tasman’s voyage of discovery.

455

becaufe it is already fufficiently known, that there are every-where iflands upon thecoaft, where fhips, upon fuch a difcovery, might be fure to meet with refreffiments, as

plain from Commodore Roggewein’s voyage, made little more than twentyyears ago.

The only difficulty that I can fee, would be the getting a fair and honeft account ofAis expedition, when made; for private intereft is fo apt to interfere, and get thebetter of the public fervice, that it is very hard to be fure of any thing of this fort.That I may not be fufpefted of any intent to calumniate, I ffiall put the reader inmind of two inftances ; the firft is, as to the new trade from Ruffia, for eftabliffiing°f which an adt of parliament was with great difficulty obtained, though vifibly forthe advantage of the nation : the other inftance is, the voyage of Captain Middleton,for the difcovery of a north-weft paflage into the fouth feas, which is ended by a very^arm difpute, whether that palfage be found or not, the perfon fuppofed to have foundtt maintaining the negative.

. Whenever, therefore, fuch an expedition is undertaken, it ought to be under thedire&ion, not only of a perfon of parts and experience, but of unfpotted character,who, on his return, ffiould be obliged to deliver his journal upon oath, and the prin-cipal officers under him ffiould likewife be direfted to keep their journals diftinctly,and without their being infpedted by the principal officer ; all which journals ought tobe publiffied by authority as foon as received, that every man might be at liberty toexamine them, and deliver his thoughts as to the difeoveries made, or the impedimentsbiggefted to have hindered or prevented fuch difeoveries, by which means the publicWould be fure to obtain a full and diftindt account of the matter ; and it would thencemtmediately appear, whether it would be expedient to profecute the defign or not.

t But if it ffiould be thought too burdenfome for a company in fo flouriffiing a con-dition, and confequently engaged in fo extenfive a commerce as the Eaft India Com-pany is, to undertake fuch an expedition, merely to ferve the public, promote the expor-tation of our manufactures, and increafe the number of induftrious perfons who aremaintained by foreign trade ; if this, 1 fay, ffiould be thought too grievous for a com-pany that has purchafed her privileges from the public, by a large loan at low intereft,there can certainly be no objedtion to the putting this projedt into the hands of the^°yal African Company, who are not quite in fo flouriffiing a condition ; they have®qual opportunities for undertaking it, fince the voyage might be with great eafe per-formed from their fettlements in ten months, and if the trade was found to anfwer,1|; might encourage the fettling a colony at Madagafcar, to and from which ffiips might,J^tth the greateft conveniency, carry on the trade to New Guinea . I cannot fay how* ar fuch a trade might be confident with their prefent charter; but if it ffiould be°und advantageous to the' public, and beneficial to the company, I think there can betto reafon affigned why it ffiould not be fecured to them, and that too in the moft ef-m&ual manner.

A very fmall progrefs in it would reftore the reputation of the company, and in time,Perhaps, free the nation from the annual expence ffie is now at, for the fupport of the° r ts and garrifons belonging to that company on the coafts of Africa; which woulda °ne prove of great and immediate fervice, both to the puolic and to the company:

fay the truth, fomething of this fort is abfolutely neceflary to vindicate the expenceme nation is at; for if the trade, for the carrying on of which a company is eftabliffied,Proves, by a change of circumftances, incapable of fupporting that company, and

ereby brings a load upon the public, this ought to be a motive, it ought, indeed, toe the ftrongeft motive, for that company to endeavour the extenfion of its

commerce,

or