HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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the dangerous opening in the stern was at first a rude contrivance for the easymanagement of the rudder, invented, no doubt, before a spirit of commerce ornaval enterprize had first induced a wish to stretch out to sea ; it is now continued,by the positive injunction of a government professing to be anxious for the recalof the primitive simplicity of the earliest ages; which, therefore, while it almostentirely denies access to foreigners, adopts this method of repressing a speculativeor wandering disposition in its own subjects. It ought by no means to excite sur-prize that Europeans should look with contempt, or, at best, astonishment, uponnations which, like those of China and Japan, place their glory, or, to use aless suspicious term, their felicity* in skilful and assiduous agriculture, in frugality,in the absence of luxury, in a population undiminished by war or emigration,as well as without a beggar, and betray so much insensibility to the blessings ofcommerce, and the ambition of naval reputation. But something of difficult com- -prehension may be readily acknowleged to present itself in contemplating thefeelings of those who, in their turn, though with amiable and venerable prejudice,and ignorant of the climates of Europe, as well as the principles which actuate hersons, despise, if not abhor, the men whom any common consideration can temptto “ abandon ihe tombs of their fathers

Quitting the shipping of China, the mind, in progressively tracing the navalhistory of the universe, naturally directs its attention to that of India : enquiry thereencounters a people extremely different in temper from the former, certainly inferiorto them in antiquity as members of an empire, but far surpassing them in theirscientific improvements, with respect to those pursuits which they have thoughtproper to embrace. The particulars which have been preserved relative to the ancientshipping of this extensive country, are extremely few. It is known, that in thevery early ages a considerable commerce was carried on between Egypt and thedifferent India nations, by means of the Red Sea ; but, in respect to the quality orform of the vessels employed, history, which, except on very extraordinary occa-sons, seldom descends to such minutiae, has been totally silent. Imperfectly knownto Europeans till nearly the close of the fifteenth century, they were left equallyas much as their Chinese neighbours in the full enjoyment of all such national andhereditary prejudices as they might have formed. Owing to that length of timeduring which they were allowed to take root and flourish without opposition, it

* See the Account of the Chinese Embassy.

might