me part of that power with which we are now struggling:
and as we have the means in our hands of pursuing these subjects more
effectually than they can, it would be a dishonour to us longer to
neglect so easy and beneficial a practice. For, as we have a navy much
more numerous than theirs, great part of which is always employed in
very distant stations, either in the protection of our colonies and
commerce, or in assisting our allies against the common enemy, this
gives us frequent opportunities of furnishing ourselves with such kind
of materials as are here recommended, and such as might turn greatly
to our advantage either in war or peace; since, not to mention what
might be expected from the officers of the navy, if their application
to these subjects was properly encouraged, it would create no new
expence to the government to establish a particular regulation for
this purpose; as all that would be requisite would be constantly to
embark, in some of our men of war which are sent on those distant
cruizes, a person who, with the character of an engineer, and the
skill and talents necessary to that profession, should be employed in
drawing such coasts, and planning such harbours, as the ship should
touch at, and in making such other observations, of all kinds, as
might either prove of advantage to future navigators, or might any
ways tend to promote the public service. Persons habituated to these
operations, which could not fail at the same time of improving them in
their proper business, would be extremely useful in many other lights
besides those already mentioned, and might tend to secure our fleets
from those disgraces with which their attempts against places on
shore have been often attended. And, in a nation like ours, where
all sciences are more eagerly and universally pursued, and better
understood, than in any other part of the world, proper subjects for
these employments cannot long be wanting, if due encouragement were
given to them.

This method, here recommended, is known to have been frequently
practised by the French, particularly in the instance of Mons.
Frezier, an engineer, who has published a celebrated voyage to the
South Seas: for this person was purposely sent by the French king, in
the year 1711, into that country, on board a merchant ship, that
he might examine and describe the coast, and take plans of all the
fortified places; the better to enable the French to prosecute their
illicit trade, or