Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/98

94: COLONY the government therefore reserved to itself the exclusive control of commerce with them. Squadrons set sail twice a year from a desig- nated port (at first Seville, afterward Cadiz) for Porto Bello and Vera Cruz, which upon their return voyage brought back treasure to the same port. The interests of the natives were sacrificed to those of the colonists, and those of the latter to the home government. At the same time the interests of the people of Spain were favored by securing them the exclusive right of supplying the colonies with certain European productions, such as wine, hemp, flax, ships, powder, and salt. The practical operation of this system was in the long run unfavorable to Spanish commerce. Its activity was increased upon the removal in 1778 of the restrictions upon it. The colonies on the American continent declared themselves independent early in this century. The more important of those belonging to Spain at the present day are the Philippines, the Mariana and Caroline islands, Ceuta, Peiion de Velez, Melilla, Alhucemas, the Canaries, Cuba, Porto Rico, Mona, Tortugas, and Los Roques. In some of these colonies slavery is still main- tained, though the principal Spanish statesmen favor its early extinction. In combating for its independence the Dutch republic undertook to place its navy in a condition that might enable it to cope with that of Spain. Not satisfied with fighting the Spaniards upon land, the Dutch pursued them on the seas ; and after the colo- nial possessions of the Portuguese passed un- der Spanish dominion, they attacked the Portu- guese and Spanish settlements indiscriminately. The expedition which sailed in 1595, under the command of Cornelis Houtinan and De Moli- naer, was the first which was sent to the Indies by the Dutch. Early in the 17th century they had deprived the Portuguese of all their settle- ments in India, with the exception of Goa. In the middle of that century their power was at its height. They obtained exclusive possession of the commerce with Japan, and established a colony at the Cape of Good Hope. The capita] of their empire in the East was Batavia, on the island of Java. They had establishments in St. Eustache, in Guiana, and for a time in Brazil. The discovery of New Holland, Car- penter's Land, Van Diemen's Land, and New Zealand was due to them. Their only attempt at colonization in North America was made in the territory discovered by Henry Hudson in 1609, which they called New Netherlands, but which was taken from them by the English in 1664 and named New York. The object of the Dutch in the establishment of their colonies was the promotion of commerce, and their government was confided to trading companies. No attempt was made to change the religion of the people among whom they were founded. Their importance declined with that of the Dutch commerce. Among the more important of those of which Holland still retains possession are the islands of Bo- nair, Curacoa, St. Eustache, Saba, half of St. Martin and part of "Guiana, Java, Sumatra, Bencoolen, Madura, Celebes, Borneo, the archi- pelago of Sumbawa, Timor, the Moluccas, and Papua. Slavery was abolished in the Dutch colonies in 1861. Denmark, under the reign of Christian IV., in 1618 established a colony at Tranquebar on the Coromandel coast, and af- terward others upon the coast of Malabar and in Bengal. Trading companies were organized for the management of these enterprises, but they interfered with each other and were aban- doned. A new company was organized in 1732, which was more successful. The Danish pos- sessions in India were sold to the English East India company in 1845, and in 1849 the Danish colony in Guinea was sold to Great Britain. Denmark retains the colonies of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix in the West Indies ; and Danish merchants have a trading station, with the encouragement of the government, in Greenland. The island of St. Bartholomew belongs to Sweden. Austria founded the Os- tend company in 1722, for the purpose of open- ing commerce with the East Indies, but has never accomplished anything of importance in the way of colonization. The policy of coloniza- tion was introduced and maintained in France by Richelieu and Colbert. Possession was ob- tained of Canada, Acadia, of part of New- foundland, Hayti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Grenada, and Cayenne. A factory was established by the French East India company at Pondicherry, and colonies were founded upon the isles of France and Bourbon. At the beginning of the 18th century the French colonies in the different quarters of the world were in a flourishing condition. The French settlements in the East, while Dupleix was governor at Pondicherry, had at their com- mand large fleets and were strong and suc- cessful ; but under the reign of Louis XV. the French colonies did not receive adequate pro- tection from the home government, and they fell one after another into the power of other countries. France was deprived of her settle- ments in Newfoundland by the British in 1713, and surrendered Canada, Cape Breton, and some of the West India islands at the close of the seven years' war in 1763. She lost Hayti by revolt during the revolution. Louisiana was ceded to Spain, afterward resumed by France, and then sold (1803) to the United States. But in more recent times French colonies have begun again to acquire importance. The colony which was founded in Algeria in 1830 is the most important one which ever belonged to her. Under Napoleon III. particular atten- tion was paid to the French colonies in the East. Establishments were made upon the islands of New Caledonia and of Pines, at Sai- gon in Cochin China, in Senegainbia, and else- where. Among the most important colonies of France at the present day are Algeria, Cochin China, Reunion, Martinique, Guade- loupe, Senegal, Pondicherry, St. Pierre and