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independent　of　the　mother　city；　they　were　at　liberty　to　manage

their　own　affairs　in　the　way　that　they　judged　was　most　suitable

to　their　own　interest。

　　　　　The　history　of　the　Roman　colonies　is　by　no　means　so

brilliant。　Some　of　them；　indeed；　such　as　Florence；　have　in　the

course　of　many　ages；　and　after　the　fall　of　the　mother　city；　grown

up　to　be　considerable　states。　But　the　progress　of　no　one　of　them

seems　ever　to　have　been　very　rapid。　They　were　all　established　in

conquered　provinces；　which　in　most　cases　had　been　fully　inhabited

before。　The　quantity　of　land　assigned　to　each　colonist　was　seldom

very　considerable；　and　as　the　colony　was　not　independent；　they

were　not　always　at　liberty　to　manage　their　own　affairs　in　the　way

they　judged　was　most　suitable　to　their　own　interest。

　　　　　In　the　plenty　of　good　land；　the　European　colonies

established　in　America　and　the　West　Indies　resemble；　and　even

greatly　surpass；　those　of　ancient　Greece。　In　their　dependency

upon　the　mother　state；　they　resemble　those　of　ancient　Rome；　but

their　great　distance　from　Europe　has　in　all　of　them　alleviated

more　or　less　the　effects　of　this　dependency。　Their　situation　has

placed　them　less　in　the　view　and　less　in　the　power　of　their

mother　country。　In　pursuing　their　interest　their　own　way；　their

conduct　has；　upon　many　occasions；　been　overlooked；　either　because

not　known　or　not　understood　in　Europe；　and　upon　some　occasions　it

has　been　fairly　suffered　and　submitted　to；　because　their　distance

rendered　it　difficult　to　restrain　it。　Even　the　violent　and

arbitrary　government　of　Spain　has；　upon　many　occasions；　been

obliged　to　recall　or　soften　the　orders　which　had　been　given　for

the　government　of　her　colonies　for　fear　of　a　general

insurrection。　The　progress　of　all　the　European　colonies　in

wealth；　population；　and　improvement；　has　accordingly　been　very

great。

　　　　　The　crown　of　Spain；　by　its　share　of　the　gold　and　silver；

derived　some　revenue　from　its　colonies　from　the　moment　of　their

first　establishment。　It　was　a　revenue；　too；　of　a　nature　to　excite

in　human　avidity　the　most　extravagant　expectations　of　still

greater　riches。　The　Spanish　colonies；　therefore；　from　the　moment

of　their　first　establishment；　attracted　very　much　the　attention

of　their　mother　country；　while　those　of　the　other　European

nations　were　for　a　long　time　in　a　great　measure　neglected。　The

former　did　not；　perhaps；　thrive　the　better　in　consequence　of　this

attention；　nor　the　latter　the　worse　in　consequence　of　this

neglect。　In　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the　country　which　they　in

some　measure　possess；　the　Spanish　colonies　are　considered　as　less

populous　and　thriving　than　those　of　almost　any　other　European

nation。　The　progress　even　of　the　Spanish　colonies；　however；　in

population　and　improvement；　has　certainly　been　very　rapid　and

very　great。　The　city　of　Lima；　founded　since　the　conquest；　is

represented　by　Ulloa　as　containing　fifty　thousand　inhabitants

near　thirty　years　ago。　Quito；　which　had　been　but　a　miserable

hamlet　of　Indians；　is　represented　by　the　same　author　as　in　his

time　equally　populous。　Gemelli　Carreri；　a　pretended　traveller；　it

is　said；　indeed；　but　who　seems　everywhere　to　have　written　upon

extremely　good　information；　represents　the　city　of　Mexico　as

containing　a　hundred　thousand　inhabitants；　a　number　which；　in

spite　of　all　the　exaggerations　of　the　Spanish　writers；　is；

probably；　more　than　five　times　greater　than　what　it　contained　in

the　time　of　Montezuma。　These　numbers　exceed　greatly　those　of

Boston；　New　York；　and　Philadelphia；　the　three　greatest　cities　of

the　English　colonies。　Before　the　conquest　of　the　Spaniards　there

were　no　cattle　fit　for　draught　either　in　Mexico　or　Peru。　The

llama　was　their　only　beast　of　burden；　and　its　strength　seems　to

have　been　a　good　deal　inferior　to　that　of　a　common　ass。　The

plough　was　unknown　among　them。　They　were　ignorant　of　the　use　of

iron。　They　had　no　coined　money；　nor　any　established　instrument　of

commerce　of　any　kind。　Their　commerce　was　carried　on　by　barter。　A

sort　of　wooden　spade　was　their　principal　instrument　of

agriculture。　Sharp　stones　served　them　for　knives　and　hatchets　to

cut　with；　fish　bones　and　the　hard　sinews　of　certain　animals

served　them　for　needles　to　sew　with；　and　these　seem　to　have　been

their　principal　instruments　of　trade。　In　this　state　of　things；　it

seems　impossible　that　either　of　those　empires　could　have　been　so

much　improved　or　so　well　cultivated　as　at　present；　when　they　are

plentifully　furnished　with　all　sorts　of　European　cattle；　and　when

the　use　of　iron；　of　the　plough；　and　of　many　of　the　arts　of

Europe；　has　been　introduced　among　them。　But　the　populousness　of

every　country　must　be　in　proportion　to　the　degree　of　its

improvement　and　cultivation。　In　spite　of　the　cruel　destruction　of

the　natives　which　followed　the　conquest；　these　two　great　empires

are；　probably；　more　populous　now　than　they　ever　were　before：　and

the　people　are　surely　very　different；　for　we　must　acknowledge；　I

apprehend；　that　the　Spanish　creoles　are　in　many　respects　superior

to　the　ancient　Indians。

　　　　　After　the　settlements　of　the　Spaniards；　that　of　the

Portuguese　in　Brazil　is　the　oldest　of　any　European　nation　in

America。　But　as　for　a　long　time　after　the　first　discovery　neither

gold　nor　silver　mines　were　found　in　it；　and　as　it　afforded；　upon

that　account；　little　or　no　revenue　to　the　crown；　it　was　for　a

long　time　in　a　great　measure　neglected；　and　during　this　state　of

neglect　it　grew　up　to　be　a　great　and　powerful　colony。　While

Portugal　was　under　the　dominion　of　Spain；　Brazil　was　attacked　by

the　Dutch；　who　got　possession　of　seven　of　the　fourteen　provinces

into　which　it　is　divided。　They　expected　soon　to　conquer　the　other

seven；　when　Portugal　recovered　its　independency　by　the　elevation

of　the　family　of　Braganza　to　the　throne。　The　Dutch　then；　as

enemies　to　the　Spaniards；　became　friends　to　the　Portuguese；　who

were　likewise　the　enemies　of　the　Spaniards。　They　agreed；

therefore；　to　leave　that　part　of　Brazil；　which　they　had　not

conquered；　to　the　King　of　Portugal；　who　agreed　to　leave　that　part

which　they　had　conquered　to　them；　as　a　matter　not　worth　disputing

about　with　such　good　allies。　But　the　Dutch　government　soon　began

to　oppress　the　Portuguese　colonists；　who；　instead　of　amusing

themselves　with　complaints；　took　arms　against　their　new　masters；

and　by　their　own　valour　and　resolution；　with　the　connivance；

indeed；　but　without　any　avowed　assistance　from　the　mother

country；　drove　them　out　of　Brazil。　The　Dutch；　therefore；　finding

it　impossible　to　keep　any　part　of　the　country　to　themselves；　were

contented　that　it　should　be　entirely　restored　to　the　crown　of

Portugal。　In　this　colony　there　are　said　to　be　more　than　six

hundred　thousand　people；　either　Portuguese　or　descended　from

Portuguese；　creoles；　mulattoes；　and　a　mixed　race　between

Portuguese　and　Brazilians。　No　one　colony　in　America　is　supposed

to　contain　so　great　a　number　of　people　of　European　extraction。

　　　　　Towards　the　end　of　the　fifteenth；　and　during　the　greater

part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　Spain　and　Portugal　were　the　two

great　naval　powers　upon　the　ocean；　for　though　the　commerce　of

Venice　extended　to　every　part　of　Europe；　its　fleets　had　scarce

ever　sailed　beyond　the　Mediterranean。　The　Spaniards；　in　virtue　of

the　first　discovery；　claimed　all　America　as　their　own；　and　though

they　could　not　hinder　so　great　a　naval　power　as　that　of　Portugal

from　settling　in　Brazil；　such　was；　at　that　time；　the　terror　of

their　name；　that　the　greater　part　of　the　other　nations　of　Europe

were　afraid　to　establish　themselves　in　any　other　part　of　that

great　continent。　The　French；　who　attempted　to　settle　in　Florida；

were　all　murdered　by　the　Spaniards。　But　the　declension　of　the

naval　power　of　this　latter　nation；　in　consequence　of　the　defeat

or　miscarriage　of　what　they　called　their　Invincible　Armada；　which

happened　towards　the　end　of　the　sixteenth　century；　put　it　out　of

their　power　to　obstruct　any　longer　the　settlements　of　the　other

European　nations。　In　the　course　of　the　seventeenth　century；

therefore；　the　English；　French；　Dutch；　Danes；　and　Swede