The First Point, With Respect To A Discovery, Would Be To Send A
Small Squadron On The Coast Of Van
Diemen's Land, and from thence
round, in the same course taken by Captain Tasman, by the coast of
New Guinea,
Which might enable the nations that attempted it to come
to an absolute certainty with regard to its commodities and
commerce. Such a voyage as this might be performed with very great
ease, and at a small expense, by our East India Company; and this in
the space of eight or nine months' time; and considering what mighty
advantages might accrue to the nation, there seems to be nothing
harsh or improbable in supposing that some time or other, when the
legislature is more than usually intent on affairs of commerce, they
may be directed to make such an expedition at the expense of the
public. By this means all the back coast of New Holland and New
Guinea might be thoroughly examined, and we might know as well, and
as certainly as the Dutch, how far a colony settled there might
answer our expectations; one thing is certain, that to persons used
to the navigation of the Indies, such an expedition could not be
thought either dangerous or difficult, because it is already
sufficiently known that there are everywhere islands upon the coast,
where ships upon such a discovery might be sure to meet with
refreshments, as is plain from Commodore Roggewein's voyage, made
little more than twenty years ago.
The only difficulty that I can see would be the getting a fair and
honest account of this expedition when made; for private interest is
so apt to interfere, and get the better of the public service, that
it is very hard to be sure of anything of this sort. That I may not
be suspected of any intent to calumniate, I shall put the reader in
mind of two instances; the first is, as to the new trade from
Russia, for establishing of which an Act of Parliament was with
great difficulty obtained, though visibly for the advantage of the
nation; the other instance is, the voyage of Captain Middleton, for
the discovery of a north-west passage into the south seas, which is
ended by a very warm dispute, whether that passage be found or not,
the person supposed to have found it maintaining the negative.
Whenever, therefore, such an expedition is undertaken, it ought to
be under the direction, not only of a person of parts and
experience, but of unspotted character, who, on his return, should
be obliged to deliver his journal upon oath, and the principal
officers under him should likewise be directed to keep their
journals distinctly, and without their being inspected by the
principal officer; all which journals ought to be published by
authority as soon as received, that every man might be at liberty to
examine them, and deliver his thoughts as to the discoveries made,
or the impediments suggested to have hindered or prevented such
discoveries, by which means the public would be sure to obtain a
full and distinct account of the matter; and it would thence
immediately appear whether it would be expedient to prosecute the
design or not.
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