HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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of the southern division, was confined merely to what was necessary to main-tain that intercourse between different parts of the same coast which necessity,luxury, or profit rendered necessary ; and the extraneous provision of a verylimited naval equipment for the interchange of treasure or commodities be-tween the eastern and western world. No difference in principle or conftruc-tion existed between the shipping of Old and New Spain ; the marine just al-luded to, is only mentioned for the purpose of rendering the universal accountperfect, and keeping, as is almost uninterruptedly the case, the marine employedin this secluded quarter apart from that of, what is called, the mother country.Of China, of the Indian nations, it is unnecessary to make any further remark,than the mere observation, that the preceding history of the last forty yearsmay, with the mere change of dates, be rendered strictly applicable to that of asubsequent period nearly of the same length. The civil improvements andpractice of the countries last mentioned will be hereafter particularly advertedto, and described.

Of Africa the maritime history is extremely contracted. The empire ofMorocco, possessing neither public nor private consequence as a naval or com-mercial state, and the governments of xAlgiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Sallee, whichin the reign of impotent princes, were accustomed to levy an unlimitted tributeon the commerce of all Christian countries whatever, began to learn a respeCt,which they had never before been accustomed to pay, to the laws of nations, and,in some degree, depend on the district they inhabited, for support, instead of almostsolely relying on adventitious plunder. From this cursory view of every con-tinent and quarter of the world, the mind is compelled to return to Europe, andthose particular countries, whose histories make the most conspicuous figure asmaritime states.

France, Spain, and Britain, by their preceding contests, had not improbablycaused secret satisfaction in the minds of those states which moved in the inferiorrank, inasmuch as they supposed themselves profiting by the mutual contest;for, though it did not primarily affect themselves, they could not but dread. the future effects of it, on any ground captiously taken, even by the most inferiorof the trio. The preceding account may serve for the statement and compara-tive view of the maritime power possessed by every different country meritingthat appellation over the face of the whole globe, with the exception of thoseremarks and observations hereafter given in respect to them.

By the events of war, as shown in the former chapter, the naval power

of