ires information respecting
the nature of the fur trade carried on betwixt the north-west coast of
America, the neighbouring islands, and China, may consult his
introduction. The affairs of Spain, it may be remarked, long precluded
the requisite attention to her commercial interests, and do not now
promise a speedy recovery under her apparently infatuated government. To
Nootka or King George's Sound, mentioned in the text, that power
abandoned all right and pretensions, in favour of Great Britain, in
1790, after an altercation, which at one time bid fair to involve the
two kingdoms in war. It was during this dispute, and in view of its
hostile termination, that Mr Pitt gave his sanction to a scheme for
revolutionizing the Spanish colonies, an event which, if not now
encouraged by any direct assistance, bears too complacent an aspect on
our commercial interests not to be regarded with a large portion of good
wishes. It is impossible, indeed, excluding altogether every idea of
personal advantage, not to hope highly, at least, of any efforts which
may be made to wrest the souls and bodies of millions from the clutch of
ignorance and tyranny. The fate of these colonists is by no means the
most unimportant spectacle which the passing drama of the world exhibits
to the eye of an enlightened and humane politician.--E.]

These, and many other commercial improvements, may reasonably be
expected to result from the British discoveries, even in our own times.
But if we look forward to future ages, and to future changes in the
history of commerce, by recollecting its various past revolutions and
migrations, we may be allowed to please ourselves with the idea of its
finding its way, at last, throughout the extent of the regions with
which our voyages have opened an intercourse; and there will be abundant
reason to subscribe to Captain Cook's observation with regard to New
Zealand, which may be applied to other tracts of land explored by him,
that, "although they be far remote from the present trading world, we
can, by no means, tell what use future ages may make of the discoveries
made by the present.[50] In this point of view, surely, the utility of
the late voyages must stand confessed; and we may be permitted to say,
that the history of their operations has the justest pretensions to be
called [Greek: chtaema is au], as it will convey to latest posterity a
treasure of interesting information.

[Footnote 50: Cook's second voyage.]