S T 4 C O M P 
German ocean: from which circumfcance it got the 
name of the Hamburgh Company ; though the ancient 
t tie of Merchant-ad-venturers is Hill retained in all-their 
v ritings. 
2. The Russia Company, firli projected towards the 
er.d of the reign of Edward VI. executed in the firlt and 
fccoiid years of Phiiip and Mary; but had not its per¬ 
dition till its charter was confirmed by act of parliament 
under Elizabeth, in 1566. It had its rile from certain ad¬ 
venturers, who were lent in three veffels on the difcovery 
of new countries ; and to find out a north-eaft paffage to 
China ; thefe, falling into the White Sea, and making up 
to the port of Archangel, were well received by the Muf- 
covites; and, at their return, foliated letters patent to 
I'ecure to themitlves the commerce of Rulfia, for which 
they had formed an afibciation. By their charter the affo- 
ciation was declared a body politic, under the name of 
the Company of Merchant-adventurers of England, for the 
Difcovery of Lands, Territories, Ifands,.&c. unknown, or 
unfrequented. Their privileges were, to have a governor, 
four confuls, and twenty-four afiiftants, for their com¬ 
merce ; for their policy, to make laws, inflict penalties, 
fend out fnips to make difeoveries, take pofieflion of them 
in the king’s name, fet up the banner royal of England, 
plant them ; and laftly, the excluiive privilege of trading 
to Archangel, and other ports of Mufcovy, not frequented 
by the Englith. This charter was confirmed in the eighth 
year of Elizabeth ; wherein it was enabled, that in regard 
the former name was too long, they fliould now be called 
Company of Englifs Merchants for difeovering new Trades ; 
under which name, they Ihould be capable of acquiring 
and holding all kind of lands, manors, rents, &c. not ex¬ 
ceeding a hundred marks per ann. and not held of her 
majelly; that no part of the continent, illand, harbour, 
See. not known or frequented before the firtt enterprize of 
the merchants of their company, fituated to tiie north, or 
north-weft, or north-eaft, of London ; nor any part of the 
continent, iflands, See. under the obedience of the empe¬ 
ror of Ruffia, or in the countries of Armenia, Media, 
Hyrcania, Perfia, or the Cafpian Sea, fliould be vifited by 
any lubjefts of England, to exercife any commerce, with¬ 
out the confent of the faid company, on pain of confuta¬ 
tion. This Company fubflfted with reputation almoft a 
century, till the time of the civil wars. It is (aid, the 
czar then reigning, hearing of the murder of Charles I. 
ordered all the Englifh to be expelled ; which the Dutch 
taking the advantage of, fettled in their room. Alter the 
reftoratioa, the remains of the company re-eftablifhed part 
of their commerce at Archangel, but never with the lame 
fuccefs as before. This company fublifts ftill, under the 
direction of a governor, four confuls, and afiiftants. 
3. Tire Eastland Company, incorporated by queen 
Elizabeth, in 1579. By the firlt article the company is 
erefted into a body politic, under the title of the Company 
of Merchants of the Eajl \ to confift of Englilhmen, real 
merchants, who have txererfed the bufinefs thereof, and 
trafficked through the Sound, before the year 1568, into 
Norway, Sweden, Poland, Livonia, Pruflia, Pomerania, 
See. as alfo Revel, Koiungfberg, Dantzick, Copenhagen, 
&c. excepting Narva, Mufcovy, and its dependencies, 
which were in the charter of the Ruffia company. Their 
charter was confirmed by Charles II. in 1629, with this 
addition, that no perfon, of what quality foever, living- 
in London, fltould be admitted a member, unlels he were 
free of the city. This company was complained of as a 
monopoly, and curtailed by legal authority in 1672; and 
lince the declaration of rights in 1689, exilt only in name; 
but ftill continue to eleft their annual officers, who are a 
governor, a deputy, and twenty-four afiiftants. 
4. The Turkey, or Levant Company, had its rife 
alfo under queen Elizabeth, in 1581. James I. confirmed 
its charter in 1605, adding new privileges. During the 
civil wars, there happened fome innovations in the go¬ 
vernment of the company; many perfons having been ad¬ 
mitted members, not qualified by the charters'of queen 
Elizabeth and king James, or that did not conform to 
4 
A M Y. 
the regulations preferibed. Charles IT. upon his reftora- 
tion, endeavoured to fet it upon its ancient bafis; to which 
end, he gave them a charter, containing not only a con¬ 
firmation of their old one, but alfo feveral new articles of 
reformation. By this, the company is erected into a body 
politic, capable of making laws, See. under the title of the 
Company of Merchants of England trading to the Seas of the 
Levant. The number of members is not limited, but is 
ordinarily about three hundred. The company has a court 
or board at London, which is compofed of a governor, 
deputy-governor, and fifteen direftors or afiiftants; who 
are all actually to live in London or the fuburbs. They 
have alfo a deputy-governor in every city and port, where 
there are any members of the company. The affembly 
at London lends out the veffels employed in this com¬ 
merce, regulates the tariff for the price at which the Eu¬ 
ropean merchandizes lent to the Levant are to be fold, 
and for the quality of thofe returned. It raifes taxes on 
merchandizes, to defray impofitions, and the common 
expences of the company ; prefents the ambaflador which 
the king is to keep at the Porte, and elects two confuls 
for Smyrna and Conftantinople, Sec. 
5. The Company of Merchants trading to 
Africa, eftablifhed in 1750, was fubjefted to the obli¬ 
gation of maintaining forts and garrifons. It was ex- 
preflly charged at firlt with the maintenance of all the 
Britifh forts and garrifons that lie between Cape Blanc 
and the Cape "of Good Hope, and afterwards with that of 
thofe only which lie between Cape Rouge and the Cape 
of Good Hope. In the ninth year of king William III. 
the trade to a great portion of Africa, was in the hands 
of a royal African company, which under a charter from 
Charles II. enjoyed an exclufive trade from the port of 
Sallee in South Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope, both 
inclufive, with all the illand: near adjoining to thole co .lts. 
A new arrangement of this trade was made by 9 ar.d 10 
Will. III. c. 26 ; by which the trade was opened ; but this 
aft continued in force only thirteen years; and not being 
renewed, the whole trade reverted again to the exclufive 
claim of the company. This African trade was put on a 
new footing by 23 Ueo. II. c. 31 ; which made it lawful 
for all the king’s iubjeCts freely to trade between the port 
of Sallee in South Barbary and the Cape of Good Hope. 
Thus was the trade taken out of the hands of the Royal 
African Company. The aft then goes on to provide, 
that all perfons trading to that coaft between Cape Blanco 
and the Cape of Good Hope, (hould be a body corporate 
by the name of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa ; 
the admiflion to which comp ny was made very eafy, 
namely, by the payment of only forty fliillings. The 
trade between the port of Sallee and Cape Blanco was 
left open to ail perlons whatfaever. By 23 Geo. II. c.40, 
all the forts, caltles, and faftories, on the coaft, from the 
port of Sallee to the Cape of Good Hope, belonging to the 
old company, were transferred to, and velted in, the new 
company, for the like purpofe of protefting and facilita¬ 
ting the trade. By 4 Geo. III. c. ao, the fort of Senegal, 
ceded by France to Great Britain, was in like manner 
veiled in the new company. The fort of Senegal had 
been ceded to France by the peace of 1783, and the 
French king guaranteed to Great Britain the poffeffon of 
Fort Janies and the river Gambia, both lying between 
the fort of Sallee and Cape Rouge. On that occafion it 
was thought more beneficial for the trade, that the forts, 
fettlements, and faftories, between thofe ports which, by 
5 Geo. III. c.44, (repealing the above aft of 4 Geo. III. 
c. 20.) had been veiled in the king, Ihould be re-velted in 
the company ; this was accordingly done by 23 Geo. III. 
c.65. The fame freedom of trading there was, notwith- 
llanding, continued to all the king’s lubjefts. By 27 
Geo. III. c. 19. fome regulations were made as to im¬ 
porting from Gibraltar, merchandize the produce of the 
emperor of Morocco’s dominions. 
6 . The South-Sea Company. During the long war 
with France in the reign of queen Anne, tiie payment of 
the lailors of the royal navy being neglefted, they re¬ 
ceived 
