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and the cluster of islands contiguous to it, that of the Maldives. From, him too we learn, that the island of Taprobare, which he fuppofes to lie at an equal diflance from the Perfian Gulf on the weft, and the country of the Sing on the eaft, had become, in confequence of this commodious fituation, a great staple of trade; that into it were imported the filk of the Sing, and the precious fpecies of the Eaft ern countries, which were conveyed thence to all parts of India, to Perfia, and to the Arabian Gulf. To this iland he gives the name of Sielediba, the fame with that of Selendib, or Serendib, by which it is flill known all over the East.

To Cofmas we are alfo indebted for the first information of a new rival to the Romans in trade having appeared in the Indian feas. The PerGans, after having overturned the empite of the Parthians, and re-establish ed the line of their ancient monarchs, ·seem to have furmounted entirely the ave.fion of their ancestors to maritime exertion, and made early and vigorous efforts in order to acquire a fhare in the lucrative commerce with India. All its confiderable ports were frequented by traders from Perfia, who, in return for fome productions of their own country in request among the Indians, received the precious commodities which they conveyed up the Perfian Gulf, and by means of the great ri. vers, Euphrates and Tigris, distributed them through every province of their empire. As the voyage from Perfia to India was much fhorter than that from Egypt, and attended with lefs expence and danger, the intercourse between the two countries increafed rapidly. A circumftance is mentioned by Cofmas which is a ftriking proof of this. In most of the cities of any note in India he found Christian churches eftablished, in which the functions of religion were performed by priefts ordained by the archbishop of Seleucia, the capital of

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the Perfian empire, and who continued fubject to his jurifdiction. India appears to have been more thoroughly explored at this period, than it was in the age of Ptolemy, and a greater number of ftrangers feem to have been fettled there. It is remarkable, however, that, according to the account of Cofmas, none of thefe ftrangers were accustomed to visit the eastern regions of Afia, but refted fatisfied with receiving their fils, their fpices, and other valuable productions, as they were imported into Ceylon, and conveyed thence to the various marts of India.

The frequency of open hoftilities between the emperors of Conftantinople and the monarchs of Perfia, together with the increafing rivalihip of their fubjects in the trade with India, gave rife to an event which produced a confiderable change in the nature of that commerce. As the use of silk, both in drefs and furniture, became gradually more general in the court of the Greek emperors, who imitated and furpaffed the fovereigns of Afia in fplendour and magnificence; and as China, in which, according to the concurring teflimony of Oriental writers, the culture of filk was originally known, till continued to be the only country which produced that valuable commodity; the Perfiacs, improving the advantages which their situation gave them over the merchants from the Arabian Gulf, fupplanted them in all the marts of India to which filk was brought by fea from the east.—Having it likewife in their power to moleft or to cut off the caravans, which, in order to procure a fupply for the Greek empire, travelled by land to China, through the northern provinces of the kingdoni, they entirely engroffed that branch of commerce. Conftantinople was obliged to depend on a rival power for an article, which luxury viewed and defired as effential to elegance. The Perfians, with the ufual rapacity of monopolifts, raised the price of filk to fuch an exorbitant

height,

height, that Juftinian, eager not only to obtain a full and certain fupply of a commodity which was become of ind fpenfible ufe, but folicitous to deliver the commerce of his fubjects from the exactions of his enemics, endeavoured, by means of his ally, the Chriflian monarch of Abyffinia, to wreft fome portion of the filk trade from the Perfans. In this attempt he failed; but when he leaft expected it, he, by an unforeseen event, attained, in fome measure, the object which he had in view. Two Perian monks having been employed as millionaries in fome of the Chriftian churches, which were eftablished (as we are informed by Cofmas) in different parts of India, had penetrated into the country of the Seres, or China. There they obferved the labours of the filk-worm, and became acquainted with all the arts of man in working up its productions into fuch a variety of elegant fabrics. The profpect of gain, or perhaps an indignant zeal, excited by feeing this lucrative branch of commerce engroffed by unbelieving nations, prompted them to repair to Conftantinople. There they explained to the emperor the origin of filk, as well as the various modes of preparing and manufac

turing it, myfteries hitherto unknown, or very imperfectly understood in Europe; and encouraged by his liberal promifes, they undertook to bring to the capital a fufficient number of thofe wonderful infects, to whofe labours man is fo much indebted. This they accomplished by conveying the eggs of the filk-worm in a hollow cane. They were hatched by the heat of a dunghill, fed with the leaves of a wild mulberry tree, and they multiplied and worked in the fame manner as in thofe climates where they first became objects of human attention and care.Vaft numbers of thefe infects were foon reared in different parts of Greece, particularly in the Peloponefus. Sjcily afterwards undertook to breed filkworms with equal fuccefs, and was įmitated, from time to time, in several towns of Italy. In all thefe places extenfive manufactures were established, and carried on, with filk of domeftic production. The demand for filk from the east diminished of course, the fubjects of the Greek emperors were no longer obliged to have recourfe to the Perfians for a fapply of it, and a confiderable change took place in the nature of the commercial intercourfe between Europe and India.

Account of the prefent State of the Fur Trade of Hudson's Bay §.

Twenty years ago the Governor and there are procured at an expences

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which a few years back would have been looked upon as next to an annihilation of their commercial existence,

of which was the Company's principal establishment in the Bay, annually fent home at least thirty thousand skins, and maintained It is an incontrovertible fact, that no more than twenty-five men, at very fince the French have evacuated Canalow wages; at prefent that place has da, the fur trade from the inland parts upwards of one hundred men at it, of Hudfon's Bay has been carried on who have increafed falaries, and it to a greater extent than ever it was fends home' no more than twenty thou- before; for the Company, who till fand fkins, upon an average, from it. then confined themfelves to the feafelf and four fubordinate fettlements;fhore, knew nothing of the numerous

§ From Umfreville's prefent State of Hudfon's Bay."

nations

nations inland; and thefe again knew as little of them: that the Company, not withstanding they had obliged them felves by their charter to explore the whole of their territories, confined themselves within a small circle. They confequently did not exert their influence to procure peltries, or to aug ment the confumption of British manufactures, by any other methods than through the channel of a very few In dians, comparatively speaking. Thefe Indians however, brought down enough to enrich a few individuals, whofe in tereft it was to pr vent too great an influx of furs. which would not only lower the price at market, but proba bly open the eyes of an injured com mercial people. In the days I am allading to, the port of York Fort was furrounded with nations of Indians entirely unknown to the traders of the Company; and they would have remained in the fame state of ignorance to this day, had they not been awaken ed from their reveries by the unfutmountable perfeverence of a few Canadian merchants, who found them out, through obftacles and impedi. ments attended with more danger and personal hazard than a voyage to Ja

pan.

Since that time their affairs have undergone a material change in thefe parts. The Canada merchants annually fend into the interior country, for the Indian trade, about forty large canoes of about four tous burthen each, a confiderable part of which goods are conveyed to thofe Indians who used. to fend their furs down to Hudfon's Bay by the Indian carriers, which did not amount to half the quantity at prefent procured. So that by this interference of the Canada traders, it is evident that many more peltries are procured and imported into England, and a greater quantity of its manufactures confumed than heretofore; and when it is farther confidered, that thefe goods are of a very inferior quali y, which perhaps would hardly find F VOL. XIV. No. 79.

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a fale elsewhere, this extension of the trade will appear an object not very inconfiderable.

By the profecution of this commerce from Canada, the Hudfon's Bay Com.. pany found themselves effectually fupplanted on the fea-fhore, the natives being fupplied inland with every conveniency for war and domeftic uses. This induced the Company in the year 1773, to begin their inland voyages, fo that the Canadians from Canada and the Europeans from Hudfon's Bay met together, not at all to the ulterior advantage of the natives, who by this means became degenerated and debauched, through the excelfive ufe of fpirituous liquors imported by these rivals in commerce.

It however must be owned, that the Hudson's Bay traders have ingratiated themselves more into the esteem and confidence of the natives than the Canadians. The advantage of trade is evidently on their fide; their men, whofe honefty is incorruptible, being more to be depended upon. In proportion to the goods imported, the Company export a greater quantity of furs, and these in better prefervation, and confequently more valuable. Their unfeasonable parfimony has hitherto been proved very favourable to their Canadian opponents; as the accumulated expences attending fo diftant an undertaking would overbalance the profits of the latter, if the exertions of the Company were adequate to the value of the prize contended for,

The Hudfon's Bay fervants being thus more in poffeffion of the esteem of the natives, they will always have. the preference of trade as long as this conduct continues. Another great advantage in their favour is, that the principal articles of their trading goods are of a fuperior quality to those im ported from Canada. I would not by this infinuation infer, that the goods fent inland from Canada are not good enough for the Indian trade; no, I well know that the worst article im

ported

rorted is good enough; but while they have to contend with people who fend goods of a fuperior kind, they evidently lie under a difadvantage; and it is my opinion, that it would be for the intereft of the Canada merchants to fupply goods of an equal if not fuperior quality to their adverfaries, at every poft where they have these formidable rivals to oppote them.

The great imprudence, and bad way of living of the Canadian traders have been an invincible bar to the emolument of their employers. Many of thefe people, who have been the great eft part of their lives on this inland fervice among favages, being devoid of every facial and benevolent tie, are become flaves to every vice which can corrupt and debase the human mind; fuch as quarrelling, drunkenness, deception, &c. From a confirmed habit in bad courfes of this nature, they are held in abhorrence and difguft, even by the Indians, who finding themselves frequently deceived by fpecious pro mifes, never intended to be performed, imagine the whole fraternity to be impregnated with the fame failing, and accordingly hold the generality of the Canadian traders in deteftation and contempt os baz

Os the contrary, the fervants of the Hudson's Bay Company, imported principally from the Orkney Ifles, are a clofe, prudent, quiet people, ftrictly 'faithful to their employers, and fordidly avaricious. When these people are fcattered about the country in fmall parties among the Indians, the general

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tenor of their behaviour is conducted with fo much propriety, as not only to make themfelves efteemed by the natives, and to procure their protection ; but they alfo employ their time in endeavouring to enrich themfelves and their principals, by their diligence and unwearied affiduity. By this prudent demeanor among the Indians, notwithftanding they have annually expofed themfeives to all the dangers incident to the trade, for fifteen years paft, they have not fuftained the loss of a man; and the principal advantage of the Company over the Canadian traders, is more to be attributed to the laudable efforts of their fervants, than even to the fuperior quality of their goods, while the Canadian fervants are fo far from being actuated by the same principles, that very few of them can be trusted with a fmall affortment of goods, to be laid out for their masters profit, but it is ten to one that he is defrauded of the whole by commerce with Indian women, or fome other fpecies of peculation. By this and various other means, which lower them in the eyes of the natives, as before obferved, they are become obnoxious to the Indians, their faith is not to be relied on, nor their honefly confided in; fo that foarce a year elapfes, without one or more of them falling victims to their own imprudence, at a time when fatal experience should teach them, that a conduct guided by caution and difcretion ought to be the invariable and uniform rule of their behaviour.

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On the impoffibility of rendering the French Conftitution fimilar to the British.

NOTHING has been afferted Burke than the facility with which the

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with more confidence by Mr fragments of the long fubverted liber

From Macintosh's l'indicie Gallicin

ty

ty of France might have been formed gy with an immenfe mafs of property, rendered still more formidable by the concentration of great portions in the hands of a few, to conftitute it in effect the fame body with the nobility, by granting them the monopoly of great benefices, and to bestow on this clerico-military ariftocracy, in its two fhapes of priesthood and nobility, two feparate and independent voices in Legiflation. This double body, from its neceffity dependance on the king, must neceffarily have in both forms become the organ of his voice. The monarch would thus poffefs three negatives, one avowed and difused, two latent and in perpetual activity on the fingle voice which impotent and illufive formality had yielded on the the third eftate. Such and much more muft the parliament of England become before it could in any respect resemble the divifion of the French Legislature according to thofe ancient orders which formed the Gothic affemblies of Europe. So monftrous did the arrangement appear, that even under the reign of Defpotifm, the fecond plan was propofed by M. Calonne-that the clergy and nobility should form an Upper Houfe to exercife conjointly with the king and the commons the legislative authority. It admits however of the clearest proof that such a conftitution would have been diametrically opposite in its fpirit and princi. ples to the English government. This will at once be evident from the different defcription of the body of nobles in France and England. In England they are a fmall body, united to the mafs of the people by innume rable points of contact, receiving from it perpetual new infufions, and returning to it, undiftinguifbed and unprivileged, the majority of their children. In France they formed an im'menfe infulated caft. feparated from fociety by every barrier that prejudice or policy could raife, receiving few plebeian acceffions, and precluded,

into a British Conftitution. But of this general pofition he has neither explained the mode, nor defined the mitations. Nothing is more favourable to the popularity of a work than thefe lofty generalities which are light enough to pafs into vulgar currency, and to become the maxims of a popalar creed. Touched by definition, they become too fimple and precife for eloquence, too cold and abftract for popularity. But exhibited as they are by Mr Burke, they gratify the pride and indolence of the people, who are thus taught to fpeak what gaios applaufe without any effort of intellect, and impofes filence without any labour of confutation; what may be acquired without being ftudied, and uttered without being understood. Of this nature are these vague and confident affertions, which, without furnishing any definite idea, afford a ready jargon for vulgar prejudice, flattering to national vanity, and fanctioned by a diftinguished name. It is neceffary to enquire with more precifion in what manner France could have affimilated the remains of her ancient Conftitution to that of the English Le. gillature. Three modes only feem conceivable. The prefervation of the three orders diftin&t. The union of the clergy and nobility in one upper chamber, or fome mode of felecting from thefe two Orders a body like the Houfe of Lords in England. Unless the infinuations of Mr Burke point to one or other of thofe fchemes, I cannot divine their meaning. The firft mode (the three orders fitting in feparate houses with equal privileges) would neither have been congenial in fpirit nor fimilar in form to the conftitution of England. To convert the convocation into an integrant and co-ordinant member of our legislature, would give it fome femblance of this ftrucBut it would be a faint one. It would be neceffary to arm our cler

ture.

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