Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/293

 EUROPEAN NATIONS. 277 the greatest abundance, — a maxim too trite and obvious to be here dwelt upon, had it not, in all periods of our intercourse with these countries, been either notoriously neglected, or rather had it not been acted in direct opposition to. Such is the commercial character of the country, and the people with whom the European mer- chant has to deal. The character of the particu- lar commodities to be exchanged between Europe and the Indian Islands will be afterwards fully de- scribed in the chapters on the Export and Import Productions, and any remarks upon them at present will be superfluous; but some general observations on the economy and equipment of the European voyage may be of utility, and with these I shall close this chapter. The most convenient size for a ship trading direct between India and Europe is from 400 to 450 tons burden. Ships of these dimensions are as safe sea-boats as much smaller ones, more cheaply navigated in proportion to the freight they will carry, and do not draw too much water, to load and discharge with facility at the principal ports of India. They are far safer than merchant- men of greater burden, which are liable to the serious objection, besides, of being excluded from many of the rivers of India, or at least of deli- vering and taking in cargoes with cheapness and facility, which is the same thing. From the begin-