z 6 i Hamilton’s account of the; east Indies.

the brighteft light, while theirs is to be groped out by the dark glimmerings of veryfallible reafon ; yet, for all thefe' difadvantages, I have known many of them praftifevery much holinefs in their lives by the help of morality, fo that fome animadverfionon our advantages, compared with their difadvantages, may be, in fome meafure, bothufeful and delightful to all thinking men, except the atheift, whofe numbers, I hope,are very few among, us, and I never met with one in India .

What relates to navigation, in defcribing the feas, and dangers lying in them, andthe fea-coafts, with the dangers and harbours on them, is purely calculated for the ufeof my fraternity, who may have occafion to navigate in thofe feas, or on thofe coafts,but to others, who have no call that way, they are altnoff ufelefs.

The commerce on the continent and the iilands, with the account of their produc-tions, fertility or fterility, are merely defigned for the affiftance of ftrangers, mer-chants or feamen, who may hereafter ’ attempt a trade with the inhabitants ofthem: and I am perfuaded, that there are feveral places, both on the continentand among the iilands, that lie now neglected by Europeans, that might pro-duce a good advantageous trade, if factories were fettled, and commerce cultivatedwith the inhabitants, and would yield much better profits than many of the old facto-ries do at prefent, fome of which, I know, carry on but a very faint trade for theirrespective companies, that can hardly defray their little charges: but indolent peopleare generally wedded to their old cuftoms, or their crazy habitations, without confider-ing what changes time makes, in bodies politic as well as natural, which diftemper is alethargy in trade, and in all other of induftry, which I can point out in particulars, ifneed were.

Now, as our dear friends and allies have engroffed all the Moluccos or fpice iflands,I can give but a fuperficial hiftorical account of them; and, as they were acquired bybloody and barbarous induftry, they keep and govern them with arbitrary violence.A poor Briton dares not approach them, left they meet with the fate that fome of ourcountrymen met with there formerly: and even an Englifh feamen cannot be employedin that company’s fervice, for fear of making obfervations in navigation, and remarkson trade, that may (fome time or other, but God knows when) prove detrimental totheir commerce. What I could learn of thofe iflands were fome curfory accounts fromfome of my fraternity, when a bottle or two had opened their breads.

Yet I could have enlarged thefe obfervations, and made my book look much biggerthan .it is; but, as I hate prolixity myfelf, I treat my reader with what brevity I can,in every part, except it be where the fubjeft cannot bear too narrow a contraction inits illuftration.

But, before I end this preface or prologue, I will tell my reader, who perhaps isunacquainted with me, who I am, and who I am not. Firft then, I am one whowent very young to travel, not for want, for there ever was, and is enough of that inmy own country ; but having a rambling mind, and a fortune too narrow to allow meto travel like a gentleman, I applied myielf to the ftudy of nautical affairs at Neptune’sfchool, and, in procefs of time, I came to be a mafter of arts in that univerfity. Myyounger days I fpent in vifiting moft of the maritime kingdoms of Europe , and femeparts of Barbary. Then my curiofity led me to Jamaica , and then to the Eaft Indies,where I fpent between five and fix and thirty years, ftill learning my trade, and howto get money, and, meeting with fome encouragement, I fet up for myfelf, and tookfome apprentices, and, according to my abilities, I taught them, and gave them en-couragement. Now, one would think, that in fo long a time in India , I might havemade a great deal of money as well, as obfervations and remarks; but Fortunatus will

6 not