Now if the account of Herodotus is untrue, still Diaz’s discovery of the cape and Cavalho’s voyage to Soffala, left de Gama but the short distance of one thousand two hundred miles to explore, and therefore he is only entitled to a small share of the credit which threw so much lustre on the Portuguese name, in effecting a passage by sea to the East Indies, which was previously performed by a most circuitous and tedious route by land and by water; for de Gama, on his arrival at Quilmany, obtained pilots to Mozambique, and from thence onward all obstructions were removed. All that vast tract of country lying between the cape of Good Hope and cape Guardafui, may now be said to be parcelled out among three nations. The English are gradually or rather rapidly settling that whole tract of country lying between the cape district (cape of Good Hope) and Da Lagoa bay. There is a considerable settlement at Fish river, about six hundred miles east of the cape, and there is a small one begun at port Natal, about two hundred and seventy miles to the north and eastward of it, on the coast of Natal, which is about the same distance to Da Lagoa bay, still further to the eastward; and they claim part of Da Lagoa bay by gift from a negro king, Mayetta, the sovereign of Temba. This brings them to the borders of the Portuguese settlements. The Portuguese claim from Da Lagoa bay to the cape Delgado, lying in about 10° south. From the latter cape to cape Guardafui, it is claimed (with all the islands adjacent to the coast) by the sultan of Muscat. The exports from Mozambique do not exceed half a million of dollars, (since the suppression of the slave-trade.) These consist in elephant and hippopotamus ivory, gold dust, tortoise-shell, ambergris, columbo-root, drugs, cowries, rhinoceros-horns, and hides, &c., &c. This is certainly a very meager account of the value of its exports, to which may be added, pearls of a superior quality, there being an abundance about the Bazaruto islands; but its resources are yet to be developed, and I have stated previously of what they may consist, provided the government will throw off all shackles which embarrass trade, and have a duty not exceeding that which is now imposed by the sultan of Muscat, to wit: a duty of five per cent. only, on goods landed and sold, without any other charge whatever. If this is not done, all trade among foreigners must necessarily proceed to the sultan’s dominions, in East Africa. The duties and exactions on foreign commerce are so exorbitant, but more particularly on the American trade, that our flag has almost entirely deserted all the Portuguese ports in West as well as in East Africa. The Americans pay twenty-four per cent. and the English fifteen, on imports, exclusive of an almost endless number of fees, besides export duties.