I Shall not here go about to rake into all the Miscarriages of the East-India Company, and consequently Misfortunes of the Nation, but only touch upon, and date them, from the time that the Stock and Sir Josiah Childe were at their greatest height and prosperity, in the Year 1682. When on a sudden he forsook all his old Friends that first introduc'd him, with great difficulty, into the Committee, and afterwards rais'd him to the Honor of Governor, throwing them totally out of the Management, as Sir Samuel Bernardiston, Sir John Mordent, Sir Matthew Andrews, Sir Humphrey Edwin, Thomas Papillon, Charles Thorold, John Page, and Tho. Canham, Esquires, for not yielding and complying with his new Projects, which were foreseen by his said Friends and others, to be fatal and destructive: But he was deaf to their Advice, betaking himself to new Counsellors that were very ignorant in the Trade. And having strengthned himself with his new Party, he proceeded afterwards to cast off Sir John Bankes, Sir Jeremy Sambrooke, Sir Tho. Daval, Major Robert Thomson, Edward Rudge, and Coll. Clarke, with others, who had long Experience in that Trade, some of whom went too far with him, and many of them did afterwards fall under his Mis-representation at Court as be­ing Ill-affected to the Government for Selling and Lessening their Stocks, and not Joyning in Matters that the Law would not justifie; so that these Gentlemen, or so many of them that stood in his way, being removed, the Great Mi­nisters and Chief Men at Court fell in with Sir Josiah, not doubting, but to [Page 4] have found a sufficient Fund for carrying on any publick Design either of War or otherwise: And by his great annual Presents, he could command both at Court and in Westminster-Hall what he pleas'd; and thereupon a great Fleet was prepared with Soldiers and all other Warlike Preparations; sometimes giving out, It was against the Dutch, which Affair was manag'd and consult­ed by Sir Josiah and a private Committee, altho those Worthy Gentlemen of the said Committee often declar'd they knew very little or nothing of what was transacted: But in the end, the hopeful Treaty that was then on foot in London by Commissioners appointed from Holland for restoring and making satisfaction for Bantam was rejected, and new Measures taken, to the great surprize of the Dutch Nation, and the considering Men amongst our selves, who had any cognizance of the Affair: Till at last (Matters being not yet ripe abroad to fall upon the Protestants) all this Warlike Pre­paration ended in a War with the Great and Mighty Emperor the Mogul and the King of Syam.

THIS Storm thus falling upon the Mogul and the good King of Syam, our Ships were imployed in India for the taking and seizing of all their, and their Subjects, Ships and Estates, even those in our Ports at Bombay, though they had our Factors Passes for security, without either Declaration of War, or Demand first made, which hath occasion'd such a Confusion and Disorder (besides the great Diminution of the Nations Honor) that all our ma­ny beneficial Settlements are ruin'd, the Fruit of which we had but yet begun to taste, especially in the Bay of Bengall, which is the greatest and richest Province in any known part of the Universe, being subject to the Nabab or Chief Governor under the Mogul. And in the space of about 23 Years, our Trade in that Province alone, hath advanced from 8000 l. to upwards of 300000 l. per annum, and had not this pernicious War interven'd, it might have been by this time carried on much fur­ther by a prudent Conduct, to the great Honor and Advantage of the Nation. But when our last Advices came from those Parts, by the Ship Rochester, Affairs were there in greater Confusion and Disorder than ever, oc­casion'd by fresh Descents and Depredations that had been committed under the conduct of Captain Heath; so that the Breach is now much wider (notwithstanding at the last Sessions of Parliament, Sir Josiah Childe had the assurance to declare at the Bar of the Honorable House, That a Peace was actually concluded.

THIS being the present sad Condition of that important Trade, which will be irretrievably lost, if some speedy and proper Remedies be not applied to regain and settle it. 'Tis therefore humbly hoped our Honorable Representa­tives will think it worthy their Regard: And the zealous desire I have to see it thrive and flourish, prompts me to offer my private Thoughts concerning the most suitable Methods for the Establishing it, to the Honor and Interest of the Nation.