ON came apprehenfive of a deficiency of materials towards furnishing an hiftory of the fucceeding years. The peace feemed to be fo well fettled, that one might imagine, there could be little room for political difputes amongst the several powers, and none at all for actual war and hoftility. In reality, Europe may be faid to be perfectly quiet; but the extent of the commercial empire of Great Britain is fuch, and it engages her in such a vast variety of difficult connections, that it is almost impoffible for any confiderable length of time to pass over, without producing abundance of events of a very interefting nature; and we heartily with we could flatter ourselves that we could be found as equal to our materials of history, as we are likely to be well fupplied with them. The favage war, which has unfortunately broke out in America fince the conclufion of the general peace, has been fruitful of events; and it is not yet ended. Since then, troubles of great confequence have likewise arisen in the Eaft-Indies, which threaten to afford us but but too much employment for the enfuing year. As to our domeftic diffentions, we have stated as fairly as we could the points in conteft between parties. Little heated ourfelves, we have not endeavoured to inflame others. We have carefully adhered to that neutrality, which, however blameable in an advocate, is neceffary in an hiftorian, and without which he will not represent an image of things, but of his own passions. We have wholly omitted in the Hiftorical part the legal difputes which arose on the prosecution of the authors and publishers of the North Briton. The reader will easily fee, that these matters did not properly come within the defign of that part of our work; but we have taken care to infert the beft account, which has appeared, of that whole transaction, at the end of the Chronicle. THE THE ANNUAL REGISTER, For the Year 1763. THE HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAP. I. Plan of the year's history. Invasion of the Philippines defigned. Defcrip- 1 ftance, that plan has not been at ́tended with any material inconvenience. The fortune of the expeditions, depending during the negotiation of the peace, was not, by the mutual confent of parties, to have any influence on the terms of it. The places taken were to be reciprocally restored. We, therefore, thought it more prudent to prefent to the reader à narrative of that important tranfaction, entire and unbroken, rather than poftpone any part of it until we had gathered in all the scattered events of the war. However, there were events, and some of them fo confiderable, to the knowledge of which we have arrived fince the conclufion of our last year's labour, that they ought by no means to be omitted. They will furnish something to the entertainment we propofe for the public in the prefent; and they are fuch, as not unworthily close that great scene of national glory which Great Britain had displayed to the world, during the five laft campaigns. The chief of thefe was the expedition against the Manilas. Its importance will juftify that detail in which we propofe to consider it. The Manilas, or Philippines, form a principal divifion of that immenfe Indian Archipelago, which confifts of many hundred iflands, fome of them the largest, and many of them by nature the richeft in the world; and which lie in the torrid zone, extending from the 19th degree of north latitude, almost in a continued chain, to New Guinea, and to the neighbouring fhores of the great fouthern continent. The Philippines form the northernmoft clufter of these islands. They were discovered in the year 1521, by the famous navigator Ferdinand Magellan: they were added to the Spanish monarchy by Don Lewis de Velafco, in 1564, in the reign of Philip the fecond, under whom the Spanish dominion was greatly augmented, and its real ftrength, at the same time, so impaired, that almoft two centu ries have not reftored it to its for mer vigour. The Philippines are fcarce inferior to any of the other islands of Afia, in all the natural productions of that happy climate: and they are by far the best fitu ated for an extended and advanta geous commerce. By their pofition they form the center of intercourse with China, Japan, and the Spice Iflands; and whilft they are under the dominion of Spain, they connect the Afiatic and American commerce, and become the general entrepôt for the rich manufac tures and products of the one, and for the treasures of the other. fides, they are well fituated for a fupply of European goods, both from the fide of Acapulco, and by the way of the Cape of Good Hope. Be In fact, they formerly enjoyed a traffic in fome degree proportioned to the peculiar felicity of their fituation; but the Spanish dominion is too vaft and unconnected to be improved to the beft advantage. The fpirit of commerce is not powerful in that people. The trade of the Philippines is thought to have declined; its great branch is now reduced to two thips, which annually pafs between these iflands and Acapulco in America, and to a fingle port, that of Manila, in an ifland of the fame name. But though declined, this trade is still a vast object of protection ta |