THE WEALTH OK NATIONS.

551

The general advantages which Europe , considered as onegreat country, has derived from the discovery and coloniza-tion of America , consists, first, in the increase of enjoyments;and secondly, in the augmentation of its industry.

The surplus produce of America, imported into Europe ,furnishes the inhabitants of this great continent with a varietyof commodities which they could not otherwise have pos-sessed, some for conveniency and use, some for pleasure, andsome for ornament, and thereby contributes to increase theirenjoyments.

The discovery and colonization of America , it will readilybe allowed, have contributed to augment the industry, first,of all the countries which trade to it directly; such as Spain ,Portugal, France , and England; and secondly, of all thosewhich, without tradingto it directly, send, through the mediumof other countries, goods to it of their own produce; such asAustrian Flanders, and some provinces of Germany , which,through the medium of the countries before-mentioned, sendto it a considerable quantity of linen and other goods. Allsuch countries have evidently gained a more extensive marketfor their surplus produce, and must consequently have beenencouraged to increase its quantity.

But, that those great events should likewise have contributedto encourage the industry of countries, such as Hungary andBoland, which may never, perhaps, have sent a single com-modity of their own produce to America , is not, perhaps, al-together so evident. That those events have done so, how-ever, cannot be doubted. Some part of the produce of America is consumed in Hungary and Poland , and there is some de-mand there tor the sugar, chocolate, and tobacco, of that newquarter of the world. But those commodities must be pur-chased with something which is either the produce of theindustry of Hungary and Poland , or with something whichhad been purchased with some part of that produce. Thosecommodities of America are new values, new equivalents, in-troduced into Hungary and Poland , to be exchanged there forthe surplus produce of those countries. By being carriedthither they create a new and more extensive market tor thatsurplus produce. They raise its value, and thereby contributeto encourage its increase. Though no part oi it may ever becarried to America , it may be carried to other countries whichpurchase it with a part of their share of the surplus produce°* America ; and it may find a market by means of the circu-