The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-20

the author Of these lectures. Pro-
vided that . vessel was ssaworthy. speed
was no object to the monopolists. To carry on.
| however. distant navigation with safety 1t was
necessary to know several things. The Por-
| tuguese learned something about the trade
winds and the peculiarities OF the Southern
| and Indian Oceans. and surveyed and In
| rude way constructed charts OF these seas.
Those were. however. State secrets. aud twas
In the last degree important to Holland to
learn them IL she. was to get foothold on
the Spice islands The necessary information
was procured by one Linschoter. Dutchman.
who managed to get into the service OF the
Archbishop OF Goa. After years spent in the
collection OF secret maps and other CONNER
cial data no succeeded in quitting his patrons
service without suspicion aud returned to
Holland. Here no published His New Map OF
the Indies" and instructed his countrymen IN
tho new fold Of adventure which they covet-
ed. Possessed OF this Information and made
confident by their previous success at sea.
the Hollanders determined to essay the In
dian seas and tho Indian Archipelago. TO
do this effectively they needed a better knowl-
edge OF navigation and greater skill In ship
building than was exhibited by the Portuguese
or by tho Spnniards. who had taken possession
OF Portugal In 1880 and who retained 1t for
sixty years. The Dutch cont-ived to entirely
satisfy the conditions mentioned: they routed.
captured, sunk Spanish war vessels which were
three times their tonnage and carried three
times their weight OF guns popularity OF
this warfare was that hey fictcd these losses
without mourning any notable injury them
selves. Tint during the greater part OF tho
seventeenth century the Dutch built the best
ships OF tho age. knew the art OF navigation
better than any ono else did. and improved
that art by tho most careful and elaborate pro-
cesses ia proved by the fnct that within Ef,y
years after their independence was acknowl-
edged they became the carriers OF the civilized
world. Dutch vessels manned by Dutchmen
were in every port OF Europe. and 1t was to
Amsterdam that the mariners OF England had
to go to got the latest devices for swift and
safe maritime transit Ultimately. OF course.
the English surpassed their masters. but In
the eighteenth century the development OF tho
art OF navigation in England was slow. being
trummelled by tho sole market theory. the
monopoly Of tho great chartered companies
and the Navigation act. Mr.. Rogers is one OF
those who believe the Navigation act to havo
been n grievance quite adequate to provoke
the revolt Of the American colonies. even il it
had not been supplene ntod by the attempt to
tax them.
Some forty years ago John Stuart Mill ex-
pressed alarm at the contingency that the |
mechanism nj freight might prove insufficient |
to meet the needs OF a growing nation. His |
foreboding has not been justified by facts. |
There is. perhaps. no branch OF human indus |
try in which the economy " cost has been 80 |
obviously exhibited as in the supply Of transit.
Let us say. for instance. that tho sengoing |
vessel Is made Of iron. To make any kind Of
ironwork now costs about third OF what it used |
to cost. Again. the voyage across the Atlantic
is now completed in less than half the time it |
took when Mr.. Mill published his Political
Economy" Tho same is true OF voyages to
and from India. China. and other distant
places. Finally. the process OF loading and
unloading ships does not now require third |
OF the time. third OF the labor or q third Of
the cost which it did thirty -ears ago.