Clarke's counterfactual plan is to buy and fortify St Michael's Mount, then add warehouses and a shipyard. Knowledge of geography and Dutch ship construction would support the enterprise. South American silver could be traded for Chinese goods, which could then be sold in Europe. He distinguishes commerce from administering territory and collecting taxes in India. Jokes about coercive opium trading also make clear the aggressive character of the imagined venture. This is a time-travel proposal rather than an account of a historical company.
Notable Point · 5:08:35-5:12:50
St Michael's Mount as an imagined 1618 trading base
An imagined enterprise in 1618 combines a fortified Cornish base with shipbuilding and long-distance trade.