fhould have continued till now, is fufficiently fhameful. None can indeed wonder that it has been fupported by the fetaries, the natural fomenters of fedition, and confederates of the rabble, of whofe religion little now remains but hatred of establishments, and who are angry to find feparation now only tolerated, which was once rewarded; but every honest man muft lament, that it has been regarded with frigid neutrality by the tories, who, being long accustomed to fignalize their principles by oppofition to the court, do not yet confider that they have at last a king who knows not the name of party, and who wishes to be the common father of all his people.

As a man inebriated only by vapours, foon recovers in the open air; a nation difcontented to madness, without any adequate cause, will return to its wits and its allegiance when a little paufe has cooled it to reflection. Nothing, therefore, is neceffary, at this alarming crifis, but to confider the alarm as falfe. To make conceffions, is to encourage encroachment. Let the court defpife the faction, and the disappointed people will foon deride it.

ON THE

LATE TRANSACTIONS

RESPECTING

FALKLAND's ISLANDS.

[1771.]

T

O proportion the eagerness of contest to its importance feems too hard a task for human wisdom. The pride of wit has kept ages bufy in the difcuffion of ufelefs queftions, and the pride of power has deftroyed armies to gain or to keep unprofitable poffeffions.

Not many years have paffed fince the cruelties of war were filling the world with terror and with forrow; rage was at laft appeafed, or ftrength exhaufted, and to the haraffed nations peace was reftored, with its pleasures and its benefits. Of this state all felt the happinefs, and all implored the continuance; but what continuance of happiness can be expected, when the whole fyftem of European empire can be in danger of a new concuffion, by a contention for a few fpots of earth, which, in the deferts of the ocean, had almost escaped human notice, and which, if they had not happened to make a fea-mark, had perhaps never had a name.

Fortune

Fortune often delights to dignify what nature has neglected, and that renown which cannot be claimed by intrinfick excellence or greatnefs, is fometimes derived from unexpected accidents. The Rubicon was ennobled by the paffage of Cafar, and the time is now come when Falkland's Islands demand their hiftorian.

But the writer to whom this employment fhall be affigned, will have few opportunities of defcriptive fplendor, or narrative elegance. Of other countries it is told how often they have changed their government; these islands have hitherto changed only their name. Of heroes to conquer, or legiflators to civilize, here has been no appearance; nothing has happened to them but that they have been fometimes feen by wandering navigators, who paffed by them in fearch of better habitations.

When the Spaniards, who, under the conduct of Columbus, difcovered America, had taken poffeffion of its most wealthy regions; they furprised and terrified Europe by a fudden and unexampled influx of riches. They were made at once infupportably infolent, and might perhaps have become irresistibly powerful, had not their mountainous treasures been fcattered in the air with the ignorant profufion of unaccustomed opulence.

The greater part of the European potentates faw this ftream of riches flowing into Spain without attempting to dip their own hands in the golden fountain. France had no naval fkill or power; Portugal was extending her dominions in the east over regions formed in the gaiety of nature; atick league, being planned only for the

D 2

the Hanjefecurity of

traffick,

traffick, had no tendency to discovery or invafion; and the commercial ftates of Italy growing rich by trading between Afia and Europe, and not lying upon the ocean, did not desire to feek by great hazards, at a distance, what was almoft at home to be found with fafety.

The English alone were animated by the fuccefs of the Spanish navigators, to try if any thing was left that might reward adventure, or incite appropriation. They fent Cabot into the north, but in the north there was no gold or filver to be found. The best regions were pre-occupied, yet they ftill continued their hopes and their labours. They were the fecond nation that dared the extent of the Pacifick Ocean, and the fecond circumnavigators of the globe.

By the war between Elizabeth and Philip, the wealth of America became lawful prize, and those who were lefs afraid of danger than of poverty, fuppofed that riches might eafily be obtained by plundering the Spaniards. Nothing is difficult when gain and honour unite their influence; the fpirit and vigour of thefe expeditions enlarged our views of the new world, and made us first acquainted with its remoter coafts.

In the fatal voyage of Cavendish (1592), Captain Davis, who, being fent out as his affociate, was afterwards parted from him or deferted him, as he was driven by violence of weather about the ftraits of Magellan, is fuppofed to have been the firft who faw the lands now called Falkland's Islands, but his diftrefs permitted him not to make any observation, and he left them, as he found them, without a name.

Not

Not long afterwards (1594) Sir Richard Hawkins, being in the fame feas with the fame defigns, faw these islands again, if they are indeed the fame iflands, and in honour of his miftrefs, called them Hawkins's Maiden Land.

This voyage was not of renown fufficient to procure a general reception to the new name, for when the Dutch, who had now become strong enough not only to defend themselves, but to attack their mafters, fent (1598) Verhagen and Sebald de Wert, into the South Seas, these islands, which were not fuppofed to have been known before, obtained the denomination of Sebald's Ilands, and were from that time placed in the charts; though Frezier tells us, that they were yet confidered as of doubtful existence.

Their prefent English name was probably given them (1689) by Strong, whofe journal, yet unprinted, may be found in the Mufeum. This name was adopted by Halley, and has from that time, I believe, been received into our maps.

The privateers which were put into motion by the wars of William and Anne, faw thofe iflands and mention them; but they were yet not confidered as territories worth a contest. Strong affirmed that there was no wood, and Dampier suspected that they had no water.

Frezier defcribes their appearance with more distinctness, and mentions some ships of St. Maloes, by which they had been visited, and to which he feems willing enough to afcribe the honour of difcovering iflands which yet he admits to have been feen by Hawkins, and named by Sebald de Wert.