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wealbk04-第57章

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the returns are so very slow; in which that capital can maintain

so small a quantity of productive labour at home; where

productive labour is so much wanted; where so little is done; and

where so much is to do。

     Though without an exclusive company; therefore; a particular

country should not be able to carry on any direct trade to the

East Indies; it will not from thence follow that such a company

ought to be established there; but only that such a country ought

not in these circumstances to trade directly to the East Indies。

That such companies are not in general necessary for carrying on

the East India trade is sufficiently demonstrated by the

experience of the Portuguese; who enjoyed almost the whole of it

for more than a century together without any exclusive company。

     No private merchant; it has been said; could well have

capital sufficient to maintain factors and agents in the

different ports of the East Indies; in order to provide goods for

the ships which he might occasionally send thither; and yet;

unless he was able to do this; the difficulty of finding a cargo

might frequently make his ships lose the season for returning;

and the expense of so long a delay would not only eat up the

whole profit of the adventure; but frequently occasion a very

considerable loss。 This argument; however; if it proved anything

at all; would prove that no one great branch of trade could be

carried on without an exclusive company; which is contrary to the

experience of all nations。 There is no great branch of trade in

which the capital of any one private merchant is sufficient for

carrying on all the subordinate branches which must be carried

on; in order to carry on the principal one。 But when a nation is

ripe for any great branch of trade; some merchants naturally turn

their capitals towards the principal; and some towards the

subordinate branches of it; and though all the different branches

of it are in this manner carried on; yet it very seldom happens

that they are all carried on by the capital of one private

merchant。 If a nation; therefore; is ripe for the East India

trade; a certain portion of its capital will naturally divide

itself among all the different branches of that trade。 Some of

its merchants will find it for their interest to reside in the

East Indies; and to employ their capitals there in providing

goods for the ships which are to be sent out by other merchants

who reside in Europe。 The settlements which different European

nations have obtained in the East Indies; if they were taken from

the exclusive companies to which they at present belong and put

under the immediate protection of the sovereign; would render

this residence both safe and easy; at least to the merchants of

the particular nations to whom those settlements belong。 If at

any particular time that part of the capital of any country which

of its own accord tended and inclined; if I may say so; towards

the East India trade; was not sufficient for carrying on all

those different branches of it; it would be a proof that; at that

particular time; that country was not ripe for that trade; and

that it would do better to buy for some time; even at a higher

price; from other European nations; the East India goods it had

occasion for; than to import them itself directly from the East

Indies。 What it might lose by the high price of those goods could

seldom be equal to the loss which it would sustain by the

distraction of a large portion of its capital from other

employments more necessary; or more useful; or more suitable to

its circumstances and situation; than a direct trade to the East

Indies。

     Though the Europeans possess many considerable settlements

both upon the coast of Africa and in the East Indies; they have

not yet established in either of those countries such numerous

and thriving colonies as those in the islands and continent of

America。 Africa; however; as well as several of the countries

comprehended under the general name of the East Indies; are

inhabited by barbarous nations。 But those nations were by no

means so weak and defenceless as the miserable and helpless

Americans; and in proportion to the natural fertility of the

countries which they inhabited; they were besides much more

populous。 The most barbarous nations either of Africa or of the

East Indies were shepherds; even the Hottentots were so。 But the

natives of every part of America; except Mexico and Peru; were

only hunters; and the difference is very great between the number

of shepherds and that of hunters whom the same extent of equally

fertile territory can maintain。 In Africa and the East Indies;

therefore; it was more difficult to displace the natives; and to

extend the European plantations over the greater part of the

lands of the original inhabitants。 The genius of exclusive

companies; besides; is unfavourable; it has already been

observed; to the growth of new colonies; and has probably been

the principal cause of the little progress which they have made

in the East Indies。 The Portuguese carried on the trade both to

Africa and the East Indies without any exclusive companies; and

their settlements at Congo; Angola; and Benguela on the coast of

Africa; and at Goa in the East Indies; though much depressed by

superstition and every sort of bad government; yet bear some

faint resemblance to the colonies of America; and are partly

inhabited by Portuguese who have been established there for

several generations。 The Dutch settlements at the Cape of Good

Hope and at Batavia are at present the most considerable colonies

which the Europeans have established either in Africa or in the

East Indies; and both these settlements are peculiarly fortunate

in their situation。 The Cape of Good Hope was inhabited by a race

of people almost as barbarous and quite as incapable of defending

themselves as the natives of America。 It is besides the halfway

house; if one may say so; between Europe and the East Indies; at

which almost every European ship makes some stay; both in going

and returning。 The supplying of those ships with every sort of

fresh provisions; with fruit and sometimes with wine; affords

alone a very extensive market for the surplus produce of the

colonists。 What the Cape of Good Hope is between Europe and every

part of the East Indies; Batavia is between the principal

countries of the East Indies。 It lies upon the most frequented

road from Indostan to China and Japan; and is nearly about midway

upon that road。 Almost all the ships; too; that sail between

Europe and China touch at Batavia; and it is; over and above all

this; the centre and principal mart of what is called the country

trade of the East Indies; not only of that part of it which is

carried on by Europeans; but of that which is carried on by the

native Indians; and vessels navigated by the inhabitants of China

and Japan; of Tonquin; Malacca; Cochin China; and the island of

Celebes; are frequently to be seen in its port。 Such advantageous

situations have enabled those two colonies to surmount all the

obstacles which the oppressive genius of an exclusive company may

have occasionally opposed to their growth。 They have enabled

Batavia to surmount the additional disadvantage of perhaps the

most unwholesome climate in the world。

     The English and Dutch companies; though they have

established no considerable colonies; except the two above

mentioned; have both made considerable conquests in the East

Indies。 But in the manner in which they both govern their new

subjects; the natural genius of an exclusive company has shown

itself most distinctly。 In the spice islands the Dutch are said

to burn all the spiceries which a fertile season produces beyond

what they expect to dispose of in Europe with such a profit as

they think sufficient。 In the islands where they have no

settlements; they give a premium to those who collect the young

blossoms and green leaves of the clove and nutmeg trees which

naturally grow there; but which the savage policy has now; it is

said; almost completely extirpated。 Even in the islands where

they have settlements they have very much reduced; it is said;

the number of those trees。 If the produce even of their own

islands was much greater than what suited their market; the

natives; they suspect; might find means to convey some part of it

to other nations; and the best way; they imagine; to secure their

own monopoly is to take care that no more shall grow than what

they themselves carry to market。 By different arts of oppression

they have reduced the population of several of the Moluccas

nearly to the number which is sufficient to supply with fresh

provisions and other necessaries of life their own insignificant

garrisons; and such of their ships as occasionally come there for

a cargo of spices。 Under the government even of the Portuguese;

however; those islands are said to have been tolerably well

inhabited。 The English company have not yet had time to establish

in Bengal so perfectly destructive a system。 The plan of their

gove
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