Cattle are not abundant, sheep are rare, and the beef, excepting that from Madagafcar, is not good: the cows brought from Europe yield a tolerable quantity of milk, those of the island but little. If the Ifle of France had been a foreign colony, I fhould give a sketch of the manners and customs of the inhabitants; but as all I could fay is already known, I shall fimply point out its utility and importance to the metropolis. Importance of the Ile of France. By the death of thousands, and by confiderable pecuniary loffes, have most of the nations of Europe purchased the establishments they have formed in Afia. Whatever confequence may ultimately refult from the poffeffion of these distant colonies, to fupport and preferve them is a matter of abfolute neceffity, as long as any one European power continues to maintain a commerce with India. This commerce in itself may be a matter of indifference to us, and even useless, if any can truly be so considered in a great state; but should we difcontinue it, we fhould be placed in a state of dependence, and render ourselves the tributaries of thofe by whom it might be continued. Colonies have always been formed for the advantage of the mother-country: in this light they have ever been contemplated; and fhould they at times have failed to anfwer the purposed end, the cause of the failure is more to be attributed to radical vices in the establishment of them, than to unfortunate occurrences, or fuch as could not have been foreseen. In looking to the value of a colony two things are to be duly weighed; firftly, the draught of men and money from the metropolis which they occafion, and fecondly, the resources and advantage presented by their pofition and their commerce. Under the first afpect, if the expences of the establishment are not counterbalanced by confiderable profits or other material benefit, the confequent lofs of men and money is burthenfome to the fate; but on the other hand thofe colonies which by their pofition can readily be closed against foreign commerce*, and the population of which fails to increase in proportion with their wealth, are of fingular utility to the metropolis. Now, infular colonies prefent this double advantage, they can at pleasure be laid open to or closed against foreign trade; and they hold out no profpect of ever becoming hurtful to the mother-country by their increafing wealth or population. Continental colonies, on the reverse, poffefs in themselves many inconveniencies; and though perhaps they prefent more extended refources in their larger population, and the greater activity and value of their trade, in these very momentary advantages they carry with them the feeds of disorder and revolt, feeds perpetually disposed to germinate and ripen to maturity. In fact, after occafioning their mother-country material facrifices of both men and money, when once they attain a certain pitch of profperity and power, they rebel against their parent, and cease to acknowledge her authority, of which we fee an example in the conduct of the United States of America in the last century. * Trade with its colonies naturally belongs to the metropolis, and other nations fhould be admitted to traffic with them only at the option of the fovereign government. In this cafe alfo the foreigner ought to pay an extra tax on the importation as well as on the export of merchandize; for, if he were permitted to buy or fell without paying fuch extra duties, the colonist, at all times inclined to buy as cheap as poffible, would fell his produce in many inftances in preference to the ftranger, to the ruin of the merchant of the mother-country. To this evident injury is to be added the rife of price of colonial produce, and the diminution of that of European commodities, confequent on a full market and the competition of foreigners, the fatal effect of which is the deftruction of the commerce of the mother-country, and the annihilation of its navy. The The English establishments in India, purchased by the effufion of fo much blood, by the expenditure of fuch heaps of treasure, these establishments must terminate foon or late, either in the return of the people to the dominion of their former masters, or in their erecting themselves into feveral different states independent of British fway. Time, events, and political changes produce in continental colonies, as a natural refult, inevitable revolutions; while infular establishments, more concentrated and of courfe more eafy of superinspection within, and more readily protected against external foes, promise from their nature a perpetuation of their union with, and constant benefit to, their mother-country. Among the numerous colonies belonging to France, the Ifles of France and Bourbon must be regarded as highly important, not fo much on account of their productions as their pofition. The Ifle of Bourbon defended by itfelf is from its contiguity indifpenfably neceffary to, and intimately allied with, the Ifle of France. The Ifle of France, on a respectable footing of defence, has nothing to apprehend from its enemies. The English may send out expeditions against this colony, but its distance from them will ever be an impediment to their arriving in good condition; and when arrived in its vicinage, the winds, want of provifion, and obftacles of every description, will foon oblige them to abandon their enterprize. This island may be deemed the key of India: France may fend hither men and veffels, and here in fecret prepare its expeditions unknown to England. From the fituation of the Ifle of France, faid the English council of Bengal, in 1768 *, the French poffefs a device of their point of attack, and their defigns cannot be fathomed but at the moment of their being carried into effect upon the coaft of India. But not only does the Ifle of France contribute from its advantageous position to affift the military operations of government, this favourable fite may alfo greatly promote the growth of the commerce of France; it is fufceptible of becoming the entrepôt of the merchandize of Afia, and of furnishing therewith, in addition to the produce of its foil, return cargoes to thofe veffels dispatched from Europe principally with wines, which have neither time nor means to proceed to India, for the merchandize they need to complete their cargoes. Commerce, as it increases, will furnish augmented means of fubfiftence, and the population will in confequence become great in proportion, especially if government render affiftance to and encourage thofe individuals folicitous of establishing themselves in the Isle of France. By fuch measures it would attach to the foil a number of proprietors who, too poor to leave it, would render it fertile by careful and fedulous culture; whereas at prefent three-fourths of the inhabitants, inceffantly tormented by the common but frequently chimerical anxiety of making a rapid fortune in order to return to Europe, are neglectful of their plantations, and thinking but of the present moment, take little heed of the future. To launch into a minute detail of the productions of this ifle, and of what value it might become, would be of no utility: I have fought merely to imprefs an idea of its importance; and should what I have mentioned fail of this effect on the reader, I intreat him foberly to weigh this obfervation of a famous character well known for his political ability: "While the French," faid Lord Chatham, "keep poffeffion of the Ifle of France, the English cannot be deemed masters of India." * View of the rife of the English government, &c., by Verelft. RETURN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, AND THE ISLE OF FRANCE. 95 in RETURN TO EUROpe. THE capture of Pondicherry in 1793 having delayed the remittance of the cuf tomary funds for the maintenance of the French establishment at Canton, as well for that as the fucceeding years, I determined, as before obferved, on failing to the Isle of France in 1796, in view of obtaining there the payment of my arrears. Deceived my expectations from this quarter, the laws of the island not allowing the emiffion of money for any purpofe foreign to the fervice of the colony, I was indebted wholly to the kindnefs of M. de Malartie, the governor, and M. Dupuy, the intendant, for a fmall loan of four hundred dollars, which enabled me to return to China at the close of 1796, but was infufficient to maintain me at the refidence. I therefore, in 1797, again left Canton for the Isle of France, as I had there a better chance than at Canton of receiving advices from the minifter, to whom I had already written, and to whom I again wrote on my arrival, requesting a remittance of funds in case of my continuance in China, or an order for my return to Europe. After refidence of three years at the Ifle of France in continual expectation of an anfwer, receiving none, I refolved on leaving that colony, and quitted it 21st March 1801, on board a Danifh fhip. We loft fight of land the 23d, and on the 12th of April paffed Eel Bank (Le Banc des Aiquilles) in latitude thirty-fix degrees fourteen minutes. The fear of meeting with cruifers prevented our making the Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, the island of Afcenfion, or the Azores, so that the first land we defcried after paffing north of Ireland and Scotland was the northern part of the island of Ronaldsha: at length, on 11th June we anchored in Norway at Fleckerhoe, a fhort distance from Christianfand, after a paffage of two months and nineteen days. The English being at war with the Danes I took my paffage in a floop of this laft nation; after traverfing the Categat, coafting along Jutland, and a portion of Fionia, I arrived at Korfer, whence I repaired to Copenhagen; I left this city after a short time for Holland, and thence repaired to Paris, where I arrived 4th August 1801, after an absence of seventeen years. A VOYAGE TO AND FROM THE ISLAND OF BORNEO, IN THE EAST INDIES; WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE SAID ISLAND; Giving an Account of the Inhabitants, their Manners, Cuftoms, Religion, Product, Chief Ports, and Trade: together with the Re-establishment of the English Trade there, An. 1714, after our Factory had been deftroyed by the Banjareens fome Years before. Also a Description of THE ISLANDS OF CANARY, CAPE VERD, JAVA, MADURA; OF THE STREIGHTS OF BALLY, THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, THE HOTTENTOTS, With fome Remarks and Directions touching Trade, &c. The Whole very pleasant and very useful to such as shall have Occafion to go into those Parts. By Captain DANIEL BEECKMAN *. SIR, TO THE HONOURABLE SIR GREGORY PAGE, BART. THE indefatigable pains and care you always took in promoting the advantage of the Honourable Eaft India Company; the eminent zeal that has always appeared in you for the good of your country in general; together with the obligations I am under for the many favours I have had the honour of receiving already at your hands, have induced me to take the liberty of imploring, moft humbly, your patronage to this work; begging your acceptance thereof, as a fmall teftimony of that gratitude I owe you. The great and uncommon qualifications you are endowed with, render you the fittest person I know of to countenance a work of this nature: and I do not queftion, but the protection of a gentleman of fo extenfive a knowledge in trade, will make it meet with more regard and refpect than it could otherwise expect. If what obfervations I have here made may be fo happy as to merit your approbation, I fhall think my pains well bestowed, and my chief end is entirely anfwered, by fhewing with how profound a respect I am, Sir, Your moft humble, and most obedient Servant, * London, 1718, 8vo. D. BEECKMAN. ΤΟ |