
ftantly through unknown Seas, without any View of 
being fafe at laft. 
It is to be obferved, that all I have advanced under 
this laft Head, is abfolutely independant of what was 
faid before ; fo that if the Advantages firft propofed are 
fuch as may encourage the attempting fuch a Settle- 
ment, by proving the great Probability there is of its 
being advantageous to the Britifh Nation, then thefe 
additional Confiderations ought very much to ftrengthen 
and confirm the Refolution of doing fomething of this 
Sort in Time, and before any other Nation Jays hold 
of what we negled. To fome polfibly this may appear 
highly improbable, butlo remove that, as I would wil- 
lingly do every other Objedion, I beg Leave to take 
Notice of three Things, which, in my Apprehenfion, 
are fufficient to (hew, that a Sufpicion of this kind is 
not altogether groundlefs, much lefs chimerical. In 
the firft Place then, I prefume Nobody will doubt, that 
if we are fo happy as to find the North- weft Paffage, it 
will excite a great Spirit of Emulation, in all the trad- 
ing Nations of Europe, more efpecially, if we ftiould, 
as there is great Probability we muft ; reap very great 
Advantages from that Difeovery. Now to balance this, 
the moft natural Expedient they could recur too, would 
be attempting the Difeovering of the North-eaft Paf- 
fage, towards which, the finding the other would be the 
ftrongeft Encouragement. 
But, fuppofing this to be utterly impradicable, yet 
without any greater Knowledge than they have already, 
the Ruffians might be tempted to make Ufe of the 
Advantages they already poffefs, in order to be before- 
hand with us, in opening a Commerce with Japan, and 
thereby prechading us from thofe Benefits, which from a 
little Induftry and Pains we might now fecure to our- 
felves againft all other Nations, at leaft for a confidera- 
ble Space of Time, during which v;e might eftablifh 
ourfelves fo effedually, as to preferve thofe Advan- 
tages for ever, in Spite of any Attempts to difpoffefs us. 
My fecond Obfervation is, that the Ruffians have this 
very Point already in View, that it is what they aim at 
by all the Difeoveries they have been for many Years 
making 5 that this is confeffed in all the Accounts, that 
they have hitherto publifhed of their Progrefs j that 
it is the true and only Reafon of their not making their 
laft Difeoveries as publick as they did thofe of Captain 
Behring j and though I am very far from faying, that 
we have any Right to take this ill, or to be offended 
with the Conduxft of the Ruffians in this Particular, yet 
I cannot help thinking, that it is worth our Obfervation, 
and that there is full as good Reafon we fhould make 
Ufe of the Experience and Advantage, derived to us 
from our Eaft- India Trade, as the Ri^ians of the Situa- 
tion of their Territories, and the Difeoveries which they 
have m.ade by that Means. ^ 
In the third Place, I muft remark, that ever fince the 
Swedes fuccccded in their Attempt of opening a Com- 
munication with the Eaji- Indies, they have had fome- 
thing of this Kind in their Head, 1 mean making a 
Settlement upon fome Bland near the Coaft of China, 
or to the Eaft of it j nor are we at all certain, that the 
Ships which have failed from Coitenburgb,whik this very 
Sedlion was printing, may not have Inftrudfions to make, 
or at leaft attempt making fuch a Settlement. Why 
then we (hould fit (till with our Arms before us, while 
other Nations, more efpecially the Northern Nations, 
who are avowedly and earneftly endeavouring to render 
thernfelves maritime Powers, ufe fo much Vigilance and 
Activity to compafs their Ends ; or why, according to 
the old, but true and fenfibie Proverb, We are to take 
no Care of the Stable-Door, whilfl the Steed is unflolen, 
I am at a Lofs to comprehend ? Sure I am, that what- 
ever Reception thefe Remarks may meet with at prefenr, 
it will not be many Years before the World will fee, 
that I am not altogether miftaken in my Eftimate, and 
that the rich Goods of Japan will find their Way to Eu- 
rope in fome other Bottoms than thofe belonging to the 
Dutch Eaji-India Company, and I am fatisfied, that the 
Dutch thernfelves will not blame me, for wilhing, that 
in fuch a Cafe they might be freighted in Britifh Veffds. 
There is a natural Connedfion between the Interefts of 
the maritime Powers in the Indies, as well as in Europe, 
and though it is certainly true, that as Trade is our 
common Miftrefs, we muft in many Cafes be confidered 
as Rivals j yet it is no lefs true, that if our Interefts be 
well underltood, we ought to avoid Quarrelling even 
upon that Account; for though it may be in our Power 
to deftroy each other, yet we have this Comfort, that if 
it is never in our Will, we may preferve our Commerce 
and our Naval Force in Spite of all our Enemies ; and 
this is a Topick that can never be too much preached 
upon, either in England, or in Holland ; and as a Proof 
of this we need only confider, that fuch as are Enemies 
to both, never fail to infinuate the contrary. Whoever 
looks into the Pamphlets, publiflied here in the Reign 
of King Charles the lid, and whoever has read, and re- 
members the celebrated Letters of Van Hoey, cannot butt 
acknowledge the Truth of this Obfervation, which I 
the rather make, becaufe in fome Parts of this Work, I 
have exprtffed myfelf very freely, in Regard to the 
Pradllces of the Dutch in the Eaji^ Indies ; but I defire 
that it may be underftood, that I diftinguifh between 
the Servants of the Eaji-India Company, and the Sub- 
jecls of the States-General ; for though they are the feme 
Men, they are under different Directions, and this Di- 
ftinction is none of my coining, but one I learned from 
my old Mafter John de Witt, whofe Maxims firft gave 
me a true Notion of Trade, and taught me to look 
upon it, not in the narrow Light of a Scheme to acquire 
Wealth, but as a generous Syftem, of diftributing 
through all Climates the Bleffings beftovved by Nature, 
and thereby promoting the common Happinefs of 
Mankind. 
13. After having thus finifhed the Bufinefs of the Sec- 
tion, with the Readers good Leave, we will take the 
Liberty of making a few Remarks and Obfervations 
upon it. It confifts in a Defeription of Corea, which is 
entirely new, and confequently cannot be thought either 
ufelefs or unentertaining. It (hews from the Defeription 
laid down of this Country and its Inhabitants, that there 
is nothing improbable, in fuppofing that we may be- 
come better acquainted with them ; it is true, we lie 
a great Way from them, but we vifit the Chinefe very 
often, and thefe fame Coreans live but at next Door : 
It exhibits alfo fome Reafons that may induce us to 
think of calling upon them, and amongft others, that 
of opening by their Affiftance the Way to renew our 
Acquaintance with the Japonefe, with whom we had 
Dealings in Times paft. It farther lays open fome ad- 
ditional Advantages that may refulc from our entering 
upon this Commerce ; and finally it brings to Light 
fome very curious, and if they were well weighed, 
fome very cogent Reafons for . our not deeping over 
an 
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