Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1836. FIRST SETTLEMENT. 6^1 time till 1823, when one Alexander Hare, a British subject, established himself and a small party of Malays, upon the was driven on shore at the Isle of Wif,fht. The sight of the riches it contained excited a desire of attempting to open a trade with Turkej-, through which the merchandize of India was transported. The ad- vantages arising from this Turkish trade to the Eastern merchants shewed that it might be rendered still more lucrative if it were carried on by a direct route. In order that no measures of prudence which seemed likely to ensure success to this grand enterprise might be omit- ted, the queen sent to explore the two routes already opened, that of the Cape of Good Hope, by Captain Stephens, in 1582, and that of the Strait of Magellan, in 1587. From the reports which they made, it was conceived impossible for England to appropriate to itself, by means of single ships, a part of that commerce, to the prejudice of two nations, jealous, and well established ; and, that, while it employed all the ex- ertions of industry, it would be necessary also to show a respectable force. These considerations, highly judicious, gave rise to the East India Company, which sent out its first adventure with a capital of £74,000, and four ships equipped from that sum. In 1601 the company was established under the auspices of the state, which granted it a char- ter of protection for a time limited. Lancaster, M'ho commanded this squadron, behaved like a private merchant, entered into a treaty of commerce with the King ot Achen, and found means to establish a small factory, but not without experi- encing some marks of displeasure from the Portuguese. He took on board a considerable quantity of pepper and other spices. His success- ful return encouraged the company to send out three ships under the command of Henry Middleton. The latter, however, began to assume a higher tone than that of a plain merchant. He found the Dutch and Portuguese engaged in war ; not on their own account, as appeared, but as auxiliaries, the one of the King of Ternate, and the other of the King of Tidore. It seemed most advantageous to Middleton at that period to espouse the part of the Portuguese. The Dutch were incensed, and threw impediments in his way, which, however, did not prevent him from returning with a very rich cargo ; but the company sent out another squadron under Edward Michael Bourne, M'ho assumed with the Dutch that air of superiority which his force authorized, and threatened open hostilities in case they interrupted the English commerce. To support these threats, AVilliam Keeling arrived, in 1608, with a body of regular troops. The Dutch made no resistance, and even applied to the English to defend them against the inhabitants of Banda; but after this service they behaved with duplicity to their benefactors, and fettered their com- merce : yet Keeling found means to return with a very rich cargo, and, what is remarkable, without the loss of a single man.