836 INTERCOLONIAL COMMERClI. would be put to death, and this violation of the law of" nations would at once be equivalent to a declaration of war. The conquest of Japan, not- withstanding the superior courage and spirit of its inhabitants, would perhaps be easier than that of China, which has yielded to every conqueror that has tried it. The coasts of China, where China would be invaded, are situated within the tropics, and Europeans would suffer from the climate. Ja- pan is a healthy mountainous country, in the tem- perate zone, and the climate would be perfectly congenial to them. China is a great continuous territory, difficult, of course, to penetrate. It has been for ages accustomed to obey the rule of one master with an undivided authority, and a portion of it could not be conquered unless a conquest were made of the whole. Japan consists of many separate islands easily accessible. The government of the provinces is in the hands of hereditary prin- ces, who might readily be detached from their allegi- ance to their chief. A single island might be con- quered or detached without the whole empire, and readily preserved by the superiority of an Euro- pean navy. An illustrious traveller * is of opinion, • " Should a canal of communication, "says Humboldt, " be opened between the two oceans, the productions of Nootka Sound and of China will be brought more than 2000 leagues nearer to Europe and the United States. Then only can 6
