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　　　　　Both　these　kinds　of　monopolies　derange　more　or　less　the

natural　distribution　of　the　stock　of　the　society；　but　they　do　not

always　derange　it　in　the　same　way。

　　　　　Monopolies　of　the　first　kind　always　attract　to　the

particular　trade　in　which　they　are　established　a　greater

proportion　of　the　stock　of　the　society　than　what　would　go　to　that

trade　of　its　own　accord。

　　　　　Monopolies　of　the　second　kind　may　sometimes　attract　stock

towards　the　particular　trade　in　which　they　are　established；　and

sometimes　repel　it　from　that　trade　according　to　different

circumstances。　In　poor　countries　they　naturally　attract　towards

that　trade　more　stock　than　would　otherwise　go　to　it。　In　rich

countries　they　naturally　repel　from　it　a　good　deal　of　stock　which

would　otherwise　go　to　it。

　　　　　Such　poor　countries　as　Sweden　and　Denmark；　for　example；

would　probably　have　never　sent　a　single　ship　to　the　East　Indies

had　not　the　trade　been　subjected　to　an　exclusive　company。　The

establishment　of　such　a　company　necessarily　encourages

adventurers。　Their　monopoly　secures　them　against　all　competitors

in　the　home　market；　and　they　have　the　same　chance　for　foreign

markets　with　the　traders　of　other　nations。　Their　monopoly　shows

them　the　certainty　of　a　great　profit　upon　a　considerable　quantity

of　goods；　and　the　chance　of　a　considerable　profit　upon　a　great

quantity。　Without　such　extraordinary　encouragement；　the　poor

traders　of　such　poor　countries　would　probably　never　have　thought

of　hazarding　their　small　capitals　in　so　very　distant　and

uncertain　an　adventure　as　the　trade　to　the　East　Indies　must

naturally　have　appeared　to　them。

　　　　　Such　a　rich　country　as　Holland；　on　the　contrary；　would

probably；　in　the　case　of　a　free　trade；　send　many　more　ships　to

the　East　Indies　than　it　actually　does。　The　limited　stock　of　the

Dutch　East　India　Company　probably　repels　from　that　trade　many

great　mercantile　capitals　which　would　otherwise　go　to　it。　The

mercantile　capital　of　Holland　is　so　great　that　it　is；　as　it　were；

continually　overflowing；　sometimes　into　the　public　funds　of

foreign　countries；　sometimes　into　loans　to　private　traders　and

adventurers　of　foreign　countries；　sometimes　into　the　most

round…about　foreign　trades　of　consumption；　and　sometimes　into　the

carrying　trade。　All　near　employments　being　completely　filled　up；

all　the　capital　which　can　be　placed　in　them　with　any　tolerable

profit　being　already　placed　in　them；　the　capital　of　Holland

necessarily　flows　towards　the　most　distant　employments。　The　trade

to　the　East　Indies；　if　it　were　altogether　free；　would　probably

absorb　the　greater　part　of　this　redundant　capital。　The　East

Indies　offer　a　market　for　the　manufactures　of　Europe　and　for　the

gold　and　silver　as　well　as　for　several　other　productions　of

America　greater　and　more　extensive　than　both　Europe　and　America

put　together。

　　　　　Every　derangement　of　the　natural　distribution　of　stock　is

necessarily　hurtful　to　the　society　in　which　it　takes　place；

whether　it　be　by　repelling　from　a　particular　trade　the　stock

which　would　otherwise　go　to　it；　or　by　attracting　towards　a

particular　trade　that　which　would　not　otherwise　come　to　it。　If；

without　any　exclusive　company；　the　trade　of　Holland　to　the　East

Indies　would　be　greater　than　it　actually　is；　that　country　must

suffer　a　considerable　loss　by　part　of　its　capital　being　excluded

from　the　employment　most　convenient　for　that　part。　And　in　the

same　manner；　if；　without　an　exclusive　company；　the　trade　of

Sweden　and　Denmark　to　the　East　Indies　would　be　less　than　it

actually　is；　or；　what　perhaps　is　more　probable；　would　not　exist

at　all；　those　two　countries　must　likewise　suffer　a　considerable

loss　by　part　of　their　capital　being　drawn　into　an　employment

which　must　be　more　or　less　unsuitable　to　their　present

circumstances。　Better　for　them；　perhaps；　in　their　present

circumstances；　to　buy　East　India　goods　of　other　nations；　even

though　they　should　pay　somewhat　dearer；　than　to　turn　so　great　a

part　of　their　small　capital　to　so　very　distant　a　trade；　in　which

the　returns　are　so　very　slow；　in　which　that　capital　can　maintain

so　small　a　quantity　of　productive　labour　at　home；　where

productive　labour　is　so　much　wanted；　where　so　little　is　done；　and

where　so　much　is　to　do。

　　　　　Though　without　an　exclusive　company；　therefore；　a　particular

country　should　not　be　able　to　carry　on　any　direct　trade　to　the

East　Indies；　it　will　not　from　thence　follow　that　such　a　company

ought　to　be　established　there；　but　only　that　such　a　country　ought

not　in　these　circumstances　to　trade　directly　to　the　East　Indies。

That　such　companies　are　not　in　general　necessary　for　carrying　on

the　East　India　trade　is　sufficiently　demonstrated　by　the

experience　of　the　Portuguese；　who　enjoyed　almost　the　whole　of　it

for　more　than　a　century　together　without　any　exclusive　company。

　　　　　No　private　merchant；　it　has　been　said；　could　well　have

capital　sufficient　to　maintain　factors　and　agents　in　the

different　ports　of　the　East　Indies；　in　order　to　provide　goods　for

the　ships　which　he　might　occasionally　send　thither；　and　yet；

unless　he　was　able　to　do　this；　the　difficulty　of　finding　a　cargo

might　frequently　make　his　ships　lose　the　season　for　returning；

and　the　expense　of　so　long　a　delay　would　not　only　eat　up　the

whole　profit　of　the　adventure；　but　frequently　occasion　a　very

considerable　loss。　This　argument；　however；　if　it　proved　anything

at　all；　would　prove　that　no　one　great　branch　of　trade　could　be

carried　on　without　an　exclusive　company；　which　is　contrary　to　the

experience　of　all　nations。　There　is　no　great　branch　of　trade　in

which　the　capital　of　any　one　private　merchant　is　sufficient　for

carrying　on　all　the　subordinate　branches　which　must　be　carried

on；　in　order　to　carry　on　the　principal　one。　But　when　a　nation　is

ripe　for　any　great　branch　of　trade；　some　merchants　naturally　turn

their　capitals　towards　the　principal；　and　some　towards　the

subordinate　branches　of　it；　and　though　all　the　different　branches

of　it　are　in　this　manner　carried　on；　yet　it　very　seldom　happens

that　they　are　all　carried　on　by　the　capital　of　one　private

merchant。　If　a　nation；　therefore；　is　ripe　for　the　East　India

trade；　a　certain　portion　of　its　capital　will　naturally　divide

itself　among　all　the　different　branches　of　that　trade。　Some　of

its　merchants　will　find　it　for　their　interest　to　reside　in　the

East　Indies；　and　to　employ　their　capitals　there　in　providing

goods　for　the　ships　which　are　to　be　sent　out　by　other　merchants

who　reside　in　Europe。　The　settlements　which　different　European

nations　have　obtained　in　the　East　Indies；　if　they　were　taken　from

the　exclusive　companies　to　which　they　at　present　belong　and　put

under　the　immediate　protection　of　the　sovereign；　would　render

this　residence　both　safe　and　easy；　at　least　to　the　merchants　of

the　particular　nations　to　whom　those　settlements　belong。　If　at

any　particular　time　that　part　of　the　capital　of　any　country　which

of　its　own　accord　tended　and　inclined；　if　I　may　say　so；　towards

the　East　India　trade；　was　not　sufficient　for　carrying　on　all

those　different　branches　of　it；　it　would　be　a　proof　that；　at　that

particular　time；　that　country　was　not　ripe　for　that　trade；　and

that　it　would　do　better　to　buy　for　some　time；　even　at　a　higher

price；　from　other　European　nations；　the　East　India　goods　it　had

occasion　for；　than　to　import　them　itself　directly　from　the　East

Indies。　What　it　might　lose　by　the　high　price　of　those　goods　could

seldom　be　equal　to　the　loss　which　it　would　sustain　by　the

distraction　of　a　large　portion　of　its　capital　from　other

employments　more　necessary；　or　more　useful；　or　more　suitable　to

its　circumstances　and　situation；　than　a　direct　trade　to　the　East

Indies。

　　　　　Though　the　Europeans　possess　many　considerable　settlements

both　upon　the　coast　of　Africa　and　in　the　East　Indies；　they　have

not　yet　established　in　either　of　those　countries　such　numerous

and　thriving　colonies　as　those　in　the　islands　and　continent　of

America。　Africa；　however；　as　well　as　several　of　the　countries

comprehended　under　the　general　name　of　the　East　Indies；　are

inhabited　by　barbarous　nations。　But　those　nations　were　by　no

means　so　weak　and　defenceless　as　the　miserable　and　helpless

Americans；　and　in　proportion　to　the　natural　fertility　of　the

countries　which　they　inhabited；　they　were　besides　much　more

populous。　The　most　barbarous　nations　either　of　Africa　or　of　the

East　Indies　were　shepherds；　even　the　Hottentots　were　so。　But　the

natives　of　every　part　of　America；　except　Mexico　and　Peru；　were

only　hunters；　and　the　difference　is　very　great　between　the　number

of　shepherds　and　that　of　hunters　whom　the　same　extent　of　equally

fertile　territory　can　maintain。　In　Africa　and　the　East　Indies；

therefore；　it　was　more　difficult　to　displace　the　natives；　and　to

extend　the　European　plantations　over　the　greater　part　of　the

lands　of　the　original　inhabitants。　The　genius　of　exclusive

companies；　besides；　is　unfavourable；　it　has　already　been

observed；　to　the　growth　of　new　colonies；　and　has　probably　been

the　principal　cause　of　the　little　progress　which　they　have　made

in　the　East　Indies。　The　Portuguese　carried　on　the　trade　both　to

Africa　and　the　East　Indies　without　any　exclusive　companies；　and

their　settlements　at　Congo；　Angola；　and　Benguela　on　the　coast　of

Africa；　and　at　Goa　in　the　East　Indies；　though　much　depressed　by

superstition　and　every　sort　of　bad　government；　yet　bear　some

faint　resemblance　to　the　colonies　of　America；　and　are　partly

inhabited　by　Portuguese　who　have　been　established　there　for

several　generations。　The　Dutch　settlements　at　the　Cape　of　Good

Hope　and　at　Batavia　are　at　present　the　most　considerable　colonies

which　the　Europeans　have　established　either　in　Africa　or　in　the

East　Indies；　and　both　these　settlements　are　peculiarly　fortunate

in　their　situation。　The　Cape　of　Good　Hope　was　inhabited　by　a　race

of　people　almost　as　barbarous　and　quite　as　incapable　of　defending

themselves　as　the　natives　of　America。　It　is　besides　the　halfway

house；　if　one　may　say　so；　between　Europe　and　the　East　Indies；　at

which　almost　every　European　ship　makes　some　stay；　both　in　going

and