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M. DE GUIGNES* OBSERVATIONS ON

The Englilh eftablifhments in India , purchafed by the effufion of fo much blood,by the expenditure of fuch heaps of treafure, thefe eftablilhments mult terminate foonor late, either in the return of the people to the dominion of their former mailers, or intheir erecting themfelves into feveral different Hates independent of Britilh fway.

Time, events, and political changes produce in continental colonies, as a natural re-fult, inevitable revolutions j while infular eflablilhments, more concentrated and ofcourfe more eafy of fupcrinfpeCtion within, and more readily protected againft externalfoes, promife from their nature a perpetuation of their union with, and conflant benefitto, their mother-country.

Among the numerous colonies belonging to France, the Hies of France and Bourbonmull be regarded as highly important, not fo much on account of their productions astheir pofition.

The Tile of Bourbon defended by itfelf is from its contiguity indifpenfably necelfaryto, and intimately allied with, the Ille of France .

The Hie of France , on a refpectable footing of defence, has nothing to apprehendfrom its enemies. The Englilh may fend out expeditions again!! this colony, but itsdiltance from them will ever be an impediment to their arriving in good condition ;and when arrived in its vicinage, the winds, want of provifion, and obflacles of everydefcription, will foon oblige them to abandon their enterprize.

This illand may be deemed the key of India: France may fend hither men andvelfels, and here,in fecret prepare its expeditions unknown to England.

From the fituation of the Ille of France , faid the Englilh council of Bengal, in1768 # , the French polfefs a device of their point of attack, and their defigns cannotbe fathomed but at the moment of their being carried into effect upon the coalt ofIndia .

But not only does the Ille of France contribute from its advantageous pofition toaffill the military operations of government, this favourable fite may alfo greatly pro-mote the growth of the commerce of France ; it is fufceptible of becoming the en-trepot of the merchandize of Afia, and of furnilhing therewith, in addition to theproduce of its foil, return cargoes to thofe velfels difpatched from Europe principallywith wines, which have neither time nor means to proceed to India , for the merchan-dize they need to complete their cargoes.

Commerce, as it increafes, will furnilh augmented means of fubfiltence, and thepopulation will in confequence become great in proportion, efpecially if governmentrender affiftance to and encourage thofe individuals folicitous of eftablilhing themfelvesin the Ille of France .

By fuch meafures it would attach to the foil a number of proprietors who, too poorto leave it, would render it fertile by careful and fedulous culture; whereas at pre-fent three-fourths of the inhabitants, inceffantly tormented by the common but fre-quently chimerical anxiety of making a rapid fortune in order to return to Europe ,are neglectful of their plantations, and thinking but of the prefent moment, takelittle heed of the future.

To launch into a minute detail of the productions of this ille, and of what valueit might become, would be of no utility: I have fought merely to imprefs an idea ofits importance ; and Ihould what I have mentioned fail of this effect on the reader, Iintreat him foberly to weigh this obfervation of a famous character well known forhis political ability : “ While the French, ” faid Lord Chatham, “ keep poffeffion oflhe Ifle of France, the Englilh cannot be deemed mailers of India .”

* View of the rife of the Englilh government, &c., by Vereljl.

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