tween the United States and India, and between
Europe and the latter, are nearly the same; but
the American trader, although he may bring the
commodities of India direct to Europe, must cross
the Atlantic instead of the Channel or the North
Sea, to refit and prepare for a new voyage. From
these united causes, it seems almost certain, that,
had the enterprise and capital of this country fair
scope like that of other nations, the Continent of
Europe would not, in a few years, receive an ounce
of Indian produce through America.
CHAPTER IV.
INT ERCOLONIA L COMMERCE.
Colonial intercourse between Indian Islands and China.
Between Indian Islands and Japan.—Between Indian
Islands and West Coast of America.—.Between Indian
Islands and Western Nations of Asia.
In this short chapter I shall furnish a very rapid
sketch of the colonial intercourse with China,—
of the Japan trade, which is purely a colonial one,—
of the intercourse between the Indian Islands and
the west coast of America, the celebrated galleon
trade, a traffic of the same character,—and of that
part of the country trade, as it is called, which has
been commonly designated the Eastern or Malay
trade. In the first period of the commerce of the
monopoly companies with India, they conducted the
trade from port to port as well -as the direct trade.
Their ships very generally touched, in the first
place, at Surat, or some othOr port of Western India,
where they laid in investments of cotton goods,
suited to the markets of the Archipelago. This,
indeed, constituted the most valuable branch of