Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/227

 CHAPTER III. COMMERCE WITH EUROPEAN NATIONS. Ancient intercourse. — Trade of the Portuguese, and Principles on "which conducted. — Trade of the Dutch and English. — Origin of their monopolies. — Principles on which the mono- poly companies acted in their intercourse toith the natives. — Examples of their misconduct in their intercourse with the natives Era of establishing the close monopoly. — Benefi- cial effects of free trade exemplified in that of the Ameri- cans. — Profits and extent of the monopoly trade. — Sug- gestions for the future conduct of the trade tvith the Indian Islands, 1 HE productionsofthe Archipelago which the Arabs conveyed to the ports of the Red Sea were first distributed among the nations inhabiting the coasts of the Mediterranean, the only civilized inhabit- ants of ancient Europe, by the Tyrians. In an after age, the Greeks of Egypt, in accordance with the superior enterprise of the European race, brought these commodities to the Red Sea, and al- so spread them among the European nations. In still later ages, they made their way by the double chan- nel of the Arabian and Persian Gulfs, and by the