tasman’s voyage of discovery.

45 s

Southern or Northern America, between Terra del Fuego and the northermoft part ofAmerica , on pain of the forfeiture of the fhips and goods; one-third to the crown, andthe other two-thirds to the Eaft India Company.”

But the reader will obferve, that I mentioned the Eaft India and African Companiesbefore ; and that I now mention the South Sea Company , on a fuppofition that the twoformer may refufe it. In that cafe, I prefume, the legiflature will make the fame dif-tindlion that the States of Holland did, and not fuffer the private advantage of anyparticular company to ftand in competition with the good of a whole people. It wasupon this principle that I laid it down as a thing certain, that the African Company would be allowed to fettle the ifland of Madagafcar, though it lies within the limits ofthe Eaft India Company’s charter, in cafe it fhould be found neceffary for the bettercarrying on of this trade. It is upon the fame principle I fay this fouthern continentlies within the intention of the South Sea Company ’s charter, becaufe, I prefume, theintent of that charter was to grant them all the commerce in thofe feas, not occupiedbefore by Britilh fubje&s ; for, if it were otherwife, what a condition fhould we be inas a maritime power ? If a grant does not oblige a company to carry on a tradewithin the limits granted to that company, and is, at the fame time, of force to precludeall the fubjefts of this nation from the right they before had to carry on a trade withinthofe limits, fuch a law is plainly deftrudlive to the nation’s intereft, and to commercein general.- I therefore fuppofe, that, if the South Sea Company fhould think properto revive their trade in the manner I propofe, this provifo would be explained by parlia-ment to mean no more than excluding the South Sea Company from fettling ortrading in or to any place at prefent fettled in or traded to by the Eaft India Company •for, as this interpretation would fecure the juft rights of both companies, and, at thefame time, reconcile the laws for eftablifhing them to the general intereft of trade andthe nation, there is the greateft reafon to believe this to be the intention of the legif*lature. I have been obliged to infift fully upon this matter, becaufe it is a point hithertountouched, and a point of fuch high importance, that, unlefs it be underftood accordingto my fenfe of the matter, there is an end of all hopes of extending our trade on thisfide, which is perhaps the only fide, on which there is the leaft probability that it evercan be extended: for, as to the north-weft paffage into the South Seas, that feems tobe blocked up by the rights of another company j fo that, according to the letter ofour laws, each company is to have its rights, and the nation in general no right at all*

If therefore the fettling of this part of Terra Auftralis fhould devolve on the SouthSea Company , by way of equivalent for the lofs of their Affiento contract, there is nofort of queftion but it might be as well performed by them as by any other, and thetrade carried on without interfering with that which is at prefent carried on, either bythe Eaft India or African Companies. It would indeed, in this cafe, be abfolutely ne-ceffary to fettle Juan Fernandez, the fettlement of which place, under the direction ofthat company, if they could, as very probably they might, fall into fome fhare of theflave-trade from New Guinea , muft prove wonderfully advantageous, confidering theopportunity they would have of vending thofe flaves to the Spaniards in Chili andPeru*The fettling of this ifland ought to be performed at once, and with a competent f 0 j”F^’fince, without doubt, the Spaniards would leave no means unattempted to difpone sthem: yet, if a good fortification was once raifed, the pafles properly retrenched, ana garrifon left there of between three and five hundred men, it would be fimply lB1 'poflible for the Spaniards to force them out of it before the arrival of another fquadronfrom hence. Neither do I fee any reafon, why in the fpace of a very few years, fplantation of this ifland fhould not prove of as great conlequence to the South o e