43 6 
A VOYAGE TO 
December a ^ e a ^ vanta g es * Though the fituation of affairs at homey 
or perhaps greater difficulties in the execution of my fcheme 
than I had forefeen, have hitherto prevented its being car- 
ried into effect, yet, as I find the plan in my journal, and 
ftill retain my partiality for it, I hope it will not he entirely 
foreign to the nature of this work, if I beg leave to infert 
it here. 
I propofed then, that the Company’s China fhips fhould 
carry an additional complement of men each, making in all 
one hundred. Two veffels, one of two hundred and the 
other of one hundred and fifty tons, might, I was told, with 
proper notice, he readily purchafed at Canton; and, as vic¬ 
tualling is not dearer there than in Europe, I calculate, that 
they might be completely fitted out for fea, with a year’s 
pay and provifion, for fix thoufand pounds, including the 
purchafe. The expence of the neceffary articles for barter 
is fcarcely worth mentioning. I would, by all means, re¬ 
commend that each fhip fhould have five tons of unwrought 
iron, a forge, and an expert fmith, with a journeyman and 
apprentice, who might be ready to forge fuch tools, as it 
fhould appear the Indians were moll defirous of. For 
though fix of the fineft fkins purchafed by us, were got 
for a dozen large green glafs heads, yet it is well known, that 
the fancy of thefe people for articles of ornament, is exceed¬ 
ingly capricious; and that iron is the only fure commodity 
for their market. To this might be added a few grofs of 
large-pointed cafe-knives, fome bales of coarfe woollen 
cloth (linen they would not accept of from us), and a barrel 
or two of copper and glafs trinkets. 
I have here propofed two fhips, not only for the greater 
fecurity of the expedition, but becaufe I think fingle fhips 
ought never to be fent out on difcoveries. For where rilks 
are 
