to'j-tfiat in a very few years, and at 0 isrhall comparative expéiaèë'; a formidable
navy may risedh tKe^banks o f the Irrawaddy, fromiheforeStsfof
Pegue It is probably nót k n ow n .th a f fotlficëks* are' educating by fo ü f
enemies for that express purpose, whilst we enCOuragè iheif progress in the
Science, by enabling them to derive benefit, and ’a’éqüire expedience at the
same time. National security, therefore, as' Vvell as mércaiï$fiè advantage,
strongly urge a vigilant attention to Fiqu'ai-ter,! wheffee.^he means of
injury to ourselves, may so abundantly be drawn.
The imports mtoRangOoft from the Britïsfi sëtflemehts1, in the year
1794-5, amounted, 1 was informed, to moré than twelVe lacks of rupees,
about jT. 135,000 sterling ;' these1 consisted 'chfefiy:
glass, hardware, and broad dloth. The demand;'f # ;tbe,,la'§t article, bn the
year 1795, was considerable; retöms' wefë'öiade'afenost’WhoMy initimber.
A few unimportant commodities I
coast of Pedier and the Prince of WalésWisMd^’fë rtÉ d :®lfeÉ|iiai,ÈetF; T&
timber trade, though attended with a certain advantage td ’ tbë %’arMer, ,yet
not producing Such large profits, as a more hazardous ïtteturerrèVthe
eastern straits, to China, and the Malay cbast, is’ s‘eïd&m;Rrdsecufced:By'
merchants Of the highest commercial Credit^ who aim^ a f tóakhtg a ^ r tu n e
by' the success o f a single voyage, for which the ship is iftkally flig h ted
with that valuable and alluring drug opium, so eagerly sought ;iftetetby
the Chinese, yet so strictly prohibited by their government. Owing to
this enterprizing spirit among merchants in India, a ship is seldom sent, to
carry wood, except when the owners have not funds to provide a more
valuable cargo; and this inability frequently extends even to the means of
* T he French have long maintained an agent at Rangoon, and are thoroughly acquainted
->ith the advantages which the country o f Pegue offers.
defraying dheiejxpenqe of,a lading of timber: bfnee the master of a vessel
pftenjinds hixjjjseJf embarrassed whem^nt.thetifflee,af departure, and the
, -vessel is demands wliiqh he cannot discharge.
lesSi -^ ^% ® is ife ^W fs h t;t|i9 n g h : oppi'essive
toflbef^l^ect^ia^^i^^tolyile^enfetjjfaeigj|gts.,. «-i.
Birman em-,
pire produces, of which^jye-^and in indispensable, meed0 and to. pro-
mo t e or enc our age j and, ex port at ion o f those . commodities,
which form the, valuable staples. of British' India, almost all of which
tbp. fo* tljp^fltanifg
§twW ^ * jiO l|} ^ f W.& ;requke and shpuldseek for
;#q{hipg: i a q ^ thaiii ,a sand, in retutji,
11®> ffoaij.apj|s||ojjgb4 m a jfp ak ; j ^ s i # ^ ^ miany qtber shapp
a p p e a r s ,tp b e ; imppli4pvi4®4;; likply,Mm^ the^eradjj.tp p rp v e
o j y s e ly e s .
.■irhst pf d|fo^mat> , .forusWpnins,
• a n d b e tte r si tu a ted th a n , th o s e ,o^fta n y o th e r p ow e r .
.Bengal»; jthe JgQvernrnept . of .Aya, :superior jo
»tb g jfprrpe.r in W W $
tbe; ayanee ,Q£.<Mir, cqptinental tpr^oi'y,
.there i§ # 9 lt%.siiagle.,harbour capableo f affording|helfer• tq ■ pt- Jfessel of
.fivehundred »tons burthen,; it is an.uphrdten lijB8^yg|&£&gd| rkU<P w^ere
.sMjMrmustsridftsW open roads: but Avat comprehends witMp. her extent
of coast, three excellent, ports ; Negrais, the most secure ha^bour in the
bay; Rangoon and Mergui, each of these is equally convenient and much