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 1 
 
 a 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 8 
 
 6 
 
I 
 
 THE 
 
 IMPORTANCE 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 British Plantations 
 
 I N 
 
 AMERICA 
 
 TO THIS 
 
 KINGDOM; 
 
 WITH 
 
 The STATE or their TRADE, and 
 Methods for Improving it ; 
 
 AS ALSO 
 
 A Description of the feveral Colo- 
 nies there. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. P ee l e at Locke' s-Head, in Jmen- 
 
 Qorner^ Pater-Nofter-Row. Mdccxxxi. 
 
 (Price One Shilling and Six Pence.) 
 
I 
 
 4 
 
,1 
 
 'i? 
 
 i 
 
 To the Right Honourable 
 
 Sit ROBERT WALPOLE, 
 
 Firft Comtniflioner of the Treafury, Chancellor 
 and Under-Treafurer of the Exchequer •, One 
 of His Majefty's moft Honourable Privy Coun- 
 cil, and Knight of the moft Noble Order of the 
 Garter. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 Treatife of Trade in this Nation 
 of ours, which flouriflies, and 
 indeed fubfifts by it, cannot be 
 fo properly infcribed, as to one who bears, 
 and has long borne, fo eminent a Share in 
 directing our National Counfels, and 
 confequently our National Commerce. 
 For, no Man knows better than Yourfelf, 
 that th^fe two can never be feparated 
 without fatal Effefts; and that when- 
 ever our Trade periflies, fo muft our 
 public Dignity and Strength. How 
 much we are indebted to that of our 
 Plantations, is generally confefs'd, tho* 
 I believe, not univerfally underftood. 
 
 This therefore is what I have under- 
 taken to explain to my Countreymen, 
 that they may clearly fee the vaft Im- 
 portance of our Colonies in A mca^ 
 and, thro' a juft Principle of Intereft, 
 
 as 
 
the DEDICATION. 
 
 as well as of Generofity, be vigilant for 
 their Prefervation and Encouragement. 
 
 How well,Sir,You underftand the In- 
 tereft of Your Countrey in all its Parts, 
 I need not declare, at leaft I dc not chufe 
 this Place for declaring it; and lis alike 
 needlefs to mention how much Your 
 own Flonour and Fortune, and confe- 
 quently all Your Views, are and muft 
 be connefted with thofe of the Public: 
 Permit me however to fay, that this is a 
 Confideration v/hich will always be a 
 Pledge for every able and wife Minifter, 
 that for his own Advantage and Glory, 
 he muft purfue the Intereii of the whole. 
 
 As I am therefore well convinced how 
 much You do of courfe intcreft yourfclf 
 in the Condition and Demands of our 
 Trade and Colonies, I do with the more 
 Alacrity and Boidnefj prefent you the 
 following Tract, and beg You to believe 
 that lam with very profound Refpedl, 
 
 S 
 
 I R 
 
 Tour mofi humble 
 moji duttfnl^ and 
 mofi obedient Servant y 
 
 % 
 
 I 
 
 ■IS? 
 
THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 I Have for fome Time obferved an earneft 
 T^ejire in many Gentlemen of Figure and 
 Confe^uence in this Kingdom^ to be informed 
 of the State of our Trade in general, j^s I 
 have lived in America many Tears^ as I have 
 traded to mofi of the T laces which I give any 
 Account of^ and have occajionally been at 
 them all^ except New-England, HudfonV- 
 Bay, and the Bay <?/ Apalachy; / laid hold 
 of all Opportunities to inform myjelf of 
 their Trade and Commerce^ according to the 
 bejl of my Capacity, Hence Iperfuade myfelf^ 
 that it will not only be acceptable^ but nfeful^ 
 to communicate to the Public what Know^ 
 hdge I have acquired relating to the Trade 
 in and to our Plantations in America. 
 
 / am apprehenfive that fome Gentlemen in 
 our Plantations may think the Trade and Im- 
 portance of their refpeElive Colonies under-" 
 valued. To fiich I Jhall fay^ that after the 
 moft exaEi Enquiries I could make , / have 
 done them all the Jufice in my Vower, and 
 /hall be ready on all Occafions to reBify any 
 Errors cr Mifakes of mine^ fuch as a IVork 
 of this kind cannot but be liable to. It will 
 appear to any unprejudiced Terfon^ that I 
 could have no View but the Service of the 
 ^Public^ fincu all that is aimed at is to Jhew 
 ho V all our Plantations , Sugar Colonies as 
 
 Well 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 well as the Northern Trovincesj may be of 
 7?/ore Advantage to us as well as themfehes. 
 This I take to be a Matter of vaft Concern-' 
 tneut to this Nation, Of my own Terform- 
 ance 1 Jhall fay nothing , only that what I 
 hive J hid I have taken great Care Jhould be 
 irw^ and that the State and Intereft of our 
 Col'^^iirsy has never before been throughly 
 rf repented^ at leajl in one View, 
 
 This my T)efign will be anfwered^ if I can 
 but he iJtf^ umentnl in keeping up that Spirit 
 of Eucjiiiry into Trade and Commerce^ which 
 1 am p leafed to fee raifed in fo great a Vart 
 of our Legijlature, From thefe Enquiries 
 we are to hope and expert proper Regulations. 
 There indeed always was a Neceffity for 
 looking into Trade ^ and perhaps nevermore 
 than juji now. JVe have long been running 
 in l^ebt to Foreign Nations for thofe things 
 which by a little good Management we could 
 produce in our own T)ominions. Nor am I 
 without Hopes that fome juJi Meafures will 
 fjon he taken , fich as may reduce the Bat^ 
 lance of j^c counts with Foreign Nations to 
 be in our Favour, 
 
 THE 
 
 1 
 
[ X ] 
 
 be of 
 
 hej, 
 cerH* 
 
 lat I 
 Idbe 
 our 
 tghly 
 
 *art 
 
 y i 
 
 i 
 
 THE 
 
 IMPORTANCE 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 British Plantations, &C. 
 
 EOPLE and Riches are the 
 true Strength of a Country; 
 the firll will increafe by Liber- 
 ty, and the other by Trade. 
 But as the Bounds of Liberty 
 are exceeded, whenever it is 
 put in the Power of one or more of a So- 
 ciety to aft to the Damage or Detriment of 
 that Society with Impunity; fo Trade, 
 which ought to be general and free to all, 
 certainly may, and ought to be rellraiued, 
 w^herever it is found injurious or difadvan- 
 tageous to the Society in general. Hence 
 arifes the Neceffity of Laws for the Regu- 
 
 B lacion 
 
( ^ ) 
 
 lation of Trade and Commerce ; for re- 
 training and prohibiting what is deftruftive, 
 and enlarging and increafing what is gainful 
 and neceffary. 
 
 For Example, if it can be proved that 
 with moll of ihofe Nations in EuroPe which 
 lye due Eall from any Part of this Kingdom 
 of Great Britain^ or to the Northward, 
 the Ballance of Trade is againll us, and hath 
 been many Years ; will it not be allowed 
 highly reafonable to difcourage fuch Parts 
 or Branches of it, as are not abfolutely ne- 
 ceiFary ? 
 
 Firft I fliall explain what I mean by the 
 Ballance of Trade, then Ihew in fome In- 
 liances wherein that Ballance is againll us at 
 prefent; and offer fome Propofats for the 
 difcouraging thofe Branches of Trade with 
 therrt which are moit detrimental to us, and 
 farther fliew, that mod of thofe Things 
 which are abfolutely neceffary for us as a 
 trading Nation, may be produced within 
 our own Dominions at a lefs Expence than 
 we purchafe them from Foreigners, to the 
 Increafe of our own Shipping and Navigati-* 
 on, and the Employment of more Manu** 
 fafturers in this Kingdom. * 
 
 Firtt, the Ballance of Trade may be efli- 
 mated thus. Admit we take from any, or 
 all of thefe Nations, Goods, Wares, and 
 Merchandize, to a greater Value than they 
 
 do 
 
 #; 
 
11 
 
 (3 ) 
 
 do of ours, the Difference is the Ballance 
 of chat Trade» and mull be paid in Caih. 
 
 Yet it is pofTible for us to import from a 
 Country Goods to a greater Value than our 
 Exports, and be Gainers of near the whole 
 Dinerence, where thofe Goods are for Ex- 
 portation, and the Navigation out and home 
 was in our Shipping; for in this Cafe 
 Freight, (Sc. is charged upon the Imports, 
 but was all faved or got by our own People. 
 And this is the Cafe with all our Plantations, 
 as for Elxample in Virginia or Maryland^ 
 eight Shillings Worth of Goods exported 
 will purchafe loo Pounds of Tobacco, which 
 at Importation is valued at i6s, and id. and 
 if hair of that Quantity is exported, by which 
 we receive or fatisfy where we owed 8 s. 
 4^. it will appear we have gained near 
 that Sum; but if in Virginia we ihould re- 
 ceive Tobacco, or other Goods to a greater 
 Value than they did of ours, the Ballance or 
 Difference muft be paid them in Calh ; and 
 fo much Advantage or Ballance they would 
 really have by us, notwithftanding we, by- 
 being Carriers and Merchants, might fave 
 or gain that Way more than that Dinerence. 
 
 Without underf landing and confidering 
 thefe Things throughly, it will be almoll 
 impoflible to avoid Confufion and Perplexi- 
 ty on this Subjeft ; and whoever is igno- 
 rant of this, is not only liable to be impo- 
 fed on by dcfigning Men, but is alfo inca- 
 
 B 1 pable 
 
; i 
 
 (4) 
 
 pable of diftinguifliing between tbofc 
 Trades which bring in and carry out 
 Riches. 
 
 We will fuppofe ys Hundred of Deals 
 imported from Norway in an Engli/h Ship, 
 Value here 660 Pounds, thcComputation thus : 
 
 . i Prime Coft. 
 
 413 03 o 
 
 ' Cuftom and Bill-Money, ^c. 090 00 o 
 
 Freight, — 145*000 
 
 Lighterage and Porterage, ®r. on 17 o 
 
 660 00 o 
 
 ii 
 
 
 
 It is apparent Norway can have received 
 but 413/. 3 J. the other 246/. 17 j. is ci- 
 ther faved or got by our Shipping, ^c. but 
 if the fame Goods had been imported by a 
 2)/?»/y& Ship, we had paid the Freight over 
 and above, which is more than one third of 
 the firft Coft ; hence appears the Rcafona- 
 blenefs of employing our own Shipping be- 
 fore any other. For \i Norway have fo great 
 a Ballance upon us , as Mr. Gee feems ro 
 think they have, viz, 130000/. fer An^ 
 numj though I cannot but be ot Opini- 
 on it is more than that Sum, we might 
 fave at leaft 6000/. (which is near the 
 Freight we annually pay them) by employ- 
 ing o^r own Shipping only. How this is to 
 
 be 
 
:bofe 
 out 
 
 ^eals 
 
 |Ship, 
 
 thus : 
 
 oo o 
 
 sived 
 is ci- 
 . but 
 by a 
 over 
 rdof 
 fona- 
 ? be- 
 great 
 as ro 
 An^ 
 pini- 
 light 
 
 the 
 )loy- 
 is to 
 
 be 
 
 f 
 
 (y ) 
 
 be done I fliall not take upon me to direft; 
 but furely wc ought not to be afraid of dif- 
 obliging a People, who, if they were to be 
 hindered or prohibited importing their 
 Lumber here in their Ships, would at leaft 
 have a Balance upon us of 12,4,000/. Efpe- 
 cially when we confider we can have all 
 thofe Things from our own Dominions, e- 
 
 Sual in Goodnefs and nearly as cheap, as we 
 nd already by many ^^rts of Lumber 
 which they fupply us with, to the Increafe 
 of our Shipping and Navigation. 
 
 It is a certain Truth that we might be 
 Gainers by taking all our Lumber from our 
 own Plantations, tho' the Freight of fuch 
 Lumber (which is all paid here, and to our 
 own People) were equal to the firlt Coil in 
 Norway ; for the Purchafe of many Sorts of 
 Lumber in New-Englandvavj be had for one 
 fourth Part (firft Colt in Goods) that we now 
 have them {xc^mNorway for. And in the Cafe 
 of our own Plantations and Shipping we do 
 not advance one Penny inCafli ; for whatever 
 is fent abroad is our own Produce and Manu- 
 fafture, whereas in the other Cafe'tis thought 
 that at leall more than one third of the 
 Whole is paid in Calh: In fliorr, whatever 
 we hav" from our own Plantations cofts us 
 nothing, but the Labour of manufaduring 
 Goods for them, and that of bringing theirs 
 here, while to other Countries we are weak 
 enough to continue paying thofe very Sums 
 
f !! 
 
 (<5) 
 
 of Money which we get from thofe Planta- 
 tions. 
 
 I fliould be glad to have a Reafon given 
 why we fhould thus pay fuch prodigious 
 Sums annually, as we do to our Ealt Coun- 
 trey Neighbours. Are we not a powerful 
 People upon a fine Ifland ? Is there a Mari- 
 time Power on the Globe that we need to 
 fear, while we mind our Trade and Plan- 
 tations, which are perhaps the greatell 
 Nurferies for Sailors in the World, and by 
 far the greateft of any other Powers in Eu- 
 rope ? Doth not the Strength and Security 
 of our Ifland depend principally on our 
 Shipping, and thole brave Fellows who man 
 them? If the Encouragement of thefe be at- 
 tended to , we cannot mifs of being fafe 
 and happy ; but if we negleft our Plantati- 
 ons and Trade, if we let other Nations fup- 
 ply thofe Markets which we ufed to fup- 
 ply, then in Proportion to their Increafe 
 and Induftry, and our own Indolence and 
 Negleft, we ihall become jull in the fame 
 State that the Spaniards are in upon Hi/pa- 
 niola ; that is, liable to be beaten quite out 
 on any Rupture between the Crowns. 
 
 The next thing which I propofe, is to 
 difcourage the Importation, at leaft the 
 Wear and Ufe, of the following Commo- 
 dities, from thofe Countries where it is al- 
 lowed we pay fo great aBallance, viz. Bran- 
 dy, Lace, Linnens of all forts, even coarfe 
 
 as 
 
 \ 
 
 as 
 
 brj 
 
 an 
 pe 
 
(7) 
 
 as well as Holland , Cambrick , and Cam- 
 brick-Lawns; likewife Brocades, Velvets, 
 and all manufaftured Silks; alfolron, Cop- 
 per, Hemp, Flax and Pot-Alh. 
 
 Inltead of Brandy, which cofts us about 
 ^s. 6d. fer Gallon , let us encourage Runt 
 from our own Plantations, where it never 
 did coft one quarter part in Value, and that 
 paid out of our own Manufafture too. Why 
 of late Years Brandy imported from T)un* 
 ktrky is not as certainly French Brandy, as 
 Wine imported thence is French Wine, I 
 ihould be glad to be informed. Whoever 
 thinks that permitting the Importation of 
 fuch Brandy here, will contribute to the 
 Deft ruft ion or Demolition of Dunkirk 
 (which is certainly the Defire of every £»- 
 glijhtnan) is as much, or more, miftaken, 
 Chan thofe Engineers who began at the 
 Wrong End to demolifti the Works of that 
 Place, and left the Foundations of the Pier 
 Heads unfliaken and unremoved: They 
 inight as well have been untouched in effeft ; 
 for the Foundations alone, above and before 
 all other things, fliould have been at firffi 
 deilroyed ; for had thole been blown up, 
 rtiey could not make a Harbour in fo few 
 Years, as they can now in Days. He who 
 ioth not know this, and that they might* 
 fluice their back Waters everladingly with'* 
 ^ut Effeft, if there was not that Confine- 
 ment, knows little of thofe Affiiirs ; and he 
 
 that 
 
(8) 
 
 that did know the Confequence of leaving 
 thofe Foundations there, when it was in his 
 Power to remove them , what doth he de- 
 fer ve? 
 
 He who hath ever feen any of our wet 
 Docks, or taken any notice of the Water- 
 Works at Chelfea^ mult have obferved, that a 
 Channel is always formed by the Water which 
 was kept up, and let run upon the Banks of 
 the River, on the Tide's being out ; and this 
 will as conllantly keep a Channel in fuch Pla- 
 ces, as the Caufe continues, and it is as true 
 that whenever that is difcontinued , it will 
 grow up again. , , 
 
 Now where it is required to make fuch a 
 Channel on Sea-Coalls, where, by the violent 
 and different Agitations of Waves and Wind, 
 that Place is fubjeft to be filled up, or alte- 
 red, and made other ways fo irregular, by 
 the Sands being thrown up in different, and 
 often unexpefted Places, that fuch Place is 
 rendered inefFeftual : There will always a- 
 rife the Necelfity of Pier- Heads, or as the 
 French call xh^mjet d'eauXiVj\{\c\i are jene- 
 rally Stone Walls of fufficient Solidity to re- 
 fift the P'orce of the Waves, built out from 
 the Land, parallel one to the other ; and in 
 Places where the Foundation is not good , 
 they are under the Neceflity of driving Piles, 
 which are of pretty large Timber (frequent- 
 ly as large as any about Fitlham Bridge) as 
 near one another aspofiibic, to make a fuf- 
 
 1 ficient 
 
■ 
 
 
 I 
 
 (9) 
 
 ficient Foundiuion. Hence the vail La- 
 bour and Expence of fuch Works; but 
 where Stone is not fo eafily procured, it is 
 ufual to- carry out the Pier or Jetty Heads 
 with fuch fort of Woriv as the faid Bridge. 
 
 The Breadth and Length of the Channel 
 is always proportioned totheDeiign: For if 
 it be nfiade broad, there requires a propor- 
 tionable Quantity of Water more, to Icour 
 and drive away whatever fettles or lodges 
 in it: And in proportion to the length like- 
 wife, the Velocity and Force of the Water 
 is abated ; but that will be always in pro- 
 portion to the Quantity let run. Hence the 
 Reafonablenefs and Ufe of preferving gre.it 
 Quantities of Back Water, and command- 
 ing a great number of Sluices for fuch De- 
 figns. 
 
 Now in all Places where the Foundations 
 are good, and the Back Waters fufficient, 
 that Channel will beveryeafily and very foon 
 fcoured; and the Superitrudure (which is 
 principally for direfting to and fliewing the 
 Channel, when the Waters are up, and for the 
 Convenience of People's afliiting all VefTels 
 going in and out) may be foon raifed , and 
 at a fmall Charge. 
 
 As the Water Works at Chelfea have been 
 mentioned, I take leave to fay. That from 
 thefirft they ftiould have had at fewelt three,if 
 not four Bafons, or Receivers, for their Wa- 
 ter ;from one of which theWater, after it was 
 
 C fettled 
 
 
■I I 
 
 4 
 
 
 W^ 
 
 ( lO ) 
 
 fettled, fhould have been fent to their Re- 
 fervoirs, and they would all have ferved to 
 clean each otiicr. If this had been forefeen 
 (as 'tis wonderful it was not) in the firllDe- 
 fign, thefe Conveniencics had been gained 
 for no more Expence, than they were at to 
 bring it to what it was lall Year; and all 
 that Charge and needlefs Trouble of fend- 
 ing Men in to clean out the Mud, would 
 have been prevented. 
 
 As it is a fmall Expence, no doubt from 
 this Hint the Gentlemen concerned will 
 think worth while to go about it ; and I can 
 aflure them, the fooner the better ; for their 
 Refervoirs , &c. will foon look like Tower 
 ^itch if they do not. This Digreffion I 
 could not avoid ; but I hope it will be excu- 
 fed, conlidering the Importance of the Place 
 which gave Occafion to it : A Place imper- 
 feftly, if not fraudulently, demoliftied at 
 firll , and therefore too eafily reftored not 
 long after: A Misfortune that has fince pro- 
 duced much Uneafmefs and many Clamours, 
 which unjullly fell upon thofe who were no 
 ways chargeable with the firft and fatal O- 
 verfight. But to return, 
 
 Inllead of the vaft quantities of Linnens, 
 Cambricks, Brocades, ^c, let us make ufe 
 of Callicocs, Muflins and India Silks, as we 
 ufed to do; which did never coft us half 
 the Price, nor indeed did they ever coft 
 the Kingdom half of that half. But if a ge- 
 neral 
 
 \ 
 
{ " ) 
 
 neral Allowance of the Eaft India Silks, ^c. 
 fliall be thought to difcourage the Silk Ma- 
 nufafture, why fliall we iufter Silks from 
 thofe Places, where we are obliged to give 
 at lead two Yards oi India for one of equal 
 Goodnefs, of their iManufafture ? 
 
 I am perfuaded there is not at this time 
 one Man of Senfe and Obfervation , who 
 wants to be convinced of our Weaknefs in 
 prohibiting the Wear of printed Callicoes, 
 and, I may fay too, of Muflins; for Fa- 
 fliion as effeftually does one , as an Aft of 
 Parliament the other. Will any one fay there 
 is a Yard of Woollen worn the more for 
 fuch Prohibition? Is there a Wench above 
 Sixteen who does not find herfelf more ac- 
 ceptable to others when flie looks clean, 
 than when fhe is obliged to wear Woollen, 
 which never looks fo clean ; or when dirty, 
 can it fo eafily be made clean ? Are there not 
 as many printed Gowns worn as before ? Is 
 that Prohibition attended with any other 
 Confequence than importing Linnen indead 
 of Callico, from thofe Countries to whom 
 we give near Two Yards of a Commodity 
 of equal Goodnefs for one? And whom do 
 we employ by this? Why, generally, Peo- 
 ple who are fo civil as to prohibit the Im- 
 portation of our Woollen Manufafture a- 
 mong them. 
 
 The Way to remedy this, will be to lay- 
 on fuch a Duty on imported Linnen, which 
 
 C X fhall 
 
 
r 
 
 il 
 
 
 fliall be worn here, ns to encourage that Ma- 
 nuiadlure among ourielvcs. And if the Du- 
 ty, ©V. which was upon India Goods be not 
 fuilicicnt to prevent their va<t Confumption 
 here; and if thereby our own Manufadures 
 fliall be difcouraged, let us advance and in- 
 creaie the Duties on India Goods to a pro- 
 port'onare Degree, that thofc who are fo 
 fond of foreign Manufadurc may pay toward 
 the Support of our own Government only, 
 and not to the Employment and Support of 
 a People who have enriched themfclves by 
 our Follies, more than their own Induliry, 
 tho' that is very great. 
 
 Don't we by prohibiting Callicoes , ^c, 
 which paid 30 per Cent Duty, as plainly give 
 that Duty to ihole we buy the Linncns from, 
 as if by giving them half a Crown for is. we 
 ihould give 6 d: 
 
 But lay fome People, Do you think they 
 will take yowr India Goods, if you don't 
 rake theirs? No, not in equal Quantities per- 
 haps, as jiilt now they do, but is it not ma- 
 nifelt we ihall gain jufl: in proportion to the 
 Quantity of CaHicots, £^r. which we ufe here 
 inllead of their Linnen. 
 
 for Example, Suppole y^goes into a Dra- 
 pers Shop, he is fliew^d a Piece oi Eajlern 
 Linnen, for which he is slk'd 11s. 6^/. he 
 lees a Piece of Callico equal in Goodnefs and 
 Quantitj^ for which he is afk'd no more: 
 The Callico has paid Duty 4 j. 4 d. the Lin- 
 nen 
 
 nc 
 w 
 
( M ) 
 
 ncn but IS. id. and he purchafcs both ; pray 
 which has the Government G;ot moll bv? 
 
 Let us fuppofe ico pounds worth of ihefe 
 CallJcocs were to be exported to Holland^ 
 the Drawback will amount to 30 pounds at 
 lead ; fo that Holland becomes indebted to 
 us but 70/. for which they fend us Lin- 
 nen , which at Importation pays the Go- 
 vernment 9/. 1 1 J". 8 ^/. Will not this make it 
 appear we have loit the whole Difference, 
 'viz. 20/ 8 J. 4^. which the TDutcb have ac- 
 tually gained in the fame Quantity of a Com- 
 modity equal in Goodnefs? 
 
 Does any one think that Countries which 
 manufacture Linnens, ^c. fo exquifitely, 
 would prefer the Goods o^ India ^ but for 
 Cheapnefs ? The India Company neither 
 gain' nor lofe by this ; but is it not plain the 
 Kingdom hath loft as much Cloth as the Dif- 
 ference? Doth it not appear plain that to 
 put the like Quantity of Cloth in its Place, 
 it will colt us 20/. %s. ^d. more? It would 
 be altogether as reafonable to give them 20 
 per Cent, to carry back their own Linnen; 
 and much more for the Interefl: of our King- 
 dom, to give a Bounty of 20 per Cent upon 
 all our own Linnen Manufactures. 
 
 If with regard to our own Manufaflures 
 we (hould lay a higher Duty both upon7«- 
 dia Silks and Callicocs, ^c. than there ever 
 was, and tolerate them, and they fhould af- 
 terward be worn, would not the Govern- 
 ment 
 
 
 EJ 
 
T 
 
 ( 14) 
 
 inent get or fave fo much as the Duty or 
 Difference at leall? One would think fuch 
 a Nation as ours (hould not want to be told 
 their hiterelt, or that, when told it, they 
 would not delay to purfue it. 
 
 It is notorious that our ownPIantations have 
 not taken, in any degree of Comparifon, fo 
 much of our Woollen Manufadure as they 
 did before our prohibiting the Wear of 
 printed Callicoes, and oihQV India Goods y 
 and they would be weak not to do as they 
 do, fince it is their Interell. 
 
 It is in the Power of a Family, nay of 
 two illuftrious Perfonages, to fave this King- 
 dom fome Hundred Thoufands a Year by 
 their Example in Drefs only; an Exam- 
 ple which they will undoubtedly fer, as foon 
 as they are apprized what prodigious Advan- 
 tages the Publick will reap from it. The 
 greatelt Princes have gloried in being cloath- 
 ed with the Manufadlures of their own 
 Kingdoms : For Inttance, Queen Elizabeth^ 
 Harry the IV ^^ of France^ the jgreat Qzar of 
 Mufcovyj and Lewis the XIV^^ of France^ 
 who were all remarkable Encouragers of 
 Trade and Manufaftures. I am informed 
 that even in fabricating the French Foppe- 
 ries of Laces, Brocades, Ribbands and Vel- 
 vets, we are little inferior to any People ; 
 and if I knew of any who exceeded us in 
 manufafluring any of the moft rational and 
 manly Parts of our Apparel, I fliould be 
 
 glad 
 
 WJ 
 
 to 
 
 (C 
 
 .i 
 

 ( M ) 
 
 glad to mention them for Imitation. If this 
 be our Cafe, as it certainly is, what fliall 
 we think of thofe who feem to place a Plea- 
 fure in, and give fuch a vail Preference to 
 every Thing foreign, tho' no better in Re- 
 ality than our own. This furely is the Ef- 
 feft of Weaknefs and Folly; and therefore 
 ought, by the Wifdom of the Legiflature, 
 to be reltrained ; for I will not fuppofethat 
 any of thefe Tetits Maitres can have any 
 real Defign to dillrefs us, or that they are 
 in a Plot againft us ; tho', fliould their Num- 
 ber increafe, of which there feems fome 
 Danger, they might be above Controul. 
 
 When my Lord Tort land was Ambaffa- 
 dor in Franccj the Gentlemen in his Reti- 
 nue, who were perhaps as fignal for their 
 Birth, Quality and Number, as any that 
 ever did Honour to an Embafly, according 
 to my Lord's Example, were drefled in 
 plain Engltjh Cloth, without any Lace or 
 Embroidery. The King was fo much taken 
 with that Sight, that he fpoke to his Court 
 to this EfFeft ; " When I look on thofe En- 
 " g^ifl^ Men, I admire and am pleafed with 
 " the Elegance and Politenefs of their 
 " Drefs ; tho* young Men, they appear with 
 *' the Dignity of Senators, while many a- 
 « bout me feem to afFeft to look like Te- 
 " tits Maitres. 
 
 I am well informed that this had fuch 
 EfFeft, that even to his Death his greateft 
 
 Favou- 
 
( l^ ) 
 
 Favourites nnJ Miniilcrs, as alfothe Princes 
 of the Jilood, became fiq^nal for their plain 
 Drels ; and, by his l!,xampie, came to pre- 
 fer their own Manufac'tures to all others. 
 That Prince cllnbliflied and encouraged 
 many 5 even againlt the Inclinations of 
 his People; uiineis his many fucceilive 
 Edids againd Muflins, i;/^. yf/K!^. 9, 1709; 
 Jlpril -liiy 1 710; March 29, I7rx; June 
 II, 1714; tliough all without Etied, till 
 his own Example influenced his Court, 
 and that of the Court his whole Kingdom: 
 And 1 u ilh I could lay, that Example had 
 not influenced us to f;ill into the wearing of 
 what they wore, i;/;s. their Lawns and Cam- 
 bricks, inflcad of our own Muflins. 
 
 How prepolleroufly do we ape the French 
 in all Things, even in their Arts, to conceal 
 Defers and ill Shapes, which w^e have nor, 
 or are not remarkable for? That Yoke of 
 black Ribband round the Neck; no doubr, 
 was invented to conceal a Crane, or Goofe 
 Neck ; the Walle of the Coat was fiiorten- 
 ed, no doubt, to conceal ill-fliaped Hips: 
 And becaufe a Frenchman wants a proper 
 Breadth at the Breail and Shoulders, we 
 mult pinch and fqueeze in ours, while ia 
 all, or molt Things wherein they are wor- 
 thy of Imitation, we either overlook, neg- 
 lea, or defpife them. 
 
 We need not long be under the Neceffi- 
 
 ty of being beholden to thefe Countries 
 
 7 where 
 
( »7 ) 
 
 where it is allowed we pay ''ach prodigious 
 Sums annually for Copper, rion. Hemp, 
 Flax, and Pot-Afh. A very little Encou- 
 ragement by a fmall Bounty for a few Years 
 will put our own People in the Plantations, 
 on producing us Hemp and Flax fufficicnt 
 for our Ufe. There is no Part of the Globe 
 fitter than Carolina^ Virginiay ^enfdvania^ 
 ®r. are; yet they have been negleded, no 
 one, fo far as ever I have been informed, 
 offering the lealt Aililtance to them for ma- 
 ny Years pait. It is true, they have at- 
 tempted the Produflion of Hemp and Flax; 
 in both they have fucceeded; but whether 
 they thoroughly underlland the proper 
 Ways of curing and dreffingthem i; doubt- 
 ed, becaufe they have fent here to requeil 
 their Friends to procure for them, if pofli- 
 ble, fome People of Skill in thofe Affairs, 
 from the Counireys where fuch Commodi- 
 ties are befl underltood and produced. 
 
 Surely Affairs of thisConfequence fliould 
 be worth the Notice, even ot the Govern- 
 ment, and fit Perfons fliould be fent over 
 at the publick Charge to inllruft our Peo- 
 ple there, in the Produce of all thofe Things 
 which may be for our Advantage, and ma- 
 king them more dependent on us. The 
 making of Pitch and Tar was often thought 
 impradicablc, though now we know where 
 to be fupplied widi thofe two Necef- 
 faries* at a lefs Price than the T>anes and 
 
 D Swedes 
 
 ■«ji 
 
 n 
 
 ^1 
 
 .Vl 
 
 t 
 

 ( i8 ) 
 
 Swedes made us pay , before that Art was 
 taught us. 
 
 The Produftion of Rice in Carolina^ 
 which is of luch prodigious Advantage, was 
 owing to the following Accident. A Bri- 
 gantine from the Ifland Madagafcar hap- 
 pened to put in there; they had a little 
 beed Rice left , not exceeding a Peck, or 
 Quarter of a Bulhel, which the Captain of- 
 fered, and gave to a Gentleman of the 
 Name of fVoodward. From Part of this he 
 had a very good Crop , but was ignorant 
 for fome Years how to clean it. It was 
 foon diiperfed over the Province ; and by 
 frequent ExperimenLS and Obfervations they 
 found out Ways of proaucing and manu- 
 fafturing it to fo great Perfeftion, that it is 
 thought it exceeds any other in Value. 
 The Writer of this hath feen the faid Cap- 
 tain in Carolina^ where he received a hand- 
 fome Gratuiiy from the Gentlemen of that 
 Countrey, in Acknowledgement of the Ser- 
 vice he had done that Province. 
 
 It is likewiie reported that Mr. T)u Bois, 
 Treafurer of the Eafi India Company, did 
 fend to that Countrey a imall Bag of Seed- 
 Rice fome iliorr Time after, from whence 
 it is reafonable enough to fuppofe Liight 
 come thofe two Sorts of that Commodity, 
 one called Red Rice in Contradittindion to 
 the White, from the Rednefs of the inner 
 
 Huik 
 
; 
 
 ( ^9 ) 
 Hulk or Rind of this Sort, tho' they both 
 clean, and become white alike. 
 
 The Charge of procuring and fending 
 over proper Perfons to inltrud our own 
 People there in making Pot Afli, producing 
 and managing the Hemp and Flax fit for 
 Shipping Home, I could heartily wifli might 
 not be longer delayed. And on this Oc* 
 cafion I will take the Liberty to recom- 
 mend the fending fome Perfons of Skill and 
 Capacity to the Eaft Indies^ tSc. to fupply 
 our own Plantations with the molt valua- 
 ble of their Plants. There is nothing can 
 grow in any Climate which fomc of our 
 Plantations is not very capable of produ- 
 cing. Perhaps Dodor Radcltjf\ travelling 
 Phylician could not be better employed. 
 The Charge to the Government will be in- 
 confiderable ; the Advantage of the higheli: 
 Confequence* In a few Years ihey niay be 
 capable of fupplying us with all vi^e want, 
 not only for the carrying on of our Manu- 
 faftures for all Sorts of naval Stores, which 
 are as abfolutely neceffary for this Kingdon^ 
 as Food for the natural Body. 
 
 By this Means the People in the Planta- 
 tions will employ a much greater Number 
 of Hands here, a greater Number of Ships 
 and Sailors will be employed in that Trade, 
 than are at prefent to Ruffla, Mr. Mun in 
 his Difcourfe entitled, England s Treafure 
 by Foreign Trade^ Page i(i. than whom no 
 
 one 
 
 ; 
 

 ( 
 
 IV::|' 
 I'. ' I.'' 'I 
 
 ( io ) 
 
 one fince feertis to have undernood Trade 
 belter, fays: " But where the Voyages are 
 *' iliort, and the Wares rich, which there- 
 ** fore will not employ much Shipping, the 
 « Profit will be far lefs". Belides, the 
 Wear and Tear of both Ships and Men 
 will be conlhmtly fupplied from our own 
 Materials and Manufadure; whereas it is 
 now the conltant Praftice of all Ships and 
 People in the Ealt Countrey and RuJJia 
 Trades to be fupplied, the Ships with Sails, 
 Cordage, oftentimes Anchors and Provifi- 
 ons, and themfelves with Linnen and other 
 Apparel of Foreign Manufacture, which 
 never paid us any Duty, and for which 
 there are frequently Bills drawn. Thefe 
 Praftices have been confiderable in the Bal- 
 lance againft us, and yet cannot properly 
 be brought into the Account of Imports. 
 
 By this Means the Linnen Manufafture 
 may be improved here by having, perhaps, 
 the fineft Flax in the World imported ; our 
 Sail-Cloth Manufacture may be more encou- 
 raged; and, in Cafe of any Dillurbances a- 
 mong the Northern Powers, we may be 
 fure of a Supply of naval Stores, which we 
 have not always been, without large Con- 
 celljons to fome of thofe People, who, if 
 they had known their Intereft, would not 
 have forced us on producing io great a 
 Part, as we already are perfeft in. 
 
 
 I will 
 
re- 
 he 
 he 
 en 
 
 is 
 nd 
 
 1 
 
 f ^i ) 
 
 I will take Leave in this Place to offer 
 what appears reafonable for taking off all 
 Duties and Cultoms from Bar and Pig iron, 
 and Copper, of the Produce of our ^meri- 
 can Plantations. Firlt we fliall have the 
 manufadrturing of it into Utenfils for them, 
 and by that Means gain at lealt three Quar* 
 ter Parts of the VVhole by our own La* 
 hour, befide the Freight of our Shipj out 
 and home. It is obvious this can coll us 
 nothing, and we are fure to be Gainers by 
 our Shipping and Labour. What Iron and 
 Copper wt take from the Ealt, it is allow- 
 ed we pay Money for, which never returns 
 in any Shape. Here if the Imports in Iron 
 and Copper iliould exceed the Exports in 
 the Iron and Copper Manufafture, fome 
 other of our Manufaftures mull ballance the 
 Account; not a Penny in Money or Bill, 
 which is generally equally the fame= 
 
 We now get from 30 to 40 or 5*0 per 
 Cent, upon wrought Iron and Copper, car- 
 ried hence to our Plantations ; what will be 
 the Confequence, if they are allowed to go 
 on with thofe Manufaftures ? And yet it 
 would be very fevere to rellrain them, and 
 make them pay Aliens Duties. Shall not 
 we lofe thole very Advantages we now 
 have by our Plantations; which will be 
 proved in this Difcourfe to be the mod va- 
 luable we are polfefled of, as well as the 
 moll certain Means of increafing our Rich- 
 es? 
 
 
 ;n 
 
 'i\ 
 
m 
 
 !l' ' 
 
 •^i1 i 
 
 !'! 
 
 es? Will it not appear much morereafon* 
 able to make them produce all the rough 
 Materials we want, and which they are 
 certainly capable of. This alone, fo long 
 as the Navigation AH fubfids, would efFe- 
 dually keep them dependent on us ; 'tis theif 
 Interelt, 'tis what they defire ; *tis the Hap* 
 pinefs of Great Britain it fliould be fo, and 
 the Meafures here laid down would for ever 
 keep them fo. They are Britons^ or the 
 Defcendants of fuch ; they are as ufeful and 
 loyal Subjefts as any other, they deferve the 
 fame Elleem with the reft of his Majelty's 
 Subjefts: And it is not to be doubted, but 
 that, whenever thefe Affairs come to be con- 
 fidered, they will be regarded. All Matters 
 relating to them in Parliament deferve a 
 particular Notice, as they have no Repre- 
 ientatives there : Yet they are bound and 
 determined by their Afts, and, I am perfua* 
 ded, think themfelves fafer by being fo fub- 
 jeft, than to any other Power or Authority 
 whatever. Thofe who are in any Degree 
 jealous lelt the Plantations fliould throw off 
 their Subjeftion to us (if any fuch there be 
 in Reality) mull be extremely ignorant of 
 the ditierent Interells of ?he feveral Govern- 
 ments there, which alone is fufficient to 
 keep them divided ; but there is not the 
 lead Reafon to expeft they will feek or de- 
 fire Change, while they are treated like 
 Britons. To whom will they apply for 
 
 morcL 
 
n 
 
 (*3 ) 
 
 more Liberty and Property? And for fuch 
 as have iflfinuated thofe as their Apprehen- 
 fions, and at the fame Time have been ac- 
 quainted with thofe Countreys, it will be 
 found upon Enquiry, that they have been 
 fuch as, by their unreafonable Demands, have 
 made the People of thofe Countreys fenfi- 
 ble, that they have preferred their own pri- 
 vate Interelt to all other Confiderations 
 whatfoever. 
 
 Such Perfons have been juftly defpifed 
 and neglefted by them ; and fuch general- 
 ly, if not always, thofe have been who re- 
 prefented the Colonies, or our People in 
 America^ either as difaffefted, or inclina- 
 ble to fet up for themfelves The Writer of 
 this hath lived and traded above fourteen 
 Years in thofe Parts, and fincerely wilhes 
 that Difaffecftion and general Difcontent may 
 never appear among his Majelly's Subjefls 
 there, or in thefe Kingdoms. But if fuch 
 Things fliould happen, which God forbid, 
 he is perfuaded that the People in our 
 Plantations (efpecially where there are few 
 or no Clergy) would be the lalt of all his 
 Majelly's Subjefts to be defervedly charged 
 with either. Many of them who have gone 
 from hence thither, are too fenlible of the 
 Bleflings of Liberty, and the Privileges they 
 enjoy above other Nations, to defire a 
 Change ; fuch Men as travel are not fo ea- 
 Cly deceived and impofed on, as thofe who 
 
 are 
 
m 
 
 (i4 ) 
 
 are always under the Influence of falfe 
 Teachers; they fee where hireling Priells 
 thrive, the Laity are wretched ; they foon 
 fee what Government is, though in Mini- 
 ature ; they grow in Love with our own 
 Conltitution, and hate and defpife none but 
 its Enemies; in Proportion to their Num- 
 bers, they are perhaps as knowing as any, 
 and as jealous of their Rights. Hence by 
 wicked Governors they have been reprc- 
 fented as faftious and feditious ; and by hire- 
 ling Priells, as People of fanatical and anti- 
 monarchical Principles. Thefe have been 
 their greatelt Enemies, and none but thefc, 
 and fuch as thefc, would be Enemies to an in- 
 dullrious, faithful, frugal, loyal, orderly and 
 brave People, as, without Compliment, we 
 may truly fay moft of them are. 
 
 Sffain may juttly boalt of Pofleflions in 
 the Indies, for their Extent and natural Lux- 
 uriancy, exceeding thofe of all the Princes 
 in Europe^ or perhaps in the whole World ; 
 their Mines too of Gold as well as Silver there, 
 have afforded them fuch Quantities of each, 
 that if it were not obvious to our Senfes, it 
 would appear incredible, when we pronoun- 
 ced any other Nation rich or powerful in 
 Comparifon of them. 
 
 But what Effeds have thefe Advantages 
 had on that People? Why, the fame that 
 they will always have upon any People in 
 the like Circumltances. The Priells had 
 
 made 
 
 i 
 
■^a 
 
 ( M ) 
 
 made the People zealous and very fuperfli- 
 tious, and fuch valt Wealth made them lu- 
 pine, indolent, carelefs and inaftive. No- 
 thing but the Church was now to be regard- 
 ed, all other Confiderations were pollpon'd ; 
 the Service of the Church and of God, they 
 were taught to believe to be one and the 
 fame; Priells increafed, as Prielts ever will 
 where Money is to be got by their Trade, 
 and they are not limited by the Civil Power, 
 In jult proportion to the Numbers and Lux- 
 ury of the Clergy, in all parts of the Earth 
 generally, and of allParts,without Exception, 
 where the Chriffian Clergy are, the People or 
 Laity are induftrious and chearful, or lazy 
 and ftupid; wealthy and wife, or poor and 
 ignorant ; of generous humane Difpofitions, 
 or narrow bigotted Conceptions. " Where 
 the Clergy profper moft, that People are 
 molt wretched, and to fuch Profperity 
 " fuch Wretchednefs is owing. " From 
 hence we may be able to account for the 
 mean Figure thofe People have made under 
 Advantages fuch as no other People can 
 boallof. 
 
 Hence may be perceived the Excellence 
 of our Oeconomy and Government, that in 
 CUmes lefs temperate and kind, on Lands 
 lefs luxuriant and fruitful , unacquainted 
 with Mines of Gold or Silver, our own Peo- 
 ple enjoy more Happinefs and Pleafures, are 
 comparatively more wealthy, are juitly e- 
 
 E Iteemed 
 
 ic 
 
 cc 
 
 
i':ill 
 
 ( iO 
 
 fteemcd more confideiable, their Produc- 
 tions from their Labour infinitely more valu- 
 able , and their Trade more beneficial to 
 their Native Kingdom , as well as them- 
 felvcs. 
 
 In purfuance of my Defign , I fhall confi- 
 der the Advantages which we receive from 
 our Sugar Iflands; and firit I Ihall begin with 
 Barbadoes, 
 
 i 
 
 
 OF whatConfequencetheIflandof£/2r- 
 badoes is to this Kingdom, might in a 
 great meafure be eftimated from the Amount 
 of the 4 4 ferCent. on their Sugars only, which 
 Sum hath amounted many Years to upwards 
 of 10,000 /. a Year, as I have been informed. 
 And the va(t Advantage it is of to this King- 
 dom will farther appear, when we confider 
 the numbers of People which are conflantly 
 employed for the fupplying of that Ifland 
 with almolt all forts of our own Manufac- 
 tures: And if it be farther confidered and 
 allowed that not lefs than loco of our own 
 Seamen are conllantly employed, on account 
 of that liland only; at a Time too when 
 200 Tons of Craft, or Shipping, do not re- 
 quire above lo Men ; fo that there is not 
 lefs than io,ooo Tons of Shipping conflant- 
 ly employ'd; which Shipping, or at leafl 
 three fourths of the whole, if not built in 
 England, are always repaired, refitted, vie- 
 tualled and conflantly paid here j and it ne- 
 
 I ver 
 
( ^7 ) 
 
 ver yet was fuggefted that one Penny ot 
 Money or Bullion was ever carried there 
 from England. 
 
 Upon this Head we may alfo allow (what 
 is near the Truth) that what we call the 
 Outfett of every Ship clear for Sea for this 
 Voyage, Hands the Owners in lo/. per Ton, 
 and then the Value of the Shipping employ- 
 ed in this Trade will be 100,000/. Now if 
 after all Charges of Infurance , foreign 
 Port Charges, and the Allowance made for 
 the Wear of the Ship, there is gained but 
 10 per Cent, and fuppofing (what alfo may 
 be near the Truth) that upon our own Ac- 
 counts, we fend of our own Manufaftures 
 and Eajl India Goods, to the Value of 
 200,000 /. per Ann, and that we gain thereby 
 but 10 per Cent, then, upon tbcfe two Ar- 
 ticles, we gain 30,000/. /^r Ann, 
 
 But thefe are not the only Ways we gain 
 from that Ifland. A Governor there will 
 find Ways to remit to England at the rate 
 of 5',ooo /. per Ann. and if the Faftors there 
 remit but half their Commiflions on the a- 
 boveSum of 200,000/. that will be 10,000/. 
 per Ann, Thofe Gentlemen in Publick Of- 
 fices, and others there , who expeft to re- 
 turn Home, we will only fay remit 5,000/. 
 per Ann, and we will fuppofe that there con- 
 llantly are here in England ^X. leaft a hundred 
 Gentlemen of that Ifland, fome for their Plea- 
 fure, and others for Education, who do not 
 
 E % live 
 
 
 m 
 
mm 
 
 ( ^8 ) 
 
 live at lefs Expence than lOo/. /^r ^;;^. 
 each, which is clear Gain to us io,ooo /. fer 
 Ann. And if it be allowed that they are 
 in Debt to us the Sum of 1 00,000/. for 
 which they pay eight per Cent, per Ann, 
 Intereit, that is clear Gain of 8,000 /. more ; 
 and if we reckon what we reafonably may, 
 *viz. the Freight of all Sugars which are a- 
 gain exported, and which are the Produce 
 of this Ifland only, this will be 7,000 /. more. 
 The whole will amount \.o()SyOoo I. per A'tn. 
 A prodigious Sum to be gained annually 
 from an Ifland but very little bigger than the 
 lile of Wight, But thefe are not the only 
 Advantages ; which will appear when we 
 treat of the Trade of the Northern Colo- 
 nies. And if we confider the ^/r/V<i» Trade, 
 much more might be brought to Account 
 of this liland, but as I defign to keep with- 
 in bounds in all my Compiuations , I will 
 leave it as above at 95',ooo/. Sterling /^r 
 Annum y over and above the Employment 
 of fo many Sailors and Shipping , and the 
 vaft number of all forts of Artificers employ- 
 ed at Home in fitting, repairing and build- 
 ing thofe Ships, ^c, befides thofe for the 
 Manufadures. 
 
 
 If the Ifland of Tobago belongs to this 
 Kingdom, as I have been credibly inform- 
 ed it does, it will appear as furprizing as 
 any ill Management we have been hitherto 
 
 guilty 
 
( 
 
 (^9 ) 
 
 guilty of, that it hath not been fettled by 
 us. An Ifland which, the' not quite fo large 
 as Barbadoes^ yet for good Roads , conve- 
 nient Rivers, and Richnefs of Soil, is fupe- 
 rior to it; and if the SettlemCi \ were once 
 accomplilhed, there is no doubt but the Ad- 
 vantage arifing from that fmall Ifland for 
 many Years to come, would be very near, 
 if not quite, as confiderable to us as the 
 Ifland of Barhadoes now is ; becaufe as it is 
 frefli and Ihong Land , one Acre would 
 produce much more than is now produced 
 by two of old, worn out, poor Land, fuch 
 as fome (and indeed no fmall Part) of Bar^ 
 badoes now is ; and it is allowed by all, that 
 upon good new Land the Labour of fifty 
 Slaves will produce as much Sugar as a hun- 
 dred will, or can, in Bar badoes \ tho' the 
 Sugar perhaps will not be fo fine. 
 
 This Ifland is in the Latitude of w^ ^°* 
 North, and lies from Barhadoes South by 
 Well half Welt, near forty Leagues : Nor is it 
 the worfe to be elleemed for lying within 
 twelve Leagues of Trinidado, a Spanijh 
 Ifland. 
 
 M 
 
 The Ifland of St. Lucia ^ feems to be 
 quite loit to us, and, I am afraid, gained to 
 the French ; for fince they expelled Capr. 
 'Vring^ I hey are grown much more numer- 
 ous there than ever they were, before that 
 Settlement was atteinpted by us. 
 
 The 
 
 1 
 
 rr 
 
 t 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 The Iflands of St. Vincent and ^ominicOj 
 are likewife polTeft by the French. Their 
 Intercourle with the Indians of both thofe 
 Iflands, who generally underlland and fpeak 
 French^vc^ who are taught by them todefpife 
 all other Nations,with the quiet PofTeflion the 
 French continue to keep of thofe Places , 
 give the People of Martinico and Guada- 
 lupe the pleafmg Profpeft of feeing all of 
 them fettled and fortified by them: Any 
 one of which Iflands with regard to its Ex- 
 tent and Fruitfulnefs, is but very little infe- 
 rior to Barbadoes ; and with regard to good 
 Convenience of Roads and Harbours for 
 Shipping, far fupcrior. If we confider the 
 Situation of thefe Iflands, viz, St. Lucia 
 and Sr. Vincent, they lie both between the 
 Ifland Granado and the ifland Martinico \ 
 the former of which is one of the oldelt 
 Settlements the French have in that Part, 
 which produces a valt Quantity of Sugar, 
 Cotton and Cocoa. The Ifland T)ominico 
 lies next to Martinico, and between that 
 and the Iflands Guadalupe, Grand-Terre, 
 Marigalante and T)i(feada (all fine and large 
 Iflands belonging to the French) it will af- 
 ford but a melancholy Profpeft to any one, 
 who has the leail Regard to the good and 
 Benefit arifing by the Trade to our Planta- 
 tions, when we confider the prodigious In- 
 creafe of the French in thofe Iflands with- 
 in 
 
 i 
 
 
 |1 
 
 in a fe' 
 ably re 
 upon t 
 all, ta 
 ward 1 
 Settler 
 encrea 
 Dange 
 felling 
 The 
 wherej 
 Value, 
 Produ( 
 of whi 
 is adtu^ 
 fuchG 
 will in 
 ken^ fi 
 is evid 
 And v^ 
 ed aga 
 Flande 
 thither 
 
 The 
 fpeft ti 
 and V\ 
 Iflands 
 
 mofl c 
 Chrifto 
 tied bj 
 
 i'',' 
 
 t 
 
1 1 
 
 (31 ) 
 
 in a few Years pad ; fo that we may reafon- 
 ably reckon that they are not lefs in number 
 upon thefe Illands, than the Englijh are in 
 all, taking in Barbadoes and all the l^ee- 
 ward Hlands. And if they encourage the 
 Settlement of thefe Iflands, and continue to 
 encreafe as they have done, there is f,reat 
 Danger of their Beating us out, and under- 
 felling us at all the Markets in Europe, 
 
 The Confequence of this will be, that 
 whereas we now export to a confiderable 
 Value, Sugars and other Commodities, the 
 Produce of our Iflands, the whole Freight 
 of which from the Weft-Indies and hence, 
 is adlually paid us by fuch Countrey where 
 fuch Goods are imported by us : The French 
 will in a little Time, if great Care is not ta- 
 ken^ fupplant us in this Branch alfo, which 
 is evidently the moft advantageous of all. 
 And were the Port oiT>unkirk to be open- 
 ed again, we could never expeft to fupply 
 Flanders cheaper than thofe who import 
 thither direftly from Martinko^ &c. 
 
 The Leeward Iflands (fo called with Re- 
 fpefl: ioBarbadoeSy which is the Eaflernmoft 
 and Wind ward molt of all the Weft-India 
 Iflands) are numerous, and inhabited by En- 
 glijhy French^ "Dutch and "Danes. The 
 mofl confiderable of thefe are Antegoa^ St. 
 Chriftophers^ Nevis and Montferat^ all fet- 
 tled by the Englijh. And tho' thefe four I- 
 
 flands 
 
 )' 
 
( 30 
 
 iknds, with Regard to their Bignefs and 
 Extent, are equal to three luch Hlands as 
 Barbadoes : And tho'it is well known thcfe 
 Lands in general turn out better Crops 
 than thofe of Barbadoes do, yet becaufe I 
 would not be thoui^ht to exaggerate, I fliall 
 confider them all, w iih the Hlands Burbtida^ 
 Angtiilla^ Tortola and Spanijh Town^ which 
 are all fettled by the Engl'tjh^ to be all toge- 
 ther only of equal Confequence to this King- 
 dom at prefent, as the Illand of Barbadoes^ 
 tho' they are capable of vail Improvements. 
 I (hall take Leave in this Place to mention 
 ^n Affair, for which, if a Remedy could be 
 found, it would be of fome Advantage to 
 us. The Ifland oi St. Eujiace^ which is in- 
 habited by the T>utch^ is not above three 
 Leagues dillant from St. Chrijiophers^ and 
 v/ith Regard to its Extent and Produce very 
 inconliderahle ; but its Road is the Place 
 where "Dutch Interlopers from the Coalt of 
 Africfi feldom fail to call at. In a few Days 
 all our Leeward Iflands are informed of 
 this. In Places, fuch as our Iflands are, it 
 is not much to be wondered at if there are 
 Perfons who run fome Hazard for the Hope 
 of a confiderablcGain ; fo that all the ready 
 Money v^'hich they can advance at any Rate, 
 is carrieH by them on Board thefe Ships, 
 where Negroes are fold to them frequent- 
 Jv to per Cent cheaper than our own Ships 
 do afford them. This ready Money is a 
 
 ' great 
 
p 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 (33) 
 
 great Temptation to fome Planters who fell 
 their Sugars to them at lefs than the current 
 Price ; and under Pretence of fending it in 
 Sloops to our own Shipping, it is fent on 
 Board thefe Interlopers, who by thefe 
 Means get loaden at lefs Expence than our 
 own Ships, and carry off more Money than 
 a great Number of our own Ships whic^ 
 trade for three Times the Value. By thi;. 
 it is evident that we have really employed 
 a T>utch Ship, and have paid her w^hole 
 Freight out and home in Money, which is 
 juft fo much loft to the Nation : Nor is that 
 the only Damage, for on Board thefe Ships 
 are often great Quantities of fine and coari'e 
 Linnens, which are fold for ready Money 
 only. 
 
 A little Way to Leeward is the Ifland Sa- 
 ba^ inhabited by the T>utch alfo. This 
 Ifland is not to be envy*d for any thing, ex- 
 cept the pleafant fandy Shoals round it, 
 where you may fee the Ground in twelve 
 Fathom Water, and about feven Leagues 
 to the Southward, and with Hook and Line 
 take what quantity of fine Fifli you would 
 defire. 
 
 A little Way to the Northward of thefe 
 two laft named Iflands lie the Iflands of Sr. 
 Martin and St. Bartholomew, both of them 
 inhabited partly by French^ partly by ^Dutch: 
 
 F The 
 
 .4 
 
 ■ 
 
SWiP 
 
 
 ( 34) 
 
 The firft of thefe has a regular Fort, is va- 
 luable for three Salt- Ponds, which are ca- 
 pable of making valt Quantities of Salt ; it 
 produces fome Sugar, and a pretty deal of 
 Cotton. St. Bartholomew is but a fmall , 
 uneven Ifland, not capable of much Im- 
 provement, 
 
 About twenty Leagues farther to Lee- 
 ward , lies the Ifland Santa Crnce, To 
 v/hom it belongs I am not able to deter- 
 mine : The Englijh have twice had PoflTef- 
 fionof it, and have as often w^wii beat out 
 by the French. If it be ours, it highly de- 
 ferves to be fettled. In regard to its Big- 
 nefs, it is but little lefs than Barbadoes\ 
 with refpeft to its Healthfulnefs, Fertility, 
 Commodioufnefs of its Roads, and Bays a- 
 bounding with fine Fifli, inferior to none; 
 at prefent no one is fettled there. 
 
 Juft to the Northward lies the Ii ^^ I St. 
 Thomas , which belongs to the "Darn^ % re- 
 markable only for its Harbour, which is al- 
 fo a free Port, and was the Refidence of 
 the /iffiento Faftors, during fome Time 
 that the French and Tortnguefe were pof- 
 fefs'd of that Contrad with Spain, 
 
 Due Weft from St. Thomas may be feen 
 the. Ifland of St. '^ohn de Torto Rico^ inha- 
 bited by a very few Spaniards, An Ifland 
 
 which 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 'i 
 
St. 
 
 1 *«• 
 
 al- 
 
 of 
 
 itne 
 
 .of- 
 
 ( 35 ) 
 which alone is three times as big as Barbae 
 does and all our Leeward IJlands put to- 
 gether. It abounds in plenty of wild Cat- 
 tle, Hogs and Fowl ; quite round , in all its 
 Bays is plenty of Fifli ; in Fruitfulnefs it is 
 in ferior to none. Nor is this Ifland (like Ja^ 
 maicaj in any part unfit for Tillage and Cul- 
 ture; the Mountains rife gradually, and 
 none are inacceffible; a more delightful 
 Profpedb than this Ifland affords as you ap- 
 proach it, cannot be had. Its Figure is near 
 a Parallelogram; its Situation, with regard 
 to Trade with Europe , is far preferable to 
 HiJpanioU^ Cuba or Jamaica^ as from hence 
 you are clear as foon as at Sea, neither in 
 Danger from any of the Bahama Iflands, or 
 at the Trouble of going round by the Chan- 
 nel, commonly called the Gulf of Florida. 
 It hath feveral fine Harbours ; the molt u- 
 fed at prefent is that called Torto Rico^ 
 which lies on the north Side of the Ifland, 
 at the Entrance of which is a Fort with a- 
 bout twenty Guns, upon a fmall Ifland cal- 
 led Rigoa^ and on the other fide is a Caflle 
 upon a Rock, with about thirty Guns. There 
 are no other Places in the Ifland at prefent 
 fortify'd ; and it is thought that if they were 
 to be attacked, they could not find Men e- 
 nough to man their Guns. There are alfo 
 many fine Rivers, fome of which would be 
 ufeful for Mills for Sugar- Works, ^c. but 
 at prefent there is not one Work of any 
 
 F 2, Confe- 
 
\i 
 
 
 !!i 
 
 ii ' 
 
 
 
 ( 3<^ ) 
 
 Confequetice upon that whole Ifland. They 
 produce a little Tobacco. Their Governor 
 never denies granting Commiffions to any 
 one who afks him, under Pretence of guard- 
 ing the Coaft; and he hath been cruelly 
 beHed, if he doth not conftantly ftipulate for 
 his Share of all that they take; fo that any 
 bold Fellow who can get a Sloop , will not 
 fail of fuch a Commifllon; and of the very 
 Ofi-fcourings of Mankind doth his Com- 
 Tiany confilt, viz. Irijh Renegadoes, Muf- 
 ees, Mulattoes and run-away Negroes. 
 Thus equipt, they take all the Englifl? they 
 can overcome, of which, if any happen to 
 be of any confiderablc Value, they arc fure 
 to be condemned as Prize; if any get clear, 
 it is becaufe they are not of confequence e- 
 nough to return with, but fuch they never 
 fail to plunder, even of thofe things which 
 none but the meaneft-fpirited Thieves 
 would touch. 
 
 Thus does that Place fubfift, inhabited 
 by a People at prefent only remarkable for 
 Sloth, Cruelty and Superltition. A Place, 
 which if it had been one fourth Part of the 
 time fettled by an induftrious People, would 
 have abounded in Wealtbj; and become fig- 
 nal for Magnificence. 
 
 The next Ifland of Note is Hi/pamola^ 
 called by the French St. T)6mmgo. This I- 
 lland in Length is upwards of 400 Miles, 
 
 • 
 
 in 
 
ley 
 
 ior 
 |ny 
 •d- 
 
 (for 
 my 
 
 lOt 
 
 fery 
 nn- 
 luf. 
 
 (37) 
 
 in Breadth about 90 Miles, and near equal 
 to a Parallelogram of thofe Dimenfions. It 
 is famous for the firit Settlement of Euro- 
 ropeans in America^ and is now in the Pof- 
 feflion of the French and Spaniards, The 
 latter decreafe in Number every Day, and 
 many fine old Houfes and Plantations are 
 left defolate. The French on the contrary 
 incrcafe to a prodigious Degree, and, with 
 their Slaves, are computed to confift of 
 more than twice the Number of the Spani- 
 ards^ with their Slaves. They are in Pof- 
 feflion of the greatett Part of the Ifland al- 
 ready, and the few YeTn2L\ning Spaniards 
 look upon the whole Ifland as gone to the 
 French j^ upon the firft Rupture between 
 thofe Crowns. 
 
 The almoft amazing Improvements which 
 the French have made here fince the Reign 
 of King William^ fliew what great Things 
 may be done by an able Minifter, even un- 
 der an arbitrary Prince. Sir Jojiah Childy 
 in his excellent Difcourfe on Trade, Page 
 198, fays, that neither the /r^/rrA , Spani- 
 ardsy or Tortugueze^ are much to be fear- 
 ed on Account of Planting; and there gives 
 his Reafons, which indeed were good, ac- 
 cording to the Appearance at that Time. 
 But as the French in particular have fince 
 changed their Meafures, and with the great- 
 eft Skill and Diligence have applied them- 
 felves toward improving what they had 
 
 found 
 
 # 
 
 ^lii 
 
 m 
 

 i 9\\ ■ 
 
 \% 
 
 C38 ) 
 
 found to be of fuch fignal Advantage and 
 Utility to the Kingdom of Great-Britain : 
 And as they Hill go on to give the greateil 
 Encouragement to their People to go over 
 and fettle there, not only paying their Paf- 
 fage, but fubfifting them at the publick 
 Charge for a whole Year, many Thoufands 
 within a very few Years palt have been 
 carried over there, near forty Thoufand, as 
 I have been informed. Their Deligr in- 
 deed appeared to be the encouraging of 
 their new Settlements on xh^Miffiffifpi ; and 
 it has had this twofold Effeft, they have 
 gained their End in having made many- 
 powerful Settlements up thac River, and 
 have added a valt Number of Hands to 
 their more valuable Settlement in Hifpani- 
 ola. The Effeft of all this is obvious to 
 any one who hath the leait Acquaintance 
 with the Weft-India Trade, and hath been 
 feverely felt by our own Plantations. They 
 are now become our Rivals and Competi- 
 tors in that valuable Branch of our Sugars, 
 and there is not a Place in Europe that they 
 do not attempt to fupply with that Corh- 
 modity. They have lo far outdone us in 
 the Produftion of Indigo, thac it is much 
 to be queilioned whether our own Plant- 
 ers will produce enough for our own Ule. 
 The Indullry and parfimonious living of the 
 French is not the only Reafon why they 
 undcrfell us; we navigate cheaper, and 
 
 our 
 
 f:, 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 our Planters produce as cheap ; and if our 
 Sugars could be carried direaly to the laft 
 Market, as theirs are, we Ihould have 
 an Advantage over them. It is com- 
 puted by fome who have traded there 
 from our Plantations for many Years pall, 
 that the Produce of the French upoa 
 this Ifland lately, hath exceeded in Value 
 the whole Produce of the Ifland oi Jamais 
 ca. But I hope our Plantations merit our 
 beft Care and Proteftion, and will be 
 thought worthy of all thofe Advantages 
 which the French now enjoy. For if the 
 French go on at this Rate , and our own 
 Plantations be neglefted by us their Mo- 
 ther Countrey, then mull they neceflarily 
 decay, in Proportion as the French flourifh. 
 For no Thing, Perfon or Nation is confide- 
 rable but by Comparifon ; and the French 
 at prefent leem to be the People who are 
 laying a Foundation for the Employment of 
 Multitudes of their People, in a more pro- 
 fitable Way than ever was known before to 
 them ; namely, that of making one part of 
 their People in the Indies be the Caufe of 
 employing much greater Numbers at home; 
 befide that this is the only Means by which 
 they can be confiderable at Sea. This I- 
 fland alone is of more Value than all the 
 Polfeffions which we have, or pretend to, 
 in thofe Parts. It abounds with Plenty of 
 Cattle and Hogs, hath many fine Harbours, 
 
 I Roadi, 
 
 ■'■J 
 
I 
 
 
 'M^» 
 
 ( 40 ) 
 
 Roads Bays, and Rivers ; and , if we cx- 
 cepi ( u6ay as far exceeds all the reft of the 
 M^ejl- India Iflands, as Jamaica doth the 
 meaneft of ours. 
 
 About thirty Leagues to the Weftward 
 of this delightful Ifland, lies the Ifland of 
 Jamaica, in Length a Hundred and fifty 
 Miles, in Breadth about fifty Miles. We 
 fliall be able to form fome Judgment of the 
 Importance of this Ifland, by the Quantity 
 of its own Produce annually fliipped off to 
 US; namely, in Sugar loooo Tons, in Cot- 
 ton, Indigo, Ginger, Piemcnto, Rum, Lime- 
 juice, Cocoa, Mahogony Wood, ^c. 2000 
 more. By this it will appear, that there is 
 not lefs than iiooo Tons of our own Ship- 
 ping conftantly employed in that Service on- 
 ly, over and above what is employed be- 
 tween that Ifland and the Northern Planta- 
 tions; all which, excepting that they do not 
 fit and repair here, are of the fame Benefit 
 and Advantage to this Kingdom in all o- 
 ther Refpedls. But of this more particular- 
 ly, when I treat of the Northern Colonies. 
 And becaufe I would not be fufpefted of 
 favouring or flattering my felf in my De- 
 fign, which is to fhew the great Benefit and 
 Advantage arifing to this Kingdom from our 
 own Plantations , I will only conlider this 
 Ifland, as a Sugar Plantation, to be of the 
 fame Advantage to us as Barbadoes, tho* 
 
 very 
 
 " lit 
 
(41 ) 
 
 very capable of being improved to ten, if 
 not twenty Times that Value. 
 
 But to denmonllrate the Advantages ari- 
 fing from the Trade of that Place, between 
 the Englijh and Spaniards,^ I mud: begLeave 
 to give an Account of the Rile of that 
 Trade, its Manner of being carried on, and 
 how we tirlt came to lofe it, in fome Mea-? 
 fure, to the T>utch. From the Treaty be- 
 tween Great-Britain and Spain^ for fettling 
 a Peace in America^ concluded at Madrid^ 
 July i8, 1670. which was ratified by Sir 
 iViUiam Godolphin on the Part of England^ 
 and the Count T)e Tegnaranda on the Part 
 of Spain^ till the Year 1701, a very con- 
 fiderable Trade was carried on by the £*«- 
 glijh from Jamaica, without any material 
 interruption ; and by that Trade only foif 
 Goods, Negroes and Flour, we received, 
 as it has been computed, from 2jo to 300 
 Thoufand Pounds a Year ; when, for w^hac 
 Reafons I never could learn, Inflruftions, 
 I am toldj were fent to the Governor of 
 Jamaica to hinder any Trade being carri- 
 ed on by our People with \\iQ Spaniards^ 
 purfuant to a Treaty between us and the 
 "Dutch, w^hereby both Parties agreed not 
 to trade with the French ox Spaniards, In- 
 deed I have not been able to find any fuch 
 Treaty xd2X\x\g to xhQ Spaniards-, but the 
 Truth is, that about that Time feveral 
 Sloops, with their Companies which had 
 
 G ufed 
 
 Ml 
 
rmmr 
 
 '.'■B 
 
 m^ 
 
 (4^ ) 
 
 ufed the Sloop Trade upon the Coaft, f!^^. 
 out of Jamaicaj went to Corafoa^ where 
 they were well received : And thefe, I have 
 been informed, were the firlt ssiho let the 
 T^utch into the Sloop Trade ; for till that 
 Time the Dutch ufed to trade only with 
 great Ships, from thirty to forty or fifty 
 Guns, and two or three hundred Men each* 
 This proved fome Damage to that Ifland, 
 but in a few Years after their Trade in- 
 creafed ; and by the Succefs of their Trade 
 and Privateers, to which we may add the 
 great Quantities of Money taken by the 
 men of War, a great Part of which was 
 fpent in the Ifland, all Things became 
 brifk, which brought vad Numbers of Peo- 
 ple to the Ifland : So that toward the End 
 of the War in 1711, there were not lefs 
 than four Thoufand Seamen employed in 
 Privateers, and trading Sloops, out of, or 
 belonging to that Ifland. Moll of thefe 
 upon the Place feparated ; fome went into 
 Merchantmen, others dawn to the Bay of 
 Campeachy to cut Logwood; which Place, 
 by the Way, feems to have been the right- 
 ful Pofleffion of the Crown of Great Bri- 
 tain^ and was lecured to the Crown by the 
 7«'' Article of the abovefaid Treaty, as we 
 were then in PcflTeflion, and as the faid 
 Place never was pcflefled by the Spaniard^ 
 before, though they have fince taken it 
 from us. 
 
 J The 
 
 'Jk: 
 
(43 ) 
 
 The Ifland til 'Jamaica flouriflied till the 
 Year 171^, and a confiderable Trade was 
 carried on , to near as great a Value as 
 ever was before ; and they employed from 
 twelve to fifteen hundred Men in that 
 Trade, which was a great Defence upon Oc- 
 cafion, as well as a Benefit accruing to them 
 from fo many Men fpending their Money 
 there. And indeed no fmall Number of 
 thefe were properly Inhabitants, as being 
 either married, or born there. But in the 
 Year 1716, when \\i^ AJJiento Faftors fet- 
 tled in the Wefi-Indies^ that Trade, which 
 was of fuch prodigious Advantage to that 
 Ifland, and by which they could gain from 
 twenty-five to thirty /^rC^«r. Monthly,and 
 which was generally allowed to bring in 
 from three to four hundred thoufand Pif- 
 toles a Year, was, tho' not quite deltroyed, 
 yet fo affeded thereby, as to be rendered 
 very inconfiderable and more precarious: 
 Sothatitisthoughtat prefenr,that by the^^- 
 ento Company, and private Traders toge- 
 ther , there are not near one half of the 
 People now employed that ufed to be. The 
 ill EfFefts of this upon the Ifland oljamai- 
 ca are vifible and palpable. Whether this 
 Afpento Company have made a better hand 
 on't fince they have been concerned, de- 
 fervcs the Enquiry of ihofe who regard the 
 PubUck Good. They hitherto have not en- 
 joyed one half of theirTime free in Trade, 
 
 G X and 
 
 r 
 
•:W\ 
 
 > -/ 
 
 r^^iM 
 
 W' 
 
 ( 44) 
 
 and yet arc obliged to pay the whole Duties 
 to the King of Scanty conformable to their 
 Contraft , with all other their exceflive 
 Charges fo conllantly increafing. In fliorr, 
 if th'j Company can make it appear that 
 they have got any thing by the Contraft, 
 they ought to go on and be encouraged ; 
 bur if ir fliould appear that the Nation has 
 loll by the Jiargain, and that one of the 
 moll valuable Trades and Iflands which we 
 have abroad is well nigh ruined, or in Dan- 
 ger thereby ; in (lead of fueing to the 4$^^- 
 ftiards for their Favour in granting us a 
 Trade, which fome appfehend to be fo 
 much to our Advantage, it ' high time to 
 get off from the Contrad:, d make fure 
 of that which we know hath been, and 
 may again be beneficial. 
 V If we wanted Inllruftion , the T^utch 
 would flie w us theWay. It will be allow'd that 
 they trade for a greater Value than we ever 
 did. The Writer of this hath feen at one 
 time in the Harbour of Ctirafoa , two and 
 t«^enty Sail of trading Ships, from twenty- 
 four ro forty Guns each, and at the fame 
 time hath known feveral others to be upon 
 the Coalt trading; and their Sloop Trade is 
 generally pretty briflc, for feldom a Ship or 
 Sloop returns from the Coall which doth 
 not bring Orders for fuch Goods, and in 
 fuch manner, that in a few Days another is 
 fentp They arc always informed too what 
 
 they 
 
(45 ) 
 
 they are to exped in return, both as to fort 
 and quantity, with regard to the Place too ; 
 namely, from one Place Hides and Tallow, 
 from another Cocoa, from another Fuitic, 
 or other dye Woods, from another perhaps 
 Mules and Horfcs, from others. Tobacco's, 
 Balfams , and feveral forts of Spices and 
 Drugs; all which, and many more that 
 might be named, they trade for as frequent- 
 ly as for Pieces of Eight or Piftoles, and by 
 that means create a prodigious Trade. 
 
 Hither refort French as well as Engl'tjh% 
 hence both French and Englijh Plantations 
 have been fupplyed with Mules and Horfes ; 
 here is a Market for all forts of Provifions 
 wh:n they are cheap in our own Iflands, 
 fuch as Bread, Flower, Beer, Hams, But- 
 ter, Cheefe, Beef, Pork, Indian Corn, ^c, 
 and confequently for Rum and Sugar. Here 
 is a greater Refort of Shipping than to any 
 of our Ulands ; here are found the bell Con- 
 veniencies for repairing, careening, fitting 
 and accommodating of Ships, in any Part 
 of the Indies, On the windwardmoll Part of 
 thelfland is aVVatchHoufe, and on the Ap- 
 proach of all Ships or VelTels Signals are 
 given from thence to the Garrifon. And as 
 the Entrance into the Harbour is narrow 
 and difficult, Attendance is always given 
 by the Company's Matter (who is an Offi- 
 cer not unlike a Malter-Attendant in one 
 of our Yards) to affiil every Ship or Veflel 
 - • without 
 
 ^. 
 
 ^■'.• 
 
 V 
 
mm 
 
 '■1 
 
 Ki 
 
 
 
 without DilHnftion; Heisperfedly well ac» 
 quainted with and underllands the Bufinefs, 
 This Officer takes to his Affiftance as many 
 Hands as he thinks proper, according to 
 the Bignefs of the Ship or Veflel, and with 
 a Boat and Warp ready, he waits the Ap- 
 proach of the Ship, upon which an experi- 
 enced , clever Fellow from the Boat jumps 
 on board you, fattens the End of the Warp, 
 whips aft to the Helm, and in a few Mi- 
 nutes your Ship, be flie of any Bignefs, is 
 in her appointed Birth, in as fine, and one 
 of the mott fecure Harbours in the wholq 
 World. This Officer in cafe of any Difpute 
 about Ships, Births, and Moorings, ends 
 them; for he is obhged without Diftinc- 
 ticn to fee every Ship and VefTel accommo- 
 dated^^according to its Due in all Refpefts ; 
 fo that very few Controversies happen. 
 They have perhaps the mott quick and 
 lummary Way of deciding Suits and Con- 
 troverfies of any People, fuch as feems ve- 
 ry proper for fo wary and underftanding 
 People. The Complainant gives the Fifcal 
 (an Officer fomewhat like our Sheriff) a 
 Fee of a Piece of Eight, and then acquaints 
 him with his Cafe; upon which, if theFif* 
 cal thinks the Complainant hath any Ground, 
 Caufe or Reafon for it, he advertifes the 
 Defendant, and acquaints him that if he 
 doth not do the Complainant Reafon and 
 Juilicej he fliall proceed to acquaint the 
 
 Governor 
 
he 
 
 he 
 
 nd 
 
 the 
 
 -■ 
 
 ( 47 ) 
 
 Governor and Council (who are the Court* 
 and are fuppofed to be always fitting) and 
 acquaints him at what Time. If this Notice 
 can be proved, the Defendant is obliged to 
 attend, or is liable to arbitrary Punifliment. 
 When they appear, both Parties have the 
 Liberty, either by themfelves of any other 
 Perfon who will do it without Fee, to de» 
 fend or maintain, as they fliall fee conveni* 
 ent. As moll of the Difputes which hap- 
 pen are about Contrafts and Bargains, and 
 the Court generally Men who underftand 
 thofe things very well, they are foon deci- 
 ded; and perhaps there never was an In- 
 Itance, where any indifferent and under- 
 Handing Man had any Reafon to find any 
 Fault with their Decifions and Judgments. 
 They have two excellent Qualifications, 
 they are quick and cheap ; for if the Com- 
 plainant gains his Caufe, the Fifcal returns 
 him that very Fee again , fo that he cannot 
 poflibly be at any Charge ; and fometimes 
 the Court appoint the Defendant to pay 
 him the Complainant for the extraordinary 
 Trouble he hath given him, and e contra. 
 To defcribe juftly their admirable Oecono- 
 my in Trade, ©f. would require more Room 
 than I propofe in this. At one Time you 
 will fee of all Sorts of Shipping from fifty 
 to feventy Sail, fometimes more. When 
 one of thefe trading Ships comes out of 
 Holland^ flie hath what we may call three 
 
 Cargoes 
 
 
'-^f 
 
 (48 ) 
 
 Cargoes on board, worth very often from 
 60 to 70000/. Sterling and upwards ; on her 
 Arrival at Curafoa two of thele Cargoes are 
 put on Shore, and the Ship fails and trades 
 for the other ; at her Return flie Careens 
 and Refits, and takes another, fo to the third : 
 In the mean Time, whatever Lumbering or 
 bulky Commodities is brought from the 
 Coalt or elfewhere, is fent Home to Hol- 
 land in Veffels of Burden only (which fail 
 very cheap) and the Money and more va- 
 luable Commodities in thefe Traders and 
 Ships of Force. It fometimes happens that 
 after taking the lafl Cargoe on board, the 
 Ship doth not return to Curafoa^ but will 
 try to trade upon the Coafl clear down to 
 Leeward, and at lalt at the South- Keys on 
 Cuba^ from whence they go direftly for 
 Holland. 
 
 Thefe Ships are well manned, and are 
 kept under as regular and drift Difcipline 
 as our Ships of War. Among the great Num- 
 bers that have traded, and for fo long a Time 
 too, few, very few have ever been lUrprized 
 or taken ; the Spanijh Guard de Co ft as know 
 that they will fighr, and therefore don't di- 
 iturb them often. 
 
 The Reader's Expedlation may be raifed, 
 and think, perhaps, this multfurelybeavery 
 valuable liland ; yet, except the Conveni- 
 ence of its Harbour, it is one of the worll 
 in the whole World. It is thought that all the 
 
 Soil 
 
(49 ) 
 
 Soil upon it is not equal (the Surface we mean) 
 to two Miles fquare ; at leail three fourths 
 of the whole is fo barren a Rock, that there 
 is not any green Thing upon it for the Accom- 
 modation and Pleaiure of many Gentlemen 
 of the Ifland. Many Sloop Loads of Estrth 
 have been brought from the Main thither, 
 which they are very careful of, and dif- 
 pofe into Gardens, ^c. A Years natural 
 Produce of this Illand would not maintain 
 the Inhabitants one W eek ; their principal De- 
 pendence for frefli Stock, Provifions, Fruits 
 and Greens, is from the Illands oi Boneiray 
 and Aruba, The firft, about eight Leagues 
 to Windward, is about five or lix Leagues 
 long and three or four broad, abounds with 
 Plenty of Cattle, Goats and Fowl, alfo Gua- 
 nas, an Animal like a green Lizard, but of- 
 ten as large a^ i Rabbet, and better Food ; 
 with thefe and 1 ruits, fuch as Bonanas and 
 Plantains, Oranges, ^c. and Roots, as Yams, 
 Potatoes, Edys, ©^ . they conitantly fupply 
 the Market of Cnrafoa, and have pretty 
 mlich the fame too from Ariiba^ but not 
 fo certainly, as it is farther dillant and to 
 Leeward, viz about ii Le igues. This 
 lalt is a fmall Ifland not exceeding five 
 Leagues in Circumference ; they both be- 
 long to the "Dutch IVeft-India Company, 
 as doth the Hland Curafoa. The Care and 
 Government of each of thefe two former 
 Iflands is conimitted to a fingle Perfon call- 
 
 H ed 
 
 '! 
 
 iM 
 
 n 
 
( JO ) 
 
 ed Commadore, who is appointed by the 
 Governs, of Curafoa\ their Salaries are 
 very fmrr , not exceeding ten Pieces of 
 Eiglit/^r Monrh, -and their Perquilites much 
 lefs; for unlefs ibmctimes a Dram of Bran- 
 dy or Rum, or Part of a Bowl of Punch, 
 they are Strangers to Fees and Bribes. To 
 thefe is committed the Government of all 
 the People, who are Indians defcended from 
 thofe of Hifpaniolaj n^zr^x. Domingo. To 
 thefe Iflands, before uninhabited, thefe Peo- 
 ple's Anceftors fled from the Cruelty of 
 the Spaniards, They are honettly treated 
 by the T)utchy and feem very chearful and 
 well fatisfied ; thefe are they who tend the 
 Cattle and Stock upon the Ifland. For 
 Shape and Beauty they far exceed moft In- 
 dians: Their Numbers on both Hlands do 
 not exceed five or fix hundred Men, Wo- 
 men and Children. It's cultomary when 
 Markets do not anfwer, to put Mules on 
 both thefe Hlands, fo that they often have 
 three or four hundred at a Time on Bo- 
 fieiray^ whicii aie ready on any Demand ; 
 and at Aruba there is, perhaps, as fine a 
 Breed of Horles as any in the World ; the 
 late King of France lent on purpofe for 
 fome of them, which, I have been told, an- 
 swered his Expedation. 
 
 The Ifland of Cuba is in many Refpefts 
 the molt valuable of all the fFeJi India 
 
 Iflands, 
 
( yx ) 
 
 Iflands, whether we regard its Extent of 
 two hundred Leagues in Length, and twen- 
 ty five Leagues in Breadth, or its Situation 
 from the nineteenth to the twenty third 
 Degree of Northern Lattitude ; or the 
 Richnefs of the Soil ; or the almoll incre* 
 dible Numbers of Cattle which are killed 
 for their Hides and Tallow only, though 
 their Flefti be as good as any in the World; 
 or the Number of fine Harbours, Bays and 
 Rivers; or above all the Haven, or in Spa- 
 n'tjh Havana, (as it is called byway of Emi- 
 nence) as this Place is the Rendezvous of 
 all Spanijh Shipping bound from any Part 
 of New Spain to the Leeward of Laracos 
 to Old' Spain. This Harbour is llrongr/ 
 fortified, efpecially to the Sea ; yet fome 
 Gentlemen, who know that Place very 
 well, have been of Opinion, that fuch a 
 Squadron as Admiral Hojier's was, would 
 have taken it with the Lofs of fewer Men 
 than periflied off of Torto Bello. 
 
 The Improvements upon this Ifland are 
 neither fo good in their Nature or Tenden- 
 cy as in our own Ulands. Here are more 
 Churches than good Plantations , more 
 Prielts than indultrious Planters, and more 
 idle, !azy, fuperltitious Bigots, than aftive, 
 diligent , ufeful , working and laborious 
 People. Hence this large, luxuriant and 
 populous Ifland, befideFood for themlelves, 
 which is eafier obtained and produced than 
 
 H % perhaps 
 
 n 
 
 
 [. 
 
 
 
 i 
 
m 
 
 w ^ 
 
 (5^ ) 
 
 perhaps in any other part of the whole 
 World, doth not produce for Exportation, 
 including their Hides and Tallow, Tobacco 
 and Snuft with all other things whatever, 
 near the Value of our little Ifland Antegoa. 
 It is the Fleets calling, and lying fometimes 
 for feveral Weeks at \\{t Havana -^ which 
 makes' fuch a Circulation of Money, and it 
 is the Money that Way obtained, which 
 enables them to trade 2X\\iQ South Key s^^c, 
 'Tis true that the Captures of fo many of 
 our Ships and Sloops ever fince the Year 
 1 712, have made the People in the Ports of 
 Trinidada^ St. Jago^ Baracoa^ VonTrince 
 on Cuba^ the People of Porto Rico and the 
 -/\/^f;g/^r/V^i S^^.think themfelvesa very confi- 
 derable People , as many of them have 
 grown rich by thofe Captures. For thofe 
 Spanijh Garde Cojias (as they mult be 
 called) are of no great Value ; one of them 
 is, for Example, a Sloop of no more than 
 two hundred Piftoles Value, with a little 
 jerkt Beef, a few Yams and Potatoes, one 
 Barrel of Powder, two or three hundred 
 weight of old Iron for Shot, and manned 
 by the moll infamous Scoundrels that fuch 
 Places afford, viz. Irijh Rapparees, French 
 Banditti, Mulattoes, Muftees and run-away 
 Negroes : Such as thefe to the Number of 
 forty, fifty, and fometimes fourfcore, in 
 fuch VeiTel, take all the EnglifhS\\\^s that 
 they can, whether on their Coalt or not; 
 
 and 
 
 a 
 o 
 
( J3 ) 
 
 and feldom are at a Lofs for Reafon 
 or Caufe to condemn them. If they have 
 nothing on board of the Produce or their 
 Countries, and for which (they fay) by 
 their Laws they could condemn them, viz. 
 for having on board any Cocoa, Logwood, 
 Fultic and Tobacco, &c. or any Money of 
 their Coin ; yet if the Vefl'el have but 
 Bread and Flour , or even any fort of dry 
 Goods, they never fail condemning her, as 
 a Veffel that either had traded or intended 
 it; fo that none efcape being carried in, but 
 light Veflels, and thefe they never fail to 
 plunder. 
 
 Some fay that the^^^^/^e^Company may fuf- 
 
 fer, if we Ihould refent thefe Injuries as we 
 
 ufed to do. There was always as much 
 
 Reafon to apprehend that our Merchants in 
 
 Sj^a'm would fuffer before. Had we not al- 
 
 ways when we traded with Spain ^ Effefts 
 
 in their Dominions to a great Value? Or 
 
 is our Gain fo great by the AJJiento Con- 
 
 traft, that we had better be filent than run 
 
 the Hazard of ruffling their Tempers by 
 
 making a proper Demand ? If any one will 
 
 make this appear, he will effeflually filence 
 
 fome of the greatelt Sufferers, and convince 
 
 a great number who think the contrary 
 
 moit probable. Before that Contract was 
 
 entered into, I can demonllrate that we 
 
 had more Advantage by our Trade with 
 
 S^ain^ and her Dominions , than any other 
 
 Nation ; 
 
 S! 
 
 ■if 
 
wm 
 
 r 
 
 (54) 
 
 Nation ; and yet were not, or did not feem 
 to be, more afraid of them than of other 
 Nations. The Advantages between us were 
 mutual; we fupplyed them cheaper than o- 
 ther People, and accomodated them better; 
 therefore in the Pf^ejl Indies ^ where we 
 traded with them Sword in Hand, and they 
 faw no farther Obligation we had to them ; 
 they were well contented, placed a great 
 deal of Confidence in us, and were afraid, 
 or had no Inclination to diflrefs us: But 
 now, whether they look on the EfFefts of 
 the AJJiento Company as a Pawn or Pledge 
 againtt our refenting their Ufage, and treat- 
 ing them as they deferve, or what elfe, I 
 fliould be glad to fee explained. There is 
 not a Power on Earth that Spain has more 
 Reafon to fear than that of England^, but 
 by what unaccountable Means it has hap- 
 pened that they have ventured to dare us 
 fo far, feems amazing. Yet if after all a 
 Peace can be eftefted , and reafonable Sa- 
 tisfaftion given to jult Suilerers, we will not 
 fail to acknowledge, notwithdanding all 
 that hath happened, that it was more pru- 
 dent to fuffer than to enter at once into a 
 War, the Confecj^uence of which is not fo 
 eafy to account tor. 
 
 If I can be fo happy as once to put the 
 Gentlemen of this Kingdom upon taking 
 thefc things under their ferious Confidera- 
 tion, I ihall have gained all I propofe. 
 
 There 
 
There is nothing advanced here with any 
 other Deiign but the real Service of my 
 Countrey; and I humbly hope that what 
 is contained here will appear to be wrote 
 with that Defign only. Jult above I men- 
 tioned the Hland of Margarites , fo called 
 from a Pearl Fifhery upon a Shoal at the 
 A\'elt End of the Ifland, where vait Quan- 
 tities of Pearl were formerly taken. This 
 Ifland is above twice as big as Barbadoes ; 
 has one good Harbour, and feveral good 
 Roads, and is inhabited \yjSpaniards^\\3&iyiz\\. 
 as thofe on Torto Rico, They produce Co- 
 coa and Tobacco, but are miferably poor 
 upon a very rich Soil, as People generally 
 are where the Clergy are numerous. Here 
 are feveral Churches, and a hundred times 
 more Superllition than Trade or Induftry. 
 In fliort the whole Produce of this Ifland 
 in a Year for. Exportation, is not of equal 
 Value to one Ship's Loading of one of our 
 Jamaica Ships; yet from hence too are 
 Commiflions given to Garde Cojtas. 
 
 As I have mentioned all the inhabited i- 
 flands of note, for the reit I fliall refer the 
 Reader to the Map, where he may fee 
 them all together. 
 
 The Bahama Iflands, which are very nu- 
 merous, and capable of producing all things 
 neceffary for Life, are all owned by the 
 Englijh^ and feme few of them are inha- 
 bited. 
 
 
rrr? 
 
 PWP 
 
 bited, viz. Trovtdence^ Illethera^ Harbour^ 
 IJland 2iX\di. Green Turtle Key. The molt 
 conliderable for Extent and Richnefs of 
 Soil is the Ifland oi Ahacox but it hath not 
 yet been fettled, nor indeed do I apprehend 
 that any great Advantages could accrue to 
 this Kingdom by thofe Hlands were they all 
 inhabited; yet I think it not improper to 
 keep up the Government already there, on- 
 ly as it prevents their becoming a Nell of 
 Pyrates. 
 
 Thofe Iflands produce Brazilletta Wood, 
 Lignum Vitae, Cortex Winteriana, Salt, 
 and on the Shores have been frequently 
 found the Sperma-Ceti-Whales and Amber- 
 gris ; which lalt I have been credibly in- 
 formed is the Excrement of that Whale: 
 A whole Sloop's Company agreed in the 
 Relation of that Faft to me in South Caro- 
 lina^ where they brought many Barrels of 
 Sperma-Ceti (I faw at lealt thirty) and above 
 five hundred Pounds of Amber-gris, all 
 which they afTured me came from one 
 Whale. The Sperma-Ceti undoubtedly did, 
 the Amber-gris they had Reafon to think 
 did fo too, becaufe they found it near the 
 Place where they found the Whale, and 
 they all agreed that the Excrement of that 
 very Whale, which w^as found in the Gut 
 near the Anus^ was really Amber-gris, tho' 
 not quite fo good as that which was found 
 on the Shore and floating in the Water. 
 
 This 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 This I believed when I was told it , for I 
 faw no Intereit or PIcalure ihcy had or pro- 
 pofed in deceiving me, or many others, 
 which [ ofren heard them tell it to. Here 
 too are found the prettielt and greated Va- 
 riety of Shells that any Part of the World 
 produces. Upon the whole , except for 
 keeping out of Pyrates, I don't think theie 
 Iflands worth inhabiting, while we have fo 
 much oi as fine a Countrey as any in the 
 World uninhabited, I mean the Province 
 of South Carolina. But before I attempt 
 the Del'cription of that Countrey, I will 
 give a (hort Account of what is now called 
 Florida. 
 
 Florida is bounded to the North by 
 South Carolina^ to the Eaft by that Part of 
 the Atlantic Ocean called, by the Englijh^ 
 The Gulf of Florida^ to the South and South 
 Welt by th • Gulf of Mexico^ and by Lands 
 already pofleft by the French to the Welt- 
 ward. Befides the Indians ^ who upon 
 all this Trad of Land, are not fuppofed to 
 be a looMenfit for War, there are but three 
 Settlements of the Spaniards. The Prin- 
 cipal of them is at Fort Augitfiine in the La- 
 titude of thirty Degrees North. The Fort 
 or Caftle is a Square fortified with tw^o 
 Lunets, and two Pentagon Baltions, and 
 hath had forty Guns mounted, yet was 
 very near being taken by the Carolina Peo- 
 
 I pie 
 
{ 58 ) 
 
 pie in the Year under the Command 
 
 of Colonel Moore ; for they belieged it, and 
 had made a Breach which would have been 
 attacked the next Day, but for Relief which 
 was fent from the Havana.^ which the Eng- 
 hjh apprehended to have been ten times as 
 llrong as they really were, and therefore 
 retired with Ibme Precipitation. Auguf- 
 tine had more effedivc Men than it is al- 
 lowed they now have ; yet feven hundred 
 of our People deilroyed their Town, and 
 had, in all Probability, taken the Fort, but 
 for thofe Succours. I have been told by 
 feveral Men of Augtijtine^ with w^hom I 
 have converfed, that they can Muller in 
 all four or five hundred Men, by taking in 
 thofe of all Ages. Every Perfon thire, Man, 
 Woman and Child, receives Pay from the 
 King of Spain^ notwithltanding which, and 
 that they are in fo happy a Climate, and up- 
 on no unfruitful Soil, they are poor wretch- 
 ed arid miferable. They do not produce half 
 their own Provifions, nor have they any 
 Plantations farther than a Gun Shot from 
 the Fort. They fometimes come to Caro- 
 lina^ under Pretence of Flag a Truce, or 
 Buiinefs, and lay out their Money there for 
 dry Goods and Provifions ; and many very 
 profitable Voyages have been made thither 
 from Carolina. 
 
 It is my Opinion, that if the Florida In- 
 dians, were but civilly treated by the Eng- 
 
 7 lijhy 
 
( J9 ) 
 
 tijh, they would be glad to come iindef 
 their Protedion. We can iiipply them with 
 all they want cheaper than the Spau'iards 
 can ; but one Advantage, and only one, 
 the Spaniards have over the Ejt^itfh there, 
 which is this: They treat the Indians there 
 as Chrillians, and perfuade them they are 
 fo ; their Prielts inilruct their Children even 
 in Indian Towns, and live among tiiem for 
 fome Time: Our People treat them like 
 Brutes, by not admitting their Evidence in 
 any wife to afFed the molt i'coundrcl white 
 Man. Our Priells, though 1 have been told 
 fome of them have been font over by a So- 
 ciety for propagating the Gofpel in Foreign 
 Parts, never go among the Indians ; nor 
 did I ever hear of any ov^t Indian converted 
 to the Chriltian Faith by an Englifh Prieft, 
 except by Dodor Mather in New- England^ 
 who from the Joy of his Fleart boaltcd the 
 Converfion of i^o Indians to theChriftian 
 Faith, and as a Demonltration of his Care 
 and Pains, defired an Englijh Gentleman 
 (who told me this himfelf) and one who had 
 frequently communicated with the DoClor, 
 to accompany him that Day, when he ex- 
 peded thofe two Indians to communicate 
 alfo, which they did with tolerable Decen- 
 cy. The Gentleman was highly pleafed, and 
 expreiled his Satisfaction, when the DocSor 
 unluckily asked one of the Indians a Que- 
 llion which he had not taught him to an- 
 
 1 1 fwer. 
 

 m 
 
 n 
 
 I |i 
 
 ■■ , V 
 
 ( ^o ) 
 fwer, namely; How do you find yourfelf? 
 are you not much ief'»'elh'd inwardly? don't 
 you hnd yourfelf eafier after having receiv- 
 ed ? To which the poor hidian antvvered. 
 Yes, but Rum is better. The Doctor was a 
 little ruffled, and in an angry Tone bid him 
 be gone. I lived fcveral Years at a Time, 
 and have traded above twenty Years there, 
 and never heard of any other Converfion, 
 tho' I have often enquired, having been in- 
 formed that there was a Society fpent a 
 great Deal of Money upon that Account 
 every Year. 
 
 W'hat Notions Indians entertain of Re- 
 ligion, I confefs I have never been able to 
 learn, and yet I have converfed with many 
 of them ^ this I have experienced, that they 
 are in general benevolent and grateful ; 
 they wiu place great Confidence in white 
 Men who ufe them jultly, and will defend 
 fuch at the apparent hazard of their Lives. 
 I have known fome white Men who trade 
 with the Indians, in fo high Elteem among 
 ibme Nations, that the Indians would treat 
 as Enemies all who appeared to be fo to 
 thofe lYaders: And it was owing to one 
 of thefe honelt Traders, that a Peace was 
 concluded between the People of Carolina 
 and their Enemy Indians ; Enemies who 
 were made fo by the cruel and unjuft 
 Treatment of our own People, to whom 
 they had complained and remonitrated with- 
 out 
 
 i v 
 
{6i ) 
 
 out rcdrefs, nay, even without having any 
 Notice taken of thein ; this Man fingly and 
 alone ventured among a People who had re- 
 iblved the Dellrudion of that Colony, or 
 to perifh. This Man whom they knew 
 to be honeft, who never had deceived them, 
 was received by thofe Savages withrefpeft; 
 he was beheved in all he faid; he had Au- 
 thority to aflure them, that they ihould have 
 Redrefs, and that was all they defired. A 
 Peace was concluded, a flourilhing Colony 
 relieved from the Calamities of a horrid 
 War, by the Means of a poor honeil brave 
 Fellow, who was always highly elteemed 
 and beloved by them, and deferved to be 
 fo by all Mankind. 1 never hear'd of any 
 Cruelty committed by the Indians in my 
 Time, where they had not received re- 
 peated Provocations: Was there ever an 
 Initance of the Tenjilvanian Indians doing 
 any Damage to the People of that Province? 
 No, the Indians are there treated with Hu- 
 manity, they call the People of Tenfilva- 
 nia Brethren, and by the Laws of Tenfil- 
 vania the Indians are treated as fuch. 
 
 The next Settlement in Florida is at the 
 Mouth of the Apalachian River, called St. 
 Jofefhy where there is a Fort which was 
 buik in the Year 171 8, but of no great 
 Strength, it being thought there is nor above 
 five hundred Inhabitants, Men, Women and 
 Children. 
 
 The 
 
 
 'I 
 
 11- 
 
 J1 
 
ii I i 
 I - 
 
 (6z) 
 
 The other Settlements are a few Villages 
 near the Cape of Florida, but thinly inha- 
 bited ; fo few, that I never heard a Spaniard 
 reckon that in all there were more than a 
 thoufand Men of that Nation in Florida-^ 
 all of them are poor and miferable, in a 
 Country where People of lefs Superltition 
 and more Induilry, might live luxurioufly. 
 
 I Shall now fpeak of our Plantations on 
 the Continent; and fliall begin v^m\\South 
 Carolina, which is capable of being made 
 the molt valuable Province in North Ame- 
 rica: It is now the largelt, being feventy 
 Leagues front on the Sea from Cape Fear, 
 the Northcrnmoft Bounds, to the River 
 May, where was lately an Englijh Fort, built 
 by Order of General Nicholfon. The Cli- 
 mate is fo good that for eight Months in 
 the Year no Place exceeds it; the other 
 four Months, May, June, July^ and Au- 
 guft, are very hot, and produce much Thun- 
 der; yet no Place is more healthful. The 
 Soil in general is fandy, out of which is 
 produced all manner of Englijh Grain in 
 great Perfedion, as well as Rice, Indian- 
 Corn, ^c . Nor doth any Place exceed it 
 for tine Fruits. Near the Banks of Rivers 
 there is (Irong, rich Land, which produ- 
 ces Hemp in as great Perfedion as any in 
 the VV^orld. Mulberry- Trees of all forts 
 grow in valt Quantities, and are of 
 
 '^ 
 
 i- 
 
 prod 
 gious 
 
i^l ) 
 
 gious quick Growth. So that it has alrea- 
 dy been fliewn by many People that no 
 Place is more capable of producing better 
 Silk, and with more Eafe. The chief of 
 their Exports at prefent are Rice, Deer- 
 Skins, Pitch, Tarr, Turpentine, Beef, Pork, 
 tann'd Leather, Cedar Wood, Deal Boards, 
 Pipe Staves, Timber of all Sorts, Malts, 
 Yards, ^c. And fome few Ships have been 
 built there, and thofe as good as any that 
 ever were built in America. It mult be al- 
 lowed that no Place is more capable or 
 convenient for building of Ships ; for the 
 Countrey abounds with fine Timber, and 
 has as many fine Rivers as any Part of the 
 known World. 
 
 As 1 am unacquainted with the Depth of 
 Water in all the Rivers to the Southward 
 of Tort Royal y tho' I have known Sloops 
 fail into molt of tJiem , I will only relate 
 what I know from my own Experience of 
 the following Rivers: And therefore begin 
 with Tort Royal River. There is Water 
 enough for any Ship in the World, in or 
 out, and as good a Harbour as any that 
 Nature hath made, fufficient to hold and 
 contain all the Royal Navy; and perhaps in 
 all Refpeds the properelt Place of Rendez- 
 vouz for the Weji India Squadron of Men 
 of War. With regard to its Situation, 
 for any Expedition to the Windward I- 
 Hands, or for fpeaking with any Ships com- 
 
 1 
 
 W 
 
 mg 
 
Ill 
 
 HI 
 
 !fl 
 
 ( <^4 ) 
 
 ing thro* the Gulf of Florida^ it is as well 
 as can be defired ; noihirg could cicape 
 the Sight of a Cruifer there. The next is 
 South Edifto^ a good River for bhips and 
 Vdieib not drawing above twelve hoot. 
 North Edijio is eqL.tlly good, and hath a 
 clear Entrance. Stone is a very good Har- 
 bour for any thing noi above eleven Foot. 
 Charks'Town Harbour for any Vcllt 1 not 
 exceeding fifteen Foot. Sewee and Sanfee 
 Rivers for fmall Craft not drawing m=)re 
 than eight or nine Foot. Into JVinntaw I 
 have been lately told there is a Channel of 
 twelve Foot. Cafe Fear River, alias Cla- 
 rendon River, which are the Bounds between 
 the Carolina^ , is a very fine bold River for 
 any Ship in fair Weather; or at any time 
 for any one not exceeding fifteen or fix- 
 teen Foot , for there is not lefs than three 
 Fathom at low Water, in the worft of the 
 Channel. There are many other Rivers 
 and Creeks of lefTer note than thefe men- 
 tioned, but thefe are all large Rivers, fome 
 of them navigable forty or fifty Miles a* 
 bove the Entrance , for Ships of any Bur- 
 then , and fome of them run above a hun- 
 dred Miles in the Countrey, all abounding 
 with fine Fifli. 
 
 The Number of white People, Men, Wo- 
 men and Children, in the Year 17x4, was 
 about T4,coo; the Slaves (moft of which 
 are Negroes) Men , Women and Children 
 
 included 
 
 \ 
 
(^5 ) 
 
 about 32,000, and no doubt they are now 
 encreafed, for there has been many Ne- 
 groes imported there fince. 
 
 In the Year 17x3, the Imports to this 
 Province amounted to the Value of one 
 hundred and twenty thoufand Pounds Ster- 
 ling, firit Coll in Goods and Merchandize, 
 and had not been lefs yearly for four Years 
 before. 
 
 This Eftimate was made from the Coun- 
 trey Colleftor's Books, who received a Du- 
 ty of two and a half /^r Ce/^t. on all Goods 
 imported ; fo that if any Fr^iud was com- 
 mitted by falfe Report, the Imports were 
 fo much more. 
 
 The Quantity of Brkijh Shipping em- 
 ployed by means of this Province, is not 
 lefs than 8,000 Tons. England hath receiv- 
 ed annually from this Colony only, in Skins, 
 FurSi Rice, Pitch, Tarr, Turpentine, Pipe- 
 Staves, tSc, exclufive of all Bounty, to the 
 Value of 200,000/. Sterling. The Freight 
 of fuch Shipping would not amount to a- 
 bove 24,000 /. and there is Profit upon that 
 at leall ten/er Cent. i. e. 2,400 /. So that 
 if I were to Hate the Account between South 
 Carolina and Britain^ it would ftand thus, 
 
 • s 
 
 ' i 
 r 
 
 J 
 
 K 
 
 Imported 
 
 
 
(66) 
 
 Imported from Carolina to 
 Great Britain of their 
 Produce annually 
 
 In Cafli, admitting fixty Ships, 
 each Ship to bring but 
 twenty Pounds, 
 
 aoOjOOO 
 
 1, 2 CO 
 
 
 Goods fent to Carolina 
 annually from this| 
 Kingdom, 
 
 The real Expence of' 
 8,000 Tons of Ship-[ 
 ping for fuch Voyage, 
 
 xoi,ioo 
 
 100,000 
 
 21,600 
 
 121,600 121,600 
 
 The whole Gain to this King- 
 dom by Carolina will be annu- 
 ally :-— -- 
 
 79,600 
 
 And fo much I really believe and think 
 this Kingdom doth gain from that Province. 
 The Indian Trade there being of fuch ex- 
 ceeding Advantage, and frequently carried 
 on by the Servants of thofe who live here, 
 all the Profits thereof are fent here by 
 thofe who defign to return to this King- 
 dom. The other 20,000/. worth of their 
 Imports, I take to be brought in their own 
 and other trading Veflels from the IVeJi In- 
 dia 
 
(^7) 
 
 dia Iflands and northern Colonies. When 
 they trade at any of the French Iflands, be- 
 befide Rum and Sugar they bring feme Mo- 
 ney ; I have known a fmall Sloop bring in 
 there from Cape Franfois at one Time 300 
 Pilloles, befide Rum , Sugar and Molofles, 
 which were the Produce of her own Car- 
 goe only. This French Trade fupplies them 
 with Rum and Molofles at cheaper Rates 
 than they could be fupplied from our own 
 Iflands , by which Means they are able to 
 carry on the Indian Trade , which they 
 cannot do with near fo much Advantage 
 when Rum is dear, the Indians being ufed 
 to give a certain Quantity of Skins for a 
 certain Quantity of Rum; and without 
 Rum there can be no Trade carried on 
 with them. 
 
 I cannot eftimate the Shipping employed 
 and owned by this Colony, at lefs than 
 feven hundred Tons, befide the Ships which 
 come to England ; they are all of equal Ad- 
 vantage to Britain except that they do not 
 fit and repair here, but are as abfolutely bene- 
 ficial in all other Refpefts ; for whatever is 
 gained in Money or Commodities of any Sort 
 or Kind, after their own Neceflitics are |j 
 
 fupplied, is fent always Home to Britain^ 
 and there only centers. It is certain that 
 all the Money which our People in the Plan- 
 tations acquire by Means of their Trade 
 with any People whatfoever, is conftantly 
 
 K % tranfmitted 
 
 I 
 
l^T^'W 
 
 b ' ''>'''ii 
 
 (6i ) 
 
 tranfmitted here, even to the putting them- 
 felves under the Necellity of ettabhfliing 
 a Paper Currency, as many of them have 
 already done. 
 
 All Manner of Provifions are extremely 
 cheap in South-Carolina^ infomuch that the 
 Shipping; at Charles Town are fupply'd all 
 the Year round with Beef at lefs than feven 
 Shillings Sterling /^r hundred Weight ; and 
 it would feem incredible, fliould one re- 
 late the prodigious Quantities of Fifli, and 
 the cheap rate, at which that Market is fup- 
 plied with them. In fhort, the whole Coun- 
 trey is capable of vaft Improvement ; there 
 feems to be nothing wanting but People to 
 make it much the moft coniiderable Settle- 
 ment his Majelly hath on the Continent of 
 America, The Lands upon or near the 
 Banks of navigable Rivers are already pof- 
 fell or laid out ; for it hath been cultomary 
 to run out fuch Lands by a Surveyor, and 
 the purchafe Money hath been paid for fel- 
 dom more than fifty or fixty Acres, when 
 the Purchafer really poflTefled a hundred. 
 There are many People who I know are 
 contented with fuch Title, and many more, 
 who have no other Title than ufing and pof- 
 feffing large Trafts of Land, now think 
 them their own : This has been fo generally 
 praftifed, that lam of Opinion, it would be 
 difficult to get a fair Rent-Roll by any 
 Means, in that Country, and therefore think 
 
 that 
 
ing 
 ave 
 
 that a Britijh Aft of Parliament might ex-^ 
 tend, to entitle any Perlbn to any iuch 
 Quantity of Land as they could find, (fo 
 unjuflly poflefTed) upon the Conditions of 
 Plantations, that is to fay, at forty Shillings 
 fer hundred Acres Purchafe, and a Penny 
 fer Acre quit Rent fer Ann, This would 
 put every one, who was able, upon fecu-^ 
 ring his Title, or it would foon be julUy 
 polTelt by another ; this would bring in a 
 very great Sum, aver and above what is now 
 due, according to Grants; tho' I believe 
 that if the Quit-Rents of Lands now pof- 
 feffed, were regularly and punftually paid, 
 they alone would be worth all the purchafe 
 Money given for the Countrey ; for there 
 cannot be lefs than two Millions of Acres, 
 within what we call the Settlement ; that: 
 is to fay, from Winntaw to Tort-Royal^ 
 not to mention more to the Southward, or 
 Cape Fear Settlement. And if we allow one 
 Half of that for Seigniories, Landgravates 
 and Baronies, there will remain, at lead, 
 a Million of Acres ; and if ihoCe were all 
 reckoned at a Half- Penny /^r Acre, it will 
 amount to above 2000/ fer Ann. The pur- 
 chafe Money which remains unpaid for 
 many Thoufands of Acres, taken up after 
 the Manner aforefaid, would arile to no fmall 
 Sum; not to mention the daily Purchales 
 which would Hill be made, as the Countrey 
 cncreafed in Inhabitants. Now could a Way 
 
 be 
 
 1' 
 
 ;:-IJ 
 
m 
 
 
 ( 70 ) 
 
 be found out for the ready Payment of the 
 Quit-Rents, it would a great Relief to that 
 Countrey, which has but very little Chance 
 to get any Gold or Silver ; namely, by ma* 
 King Pitch or Tar, a legal Tender for their 
 Quit- Rents, (which his Majeity's Navy will 
 always want : ) For Example, if they could 
 not pay Money, a Barrel of Pitch at fix 
 Shillings, and a Barrel of Tar at four Shil* 
 lings and fix Pence ; this would be, an Times 
 now are, a pretty jult Equivalent ; or if 
 the Country would agree to pay according 
 to the Cuttom of Maryland^ as an Equiva- 
 lent for their Quit-Rents, nine Pence per 
 Barrel upc Rice, and three Pence per Bar- 
 rel upon Pitch and Tar, to be paid after the 
 Manner of Maryland Duties ; or if they 
 were fet at a lower Rate, the Government 
 would be fufficient Gainers. 
 
 North-Carolina is bounded by Cape Fear ^ 
 alias Clarendon River to the Southward, 
 and by Virginia to the Northward, about 
 forty or fifty Leagues, fronting the Sea. 
 The Soil, Climate, Produce and Situation 
 of it, ought (it's prefumed) to bring it un- 
 der the Government of Virginia. Both 
 thefe Countries, for Extent, will not equal 
 South-Carolina. There are already great 
 Quantities of Tobacco made there, which 
 is a Difadvantage reckoned to Virginia^ as 
 they pay no Part of the Tobacco Tax in 
 
 Virgin 
 
(71 ) 
 
 P^irginia. The Lands in general are like 
 the low Counties in Virgmiaj low fwampy 
 Land, but richer. The prefent Settlements 
 in this Countrey are not much farther from 
 Williamjhurgh in Virginia^ than the upper 
 Parts of Stafford County. The fame Me- 
 thods fliould be propofed for recovering 
 the Quit Rents here, as in South Carolina. 
 There is only one very good Harbour in 
 all this Countrey, that is Toffail Inlet ; yet 
 fo it has happened, whether from the Ig- 
 norance. Over-fight or Negledl of all the 
 Governors hitherto fent there, I am not 
 able to determine, that this fine Harbour, 
 which is capable of receiving a Ship of 
 forty Guns, and of containing all the Ships 
 in America^ is feldom or ever mentioned. 
 That this Port, about which there is as good 
 Land as any, is hardly fettled, or fo thin, 
 that it has little or no Trade, would feem 
 incredible: And tho' it hath been neg- 
 lefted or unknown to fome, I forefee that 
 it will be the principal Port ; the Entrance 
 into it being lefs difficult than into Cape 
 Fear^ and more properly fituated. 
 
 The Trade of this Colony is very confi- 
 derable, and takes off all forts of our Ma- 
 nufaftures, tho' not all of them direftly 
 from Britain. The People of New-Eng'^ 
 land drive a great Trade here, whence 
 they carry Pitch , Tar, Turpentine, Pork, 
 Deer-Skins, fome Tobacco, and fometimes 
 
 I Indian 
 
 
 
liH.! -c 
 
 (71) 
 
 Indian Corn ; all which enables New Eng- 
 land to make us Remittances with Part* 
 and the relt is fent to the Sugar Illands; the 
 principal Part of the Tobacco produced in 
 this Province is fent to us by the Virginia 
 Ships which He in Nanfatnond River* This 
 is the Occafion of the Complaint of the 
 Virginians^ that the North Carolina Men 
 fend their Tobacco thro' that Province, and 
 pay none of the Duties and Levies of Vir^ 
 giniay which are pretty burthenfome, but 
 which they brought upon themfelves, by 
 fetthng fuch large Salaries upon their Pub- 
 lic Officers, and allowing liich great Sti- 
 pends to the Clergy, I have never been in 
 North Carolina, except in Top fail Inlett 
 and on the Banks of Cape Fear River, and 
 therefore I am not able to form a proper 
 Eitimate of the Value of their Trade to 
 this Kingdom. Some few Ships go hence 
 thither annually, and I am allured make 
 great Advantage ; large Ships have never 
 traded there, their Settlements having been 
 made fo indifcreetly upon forry Rivers 
 and within ihallow Bars. The Countrey is 
 capable of the greateft Emprovement, and 
 with a little good Management might foon be 
 made of more Advantage to this Kingdom^ 
 than any Colony now is which we pofTefs. 
 
 
 \m 
 
 Virginia is bounded to the Southward by 
 North Carolina \ to the Northward by Ten- 
 
 /ilvani<^z 
 
(73) 
 
 Jthania and Maryland \ to theE^ftward by 
 the /Atlantic Ocean; to the Wcllward by 
 the South Sea. This Countrey, tho' aheady 
 confiderable for the Number oflnhabitants, 
 and valuable for its Produce, namely, To- 
 bacco, fome Fitch and Tarr, Decr-bkins^ 
 and Furs of feveral forts, Snake- weed, Wal- 
 nut-Tree Plank, Pipe, Hogihcad and Bar- 
 rel StaveSj and fome Iron in Piggs, all which 
 they fend to us ; is yet capable of vaft Im- 
 provement, and of being of much more 
 Advantage to this Kingdom. But as the 
 Province of Maryland ^ and lies between 
 this and that of 'Penjilvanias which with 
 Regard to its Produce in Quality and Quan- 
 tityj feems not behind or inferior to F»- 
 ginia ; and as I apprehend little can be faid 
 of one Province which the other doth not 
 deferve or is not capable of, I will take 
 leave therefore to treat of them as one 5 for 
 tho' they do not both belong to the Crown 
 immediatelyj yet they feem to be of equal 
 Value to this Kingdoiti. 
 
 Let us fuppofe what is within Bounds ^ 
 that from thefe two Provinces w^e receive 
 60,000 Hogflieads of Tobacco yearly, and 
 that one with another they weigh fix hun- 
 dred Pounds each; at two Pence Halfpenny 
 /^r Pound, this comes to 375,000/. The 
 Shipping employed to bring Home this To^ 
 bacco (fuppofing them well contrived for 
 this Trade) will be at leaft 24,000 Tons, 
 
 L which 
 
 'f 
 
 I 
 
 >S: 
 
 
T'^fT^ 
 
 
 (74) 
 
 which at ten Pounds Value per Ton , is 
 240,000/. in Shipping; much the major 
 Part of thofe are Englijh built, and are 
 conllantly fitted and repaired here. The 
 Freight at thirty Shillings per Hogftiead, 
 which is the loweft, comes to 90,000 /. the 
 petty Charges and Commiffion on each 
 Hogftiead is not lefs than twenty Shillings, 
 which amounts to 60,000/. Thefe two 
 laft named Sums we undoubtedly receive 
 annually from thefe Provinces, though all the 
 Tobacco were owned by the People in that 
 Countrey, viz. 150,000 /. upon Tobacco 
 only. The neat Proceeds of the Tobacco will 
 be 2X5',ooo /. all which we will fuppofe or- 
 dered to be returned in Goods ; yet out of 
 that there will remain at leaft five fer Cent. 
 Commiffion and petty Charge, which is 
 
 IljXfO/. 
 
 The Value of the Lumber annually im- 
 ported from thofe two Provinces is not lefs 
 than 1 5*5000/. two thirds of which is clear 
 Gains , *z;/-2^. 10,000/. becaufe it doth not 
 coft in that Countrey to the Value of 4000 /. 
 firlt Coft in Goods ; and there is no Freight 
 paid for fuch, as it is the Matter's Privilege. 
 The Skins and Furs from thefe two Pro- 
 vinces we cannot eftimate at lefs than 6000 L 
 per Ann. and thefe I may venture to fay are 
 nought foi one fixth Part in Value from the 
 Savages (I mean firft Coft in England) fo 
 that there is aftually gained to us on that 
 
 Score 
 
are 
 the 
 
 ( 7y ) 
 
 Score, after Charges of Servatits, ^c. 4000 /. 
 The whole amounts to upv/ards of 175-5000/. 
 Or fuppofe one half of the whole exported, 
 it would amount to upward of 187,000/. 
 The French and 'Dutch take off that Quan- 
 tity ; and for all that is now purchafed, I am 
 fure we do not give near one Penny fer 
 Pound firtt Coft in Goods. By this may be 
 feen the vaft Advantage of employing our 
 own Shipping, we more than double our 
 Advepture, 
 
 Thetc Provinces produce Flax as good 
 as any in the World; and I am forry to fee 
 them under the Neceflity of manufafturing 
 it, as they are likewife of manufafturing 
 Wool, which they have great Plenty of, 
 and which is full as good <, if not better , 
 than what we have here. Thofe People 
 who do not manufafture it, fell it to the 
 Tenfilvanmns at a cheap Price , viz. at fix 
 Pence per Pound Currency, which is paid 
 in truck, namely, in Rum, Sugar, Salt, Mo- 
 loflTes, or perhaps Bifket and Flour or Beer. 
 It is not unufual to fee Men of good Ability 
 cloathed with Linnen and Woollen of their 
 own Produce and Manufadure. 
 
 Hemp will grow there as well as any 
 where, but it hath not come to my Know- 
 ledge that great Quantities have been pro- 
 duced as yet. I am told that Col. Bird^ a Gen- 
 tleman of great A biUty and Capacity there, 
 defigns to try what can be done ; he hath 
 
 L % produced 
 
''\W 
 
 produced great Quantities, but I find he ig 
 unacquainted with dreding it, and ((here- 
 fore hath fent for proper Perlbns, if they 
 can be procured , to inftruft him. This 
 Gentleman delerves the highell Praifej and 
 if he fucceeds he will be of more real l3e- 
 nefit to this Kingdom, than if he had given 
 us 100,000 Guineas a Year for ever. 
 
 Iron is more eafily made in both thefe 
 Provinces, than perhaps in any other Part 
 of the World ; the Ore is fo rich and good, 
 that it produces in common, at lea It, one 
 llalf Iron. There is one Furnace and a 
 Forge ercfted at ^Pr'tnc'tp'to^ upon a Branch 
 of Northcaji River in Alary land, uhii.h is 
 fupplied with Ore, at prcient, from Tatapfco 
 River in Maryland-, another is in Virginia 
 upon Totamac River, where the Ore lies 
 contiguous to the Furnace and Forge. The 
 Lands neartheie Places ore very well w^ood- 
 ed, and yet have been, and may be bought 
 at the Rate of from tive to ten Pounds/<?r 
 hundred Acres, the Fee fimple. In a very 
 ihort Time they will be able to v\ ork full 
 as cheap, if not cheaper than here ; for they 
 have already got fome bkves, which are as; 
 uleful as any white Men, when they are in- 
 flrudcd, in cutting Wood and making Charr 
 coal, and Hocking it near the Furnace, &c. 
 and in fliort in all Cafes v^^here Labour isprin^r 
 cipally required. 
 
 The 
 
(77) 
 
 The Writer of this hath feen thefe Works, 
 and is of Opinion, that there mull be very ill 
 Management if they are not of prodigious 
 Advantage to the Owners ; and it is not at 
 all to be wondered at, if many more Fur- 
 naces and Forges are eredled there ; for in 
 many Places, where there are vail Quantities 
 ot Ore, there is the Convenience of Water, 
 fit for any Inch Works, or as good as any 
 have ever been erected in this Kingdom. In 
 fhort, the Iron of thefe Places is not infe- 
 rior to any in the World for Ship Ufe ; and 
 if we will not let them import it here, free 
 from Duty, we put them upon the Necef- 
 fity of manufaduring it there, by which 
 Means we lofe the Employment of fo many 
 Hands, which always was of more Value 
 than the Iron it lelf ; befides, in a few Years, 
 it will be found that we fliall not fend them, 
 in any Comparifon, near the Quantity of 
 our own Iron Manufafture that we now 
 do : For as they are conllrained to apply 
 themfelves to that Manufacture, no doubt, 
 they will either find other Iron, or find 
 Ways to convert, even that Iron, to moft 
 Ufes. All thefe Manufaftures, which may 
 be of thehighelt Confequence to this King- 
 dom, may be eafily prevented at prefent, 
 at lealt the Increafe of them. 
 
 I have before obferved, that thefe People 
 have manufaftured fome of their own W ool- 
 Jen and Linnen ; to prevent the increafe of 
 
 wliichi 
 
" » l*ir» 
 
 ,1..';: 
 
 If 
 
 (78 ) 
 
 which, Firft, withReg<>ro o v/eaving of Lin- 
 nen and Woollen, let ai. v \ft Account be ta- 
 ken of all Looms now erected in the Plantati- 
 ons, and likewife a Regifter of all Perfons 
 now employ'd, viz. fuch as now get their 
 Living by Weaving, that for the Future no 
 other or more Looms be tolerated, nor 
 any other Perfons be allowed to follow, oc- 
 cupy and pollefs the Privilege of weaving 
 any Linnen, Woollen, Silk or Hair but fuch 
 as are now living, and follow the faid Em^ 
 ployments, in all the Plantations refpeftive- 
 ly. And in regard to Rope-making they 
 Ihould not be allowed to make above a fix 
 Inch Rope. Secondly, as to what regards 
 the Iron Manufadure ; let them be reitrained 
 from making Anchors for Shipping, which 
 weigh above a hundred and twelve Pound; 
 from making all Manner of Ordnance or 
 great Guns, or even Shot for fuch ; and 
 from making any Mufkets, P'ufees or Piftols, 
 &c. In fliort, all Sorts of Fire-Arms and 
 Swords, as alfo all Manner of Locks and 
 Joynt-Hinges, with all Manner of Tools for 
 Artificers, as Carpenters, Sawyers, Joy ners, 
 Bricklayers, and all fadlery and cutlery Iron- 
 W ork,together with all Sorts of Nails lefs than 
 Weight-Nails, Horfe-Shoe Nails only except- 
 ed ; but let them not be deprived of mending 
 any of the aforefaid Utenfils. 
 
 If this Kingdom thinks fit to put our 
 Plantations under thefe or the like Reltraints, 
 
 it 
 
{79 ) 
 
 it would be Cruelty to continue any Duty, 
 Cultom or Subfidy on any Produce, they are 
 fo fa*- hindered from manufafturing ; on the 
 contrary, it would be the Intereft of this King- 
 dom, for at leaft twenty Years to come, to 
 give a fufficient Bounty to encourage the 
 Prod uce of Silk, Flax and Hemp, and at leaft 
 to pay the Freight of all the Wool which 
 they fhail fend us. As to what Mr. Gee 
 hath propofed in his Difcoufe on the Trade 
 and Navigation of Great-Britain confider- 
 ed, Page 8i. " That they alfo be prohibi- 
 " ted from manufafturing of Hats, Stock* 
 " ings or Leather of any Kind." This Li- 
 I « mitation will not abridge the Planters of 
 " of any Privilege they now enjoy. A 
 very little Acquaintance with the Trade of 
 the Northern Colonies, might have fatis- 
 fied any one, that Leather is the only Ar- 
 ticle of cloathing, which feveral of them 
 manufacture, not only fufficient for their 
 own Ufe, but for Exportation ; namely, 
 South-Carolina^ Tenjilvania^ New-Tor k and 
 New England; I mean for Exportation to 
 the fVeft-India Iflands, ^c. but all of them 
 tan and manufafture Leather, tho' not each 
 of them fufficient for their own Ufe. There 
 are many Sadlers in all thefe Places, who 
 work no other Leather than fuch as is made 
 there. The Number of Shoe-Makers in 
 the Colonies is undoubtedly more than all 
 the Smiths and Weavers together ; nay, I 
 
 am 
 
if'mim 
 
 ( 80 ) 
 
 am fully perfuaded^ that upon Enquiry, it 
 will be found there are as many or more Tan- 
 ners than Weavers. A confiderable Part 
 of the Trade between Bojiou and South- 
 Carolina, is the light Deer-Skins, and thofe 
 in Hair, which ihe New- England Men c2LrYY 
 thence to BoJio7i, where they are as well drelt 
 and apply'd to all the fame Ufes as here ; in- 
 deed fome few of them may be fent over 
 here, when they are a little more than ordi- 
 nary in demand, but that very feldom is 
 the Cafe. 
 
 There are Hat-Makers in South-Carolinai 
 and I believe too in North- Carolina ; I know 
 feveral in Virginia, Maryland, TPenJilvania, 
 and NcW'Tork^ and there is no Doubt, but 
 that they have many at Rhode I (land ; Bojion I 
 know has a great many : I have feen as good 
 Hats which were made there, in all refpeftsj 
 as thofe which we buy in England from 
 ten to twenty five Shillings. With Regard 
 to Stockings ; if they are deprived of Wea- 
 ving and Looms, as is propofed, it would 
 furely feem too hard to deprive them of 
 knitting; fortheirSlavesmult be other Ways 
 employed, or they will be very unproritablej 
 while we can fend them that Manufafture 
 fo cheap ; befides, it would be difcouraging a 
 very ufeful Piece of Indultry among the Plan- 
 ters Wives and Children, and would cer- 
 tainly contribute towards making them as 
 idle, and confequently as expenfive and ex- 
 
 travagantj 
 Ik 
 
 
 
 i-iii 
 
( 8i ) 
 travagant, as they are now become in feme 
 famous Parts of Europe ; for certainly even 
 very fine Ladies would make as good a Fi* 
 gure, while knitting a fine Thread Glove, 
 or even a Husband's Night-Cap; and it 
 might Ihew the Hand and Arm to as much 
 Advantage as fhuffiing the Cards or count- 
 ing or fetting up at Quadrille> Ombre or 
 Picquet. 
 
 From whence I perfuade myfelf there 
 needs not any Reftraint be laid upon Knit- 
 ting: And if it be thought fit to lay any 
 Rellraint on tanning and manufacturing of 
 Leather , and on making Hats , furely it 
 would feem to any reafonable Perfon, too 
 fcvere to deprive fuch a great Number of 
 People at once of the very Means of their 
 Subfiitence, as now get their Living by thofe 
 Manufadures only. Therefore furely no 
 Method more fevere than that propofed 
 with regard to the Weavers will be thought 
 expedient. 
 
 And it dcferves ferioiis Confideration be- 
 fore any Refliaint h*^ laid upon Tanning 
 particularly. A Hide is m?.de inro L. ?r 
 in half the Time in thofe Parts that it ^an 
 be done here; the Barkis of no Vaiue, for 
 any one has it for fetching, which cannot 
 be at ""ny grCiU Diitance in any of our Set- 
 tLmenis: All the Materials for a Tan Yard 
 arc of an inconiiderable Value, to what they 
 are here; the Plank and Timber being not 
 
 M half 
 
p,'i)!pr 
 
 (8i ) 
 
 half the Price that it is here ; Places con- 
 venient (or fuch Bufinefs are eafily obtain- 
 ed ; you may rent one for Icfs than half the 
 Price that liich a Place can be had here. 
 Hence furely an Advantage would accrue 
 to this Kingdom, if they were allowed tan- 
 ning for Exportation to Tortugaly S^aifty 
 or even to England^ &c. 
 
 The Method here propofed would not be 
 objefted to by any People in the Planta- 
 tionsjofanyof theTrades orOccupations men- 
 tioned, as it would be granting them a Pri- 
 vilege for Life, and would furely be of Ad- 
 vantage to them, by hindering others to 
 underwork them; fo it will be lefs liable 
 perhaps to any Exception from any other 
 Quarter , as it does not hurt or injure any 
 one now alive, and anfwers all the Ends 
 propofed. 
 
 The Trade of thefe two Provinces to all 
 other Places than Great Britain is but in- 
 confiderable, befide fmall Tobacco Sloops, 
 which are only employed for loading the 
 Englijh Shipping, and manned with their 
 Sailors. lam contidentthat there isnot above 
 a thoufand Tons of Sloops and Shipping 
 employed, to the Iflands and all otherTrades, 
 on their own proper Account. I am not 
 unacquainted that there is a valt Number 
 of Vefiels of all the Northern Colonies 
 trade here, viz. from Boflon^ Rhode IJland'^ 
 Ns'W I^ork 5 '^Philadelphia , South Carolina 
 
 and 
 
( 83 ) 
 
 and Bermudas ; but all thofe I have or fhall 
 confider, in their proper Places, and now 
 proceed to give an Account ofTenJilvania. 
 
 Tenfilvania is bounded to the South- 
 ward by Virginia and Maryland-^ to the 
 Eailward by 'the Atlantic Ocean, and the 
 Bay and River of T>elaware-y to the North- 
 ward by the faid River and Part of New- 
 Tor k ; to the Weltward by Lands unknown. 
 The principal City in this Province is PA/- 
 ladelphia, which is in the Latitude of 40** 
 x^^. Longitude Weft from London about 
 y^A 2,5-111. Xhis City was founded and de« 
 figned by Mr,Tenn^ in the Year 1682, 
 when there were no more than two fmall 
 Hovels, and thofe under the Bank upon the 
 ^Delaware River, within the whole Plan of 
 the City. With regard to its Situation, it 
 is perhaps the fineft in the World; upon a 
 Neck of Land between the aforefaid T^e- 
 laware River and School-Kill River, about 
 feven Miles above the Point, where they 
 join. It hath a Front of a Mile to each Ri- 
 ver; the Dillance from one River to the 
 other is two Miles ; when you Hand in the 
 Middle or Centre of it as it is called, there 
 feems a gentle Declivity to all the Extre- 
 mities The principal Streets lie near Eaft 
 and Weft, and parallel to each other ; the 
 others crols thofe at right Angles ; no Street 
 is lefs than a hundred Foot wide , and the 
 
 M % two 
 
 «< 
 
 
WW 
 
 
 (84) 
 
 two which crofs each other in the Centre, 
 are fifty Foot apiece wider. Four of thefe 
 Streets fronting and running parallel to the 
 ^ekware, are regularly built, and afford 
 as much Pleafure as the Eye can receive 
 from clean, even, and fpacious Streets, a- 
 dorned with regular, beautiful, and almoft 
 uniform Buildings. The Number of Hou- 
 fcs at this time is not lefs than 2400, the 
 Number of Souls not lels than iiooo In 
 this City is one Church of England j two 
 Quakers Meeting- Houfes, one Prelbyterian, 
 one Independent, and one Anabaptilt Meet- 
 ing. The other Places of principal Note 
 in this Province are EriftoL ^Penfbury^ Ger* 
 ?nan-To''jvn^ franc fort ^ Derby', Chejier^ New* 
 cajlle and Lcvjis-Tozvu. 
 
 The Number of white People in this Pro- 
 vince I take to be greater than thofe of 
 South and North Carolina ., V'trginla and 
 Maryland"!^ together ; and they are increaf- 
 ing iiill to a much greater Degree than any 
 other Colony that I know , or have ever 
 heard of. This Province was firft granted 
 to JVilliam Tenn Efq; in the Year 1680. 
 
 The Reafons afligned for the prodigious 
 Increafe of Inhabitants in this Province 
 more than any other, are principally afcrib- 
 ed to the Caufes following. Firll:, the good 
 Agreement between the Savages and the 
 People of this Province, of whom it may 
 be faid that they are the only People who 
 
 have 
 
 I 
 
 V 
 
 a 
 
( sn 
 
 have treated the Savages with Juftice and 
 Humanity; for no other Colony or Pro- 
 vince admits of the Evidence of an Indian 
 againd a white Man, nor can the Complaint 
 of an Indian afleft any wh'te Man in any 
 Cafe whatever ; whence thofe poor People 
 in the other Provinces, have been Hable 
 to and fufFered the worll and molt cruel 
 Treatment, from the molt worthlefs and a- 
 bandoned of our own, without any Hopes 
 of Redrefs. The Occafion of the late In- 
 dian War in Carolina^ for Example, was 
 owing to this. Our Traders there carry 
 up among the Indians^ Duffles, Strouds, 
 Guns, Powder and Shot; Beads, Rum, 
 Sugar, ^c. An Indian coming from his 
 Hunt, where he had acquired perhaps fifty 
 or a hundred Deer-Skins, goes to one of 
 thefe Traders: The poor Man is generally 
 f<> cautious that he will not tafle one Drop 
 01 Rum before he hath made his Bargain, 
 and fupplied himfelf as far as his Stock will 
 go ; after that, there are but few who have 
 Refolution enough to withftand the feem- 
 ing friendly Solicitations of the Traders, 
 who then perfuade them to drink, aflTuring 
 ihem that it Ihall coft them nothing ; by this 
 Means the poor Savage perhaps, his Wife 
 and Children too, are all made Irunk, and 
 kept in that Condition feveral Days ; when 
 they are fuffered to come to themfelves, 
 they then encjuire after the Things which 
 
 they 
 
 .;• 
 
 ■.f\ 
 
<iu 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
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 Sciences 
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 WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 
 
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(26) 
 
 they bought, and frequently have for An- 
 fwer, You gave them to us for Rum when 
 you were drunk; which no doubt might 
 be true enough, for they will part with 
 whatever is moll dear to them, while in 
 that Condition, for more Rum. 
 
 Thefe Tranfaftions I have known to be 
 calmly and fcdately reprefented by the princi- 
 pal Men of the Indians to our Governors, 
 complaining of fuch intolerable OpprefTions, 
 as alfo that the Traders compel the Indians to 
 carry Burdens of Skins many Miles for them, 
 vvithout any Reward. If an htdian refufe, 
 he is in Danger of being (liot immdeiately; 
 and if it be in the Indians Country, the Va- 
 lue of forty Shillings Sterling will fatisfy 
 his next a kin, or buy the Blood as it is 
 called ; but if it be in another Countrey, 
 the Murderer is not accountable to any one. 
 Thus the Dread of refifting a white Man 
 makes them defperate ; and they having 
 often complained without any Redrefs, re- 
 folved to deftroy thefe their OpprefTors, or 
 perilh in the Attempt. Wherefore on Good- 
 Friday^ in the Year 1714, as I remember, 
 they killed about forty of thefe Tyrants, 
 w^hich occafioned the Indian War. Since 
 they have made a Peace, the Matter is not 
 much mended with the Indians^ for they 
 are ftill as liable to be abufed as before, when- 
 ever the Traders forget the Fate of their Pre- 
 decefTors; for no Complaints or Teltimo- 
 
 nics 
 
(87) 
 
 nies of Indians are fufficient, even in Cafes of 
 Murder, toconvid the moil fcoundrel white 
 Man; hence arife perpetual Enmity, Ha- 
 tredjjeaioufy and Diltrull. Let any one know 
 you don't love him, and he will hate you. 
 
 The Cafe being the fame with Regard to 
 Indian Evidence ; and as they are thus treat- 
 ed in all the Colonies, except Tenfilvantaj 
 it is not to be wondered at, if all of them, 
 in their Turns, have Deen in fear of the 
 Indians \ and indeed to me the Wonder 
 is much greater, that any of them ever 
 came to be fo confiderable, but that I know 
 thofe poor People were divided among them- 
 felves. We are llruck w^ith Horror when 
 we read Accounts of the Spaniards in the 
 Conquelt of the Indies^ but nothing I ever 
 faw or heard of, exceeded the Maffacre 
 I am going to relate. 
 
 During the Indian War in Carolina^ the 
 Honourable Charles Craven^ Efq; w^as Go- 
 vernor, who behaved on all Occafions, at 
 the Head of the Forces of that Province, 
 againll the Indians^ with fignal good Con- 
 duft, much perfonal Bravery and Gallan- 
 try ; and it was often thought, that if a Man 
 of only ordinary Ability had been Gover- 
 nor, that Province w^ould have been de- 
 ftroyed. As foon as this Gentleman had 
 reduced the Indians^ his Affairs calling him 
 to England^ he left Major Daniel in his 
 Stead, before whom an Indian Chkt\ named 
 
 I Turkey- 
 
 *f 
 
FIPFW^ 
 
 ( 88 ) 
 
 Turkeycockj of a neighbouring Nation of 
 Ltdiansy accufed twelve of the Cujfoes (as 
 I remember they were called) of having held 
 a Corrcfpondence with the Cherokcesy our 
 Enemies in the Time of the late War. The 
 ace tiled People were then at Charles-Town^ 
 and at the Command of the faid T^antelj 
 w^refentfor, and, without being heard, put 
 in Irons, and immediately ordered and fent 
 on board a Sloop bound for Barbadoes. The 
 Mailer of the Sloop came to the Governor 
 to excufe himfelf from taking any Charge 
 of thofe People, who, as he faid, were molt 
 of them old Men, and fuch as moved his 
 Companion; that if he were inclinable to 
 fell them at B ^rbadoes according to the Go- 
 vernors command, they would not fetch 
 enough to pay their PafTage. The Gover- 
 nor Hill infilled on his carrying them ; but 
 the Mailer being refolved not to have any 
 farther to do with them, defired to know 
 where he llfould fend them : Upon which 
 the Governor faid, fiercely, Til fend them ; 
 whereupon he called Turkeycock^ and bid 
 him take fome of his People and kill thofe 
 Indians on board the Sloop ; which they did, 
 by cleaving their Skulls with Hatchets, as 
 they fat on the Hatches of the Sloop, and 
 then threw them over board. This was 
 done in an Evgl'iflo Town, by Command of 
 an Englijh Governor; no one who lived 
 
 ac 
 
as 
 md 
 vas 
 
 of 
 ,etl 
 
 at 
 
 at that Time in South-Carolina^ is ignorant 
 of this Fad. 
 
 In Tenjilvania the Indians find no fuch 
 cruel Treatment and Barbarity. But ano- 
 ther Reafon for the Increafe of People and 
 the Improvement of the Country, is the 
 wholefome Laws of that Province, by 
 which all Men, without dilUnftion, are 
 proteded from Injury and Perfecution, on 
 Account of any religious Opinions ; for from 
 the Foundation of the Government here, 
 there never hath been an Inftance of any 
 Spiritual Power being exercifed, or fo much 
 as claimed under any Authority in this Pro- 
 vince. Here is a univerfal Toleration of all 
 Sorts of Religions; no Perfon here is ac- 
 countable to Men for what concerns the 
 Deity, and what the Deity only can be 
 Judge of ; here are no Laws which pro- 
 nounce one Mode of Religion more facred 
 than another ; here men are elteemed in 
 Proportion to their Chara<9:ers, as they are 
 fignal for Morality and Virtue, or immo- 
 ral and vicious; here no one who profeffes 
 himfelf a Chrillian, and will fubfcribe the 
 Declarations appointed inftead of the State- 
 Oaths, is excluded from the Magiiiracy or 
 the Legiflature ; here are no Priells or Clergy 
 maintained by Law, and therefore there are 
 but few, except we call the Preachers a- 
 mong the Quakers Priefts and Clergy, who 
 Utterly difown both Denominations, as they 
 
 N preach 
 
 J'* 
 
( 90 ) 
 
 preach not for any Fee or Reward, or Hire 
 in this World. Here are fome Preibyte- 
 rian Congregations, who maintain tneir 
 Minillers very well; the Anabaptiils, Inde- 
 pendents and other Separatills do the fame. 
 But whence it proceeds, I will not take 
 upon me to determine, that the Clergy of 
 the Church oi England^ tho' they have very 
 handfome Churches in this Province, and 
 tho' all or molt of them have Salaries al- 
 lowed by fome People or Society in Eng- 
 land \ I fay, notwithftanding Tuch Salaries, 
 and as abfolute Toleration as Men can 
 have, and iho' their Followers in general 
 are more wealthy and more numerous than 
 all others, yet, as foon as ever a Benefice 
 happens down in Maryland^ tho' fometimes 
 not a larger, they immediately go there, 
 where I have been told they have fome 
 Ecclefialtical Jurifdidion growing up among 
 them. 
 
 The People of Maryland, to fliew their 
 Zeal for the Church, did by Law give the 
 Parfon of every Parifh forty Pounds of To- 
 bacco for every taxable Perfon ; namely, 
 upon every one that works in the Field or 
 Plantation, Diflenters and all, tho' the latter 
 before had decently maintained their own 
 Preachers, fome of whom, indeed, werQ 
 honell Tradefmen, and fcorned any Main- 
 tenance but what they acquired by their 
 Labour and Indullry. In fome Pariflies this 
 
 arifes 
 
(pi) 
 
 arifes to ^ Very confiderable Sum ; but late- 
 ly ihe People of Maryland oblerving the 
 lichaviour of the Clergy there, thought 
 that a Tax of thirty Pounds per Poll was 
 fufticient, and pall a Lawaccoi dingiy, u hich 
 Law was dillbnted to and annulled by their 
 Proprietor here : Hence may other Plan- 
 tations and People learn the Danger of be- 
 llowing inconfiderately unreafonable Re- 
 venues on the Church or Clergy. Where 
 arc any Inflances to be found of Churchmens 
 relloring to the People any Revenues or 
 PofTeflions, tho' ever fo unjuftly acquired 
 or obtained by them ? The Exercife of a 
 little ecclefiallical Jurifdidlion , together 
 with fuch heavy Taxes, will drain the 
 Province of Maryland of their People, not- 
 withltanding the Numbers of Convifts daily 
 fent there ; for who will chufe to flay un- 
 der a Yoke or Bondage, when they can be 
 free by removing only fifty or a hundred 
 Miles into a Countrey not lefs eligible for 
 SoiU Clime and Fruitfulnefs, and for the 
 greateft Blelfings Mankind can enjoy, pre- 
 ferable to any Spot, perhaps, on the whole 
 Globe ? 
 
 The Produftions of this delightful Coun- 
 trey, viz, Tenjilvania^ for Exportation, 
 arc chiefly Wheat, Flour, Bread, Barrel-* 
 Beef, Pork, Hams, Bacon, Cheefe^ Butter, 
 Soap, Myrtle* Wax Candles^ Star( , Hair^ 
 Powder, Apples, Cyder, Tann'd i-.eather, 
 
 N 2 Uppers 
 
mm 
 
 ^ 
 
 ( 90 
 
 Upper-Leather drell and curried, Tallow- 
 Candles, Bees-Wax, Myrtle-Wax, Strong- 
 Beer, Linfeed-OyI, Cordial-Waters, Deer- 
 Skins, Beaver, Otter, Fox, Raccoon, Fifticr, 
 Minx and other Skins, and fome Tobacco. 
 They likcwife go upon producing Hemp in 
 this Province, by allowing a Bounty among 
 themfelves of three Half- pence per Pound, 
 befide the Bounty allowed by this Kingdom, 
 which is not fuflicient to encourage People 
 to go upon that Manufafture. The Bounties 
 which they have paid and allowed, and the 
 Quantities produced between the third of 
 May 17x6, w. are as underneath. 
 
 !fc. /. s. d' 
 
 From "i^ of MaN 1716 to the") ^ . n 
 
 ^ i4'^ofMJrch m6. j-43169 M.Penny 179 17 oj 
 
 14th Marf A> 1716 to the"! o ^ T^^. ^t 
 
 14th of May 1717. }'5835 at Dm,. 65 19 07 
 
 3d Au^itfi 1717 to thel^ i6 16 o7 
 
 9thof2f^». 1717. f 101007 
 
 I4»h May 1728 to the 7 
 14th of Nov. 1718. 3 
 
 I4»h Nov. 1728 to the? 
 14th of May 172.9. 3 
 
 S**' Aufufi 1729 to the / , , ^^ _. , 
 
 14* of Niv 1^9- S ^^°^ " """• 
 14th ncv. 1710 to the7 , _.„ 
 
 9363 at iv 
 
 at D/V/<>. 
 
 58 10 04 
 17 06 00 
 14 07 Id 
 
 18 09 CO 
 
 391 06 09 
 
 I have Reafon to believe that they have 
 paid much more than the above mentioned 
 Sums; but thefe I can aflure the Reader 
 have been paid on the Days they are charg- 
 ed, 
 
OS 
 C7 
 
 07 
 
 04 
 
 00 
 
 19 
 
 00 
 
 ler 
 
 (93 ) 
 
 ed, which fhews the ready Compliance of 
 the People of this Province, in their En- 
 deavours to produce what is recommend- 
 ed to them, as the molt profitable for this 
 Kingdom. They export alfo Lumber, as 
 faw'd Boards and Timber for building 
 Hojfes, Cyprefs, Shingles, Pipe Hogfliead 
 and Barrel - Staves and Heading, Malls, 
 Yards, Spars for any Ufes, and Timber for 
 Ship Ufe, of all Sorts ; Drugs as Safafrafs, 
 Snake-Root, Calamus-Aromaticus, and many 
 others. They like wife build about looo 
 Tons of Shipping yearly, over and above 
 what they employ in their own Trade, on- 
 ly that fuch Veflels are always loaded thence. 
 There are feveral Iron-Mines in the Coun- 
 trey, and fome are already working, whence 
 there is excellent Iron produced. 
 
 That I may the better be able to (liew 
 the Advantages arifing from this Province 
 to this Kingdom, I will fuppofe what is a 
 pretty conltant Praftice. A Londoner^ or 
 any Engl'tjhman , lays out here in our Ma- 
 nufaftures to the Value of 500/. It will pur- 
 chafe there dddG Buihels of Wheat; which 
 fent to Lijhon at four Shillings ^er Bufliel, 
 will come to 1333 ^. 4 J. which is fure to be 
 fent Home to England at lall, if not im- 
 mediately, and is of the fame Advantage 
 for Remittance or Exchange as any fuch 
 Sum produced by Goods or Merchandize 
 fent from hence direftly : And I would be 
 
 glad 
 
»PI^ 
 
 ( 94 ) 
 
 flad to know what we could fend hence to any 
 ^art of Europe to make fuch Gain. It is 
 obvious that Tortugal in this Cafe pays the 
 whole Sum, and our Seamen and Merchants 
 divide it. It is pretty common for the Cap- 
 rain, if the Ship be Plantation built, to 
 have Orders to (ell the Ship, if he can get 
 a certain Price for it, which often happens, 
 and in that Cafe generally, the whole Pro- 
 duce of Ship and Cargoe is fent to Eng- 
 land % and if it was not the Property of Eng- 
 lijhmen (I mean thofe who live in England) 
 before, it is always ordered to be laid out 
 in Goods , all of the Manufafture of this 
 Kingdom, or fuch as are imported here, and 
 fent to Tenjilvania, -^' 
 
 In another Branch this Province is alfo 
 of fignal Advantage to us ; for all the Mo- 
 ney they get by trading with the Tiutch^ 
 French or Sfaniards, or any others, which 
 are not inconfiderableSums, are fent di- 
 re<aiy here* From the Ifland of Curafoa they 
 do not receive lefs than from 4 to 6000 Pil- 
 toles a Year. The Goods they fend there 
 are Bread, Flour, barrelled Pork, Hams, 
 Indian Com i flrong Beer, Cyder, Butter, 
 Cheefe , QJr. and fome live Stock , namely, 
 Hogs , Fowls , fijr. except a little Cocoa, 
 their Returns f^om thence are always rea- 
 dy Money. They trade to Surinam too, 
 but do not receive near the Specie there 
 that they do at Curafoa^ tho' that is a very 
 
 gainful 
 
to any 
 
 It IS 
 
 ys the 
 :hants 
 * Cap- 
 It, to 
 m get 
 ppens, 
 ? Pro. 
 
 fEng- 
 ^lanaj 
 id out 
 )f this 
 ?, and 
 
 is alfo 
 eMo- 
 
 which 
 
 nt di- 
 
 a they 
 
 )o Pif- 
 
 there 
 
 iams, 
 
 lutter, 
 
 imely, 
 
 )ocoa, 
 
 s rea- 
 
 t too, 
 
 there 
 
 very 
 
 tainful 
 
 (py) 
 
 gainful Trade to them. By their Trade to 
 Ca/>e Franfois and Tettit-Guavas on Hi/pa^ 
 niolay and loMartinico^ Granado^ Guada* 
 lufe and Leogan^ they pick up lorne Mo- 
 ney: For a Sloop will bring fometimes two 
 or three hundred Pilloles thence, befide 
 her Loading of MolofTes, @r. Very often 
 they fell all their Cargoes in 'Jamaica and 
 other Places for Money, and return in Bal- 
 lad with that Money only, which is fure to 
 come to England at lalt. The Reafon of 
 returning empty from Jamaica'^ is the high 
 Price of Rum and Molofl'es there. It is al- 
 lowed that thefineflRum is rmde in J amaicdf 
 and therefore is in fuch Demand to fend 
 Home, that the northern People can fel- 
 dom afford to purchafe it, efpecially when 
 Fleets are upon failing. In fliort, all the 
 Money they get is fent to England; and if 
 in the Courfe of their Dealing they barter 
 for any Goods , Wares or Merchandizes 
 which will fuit an Englijh Marker, they too 
 are fent here to purchale our own Manufac- 
 tures, of which they have not taken lefs for 
 manyYearspaft than to the Value of 150,000/. 
 fer Annum. 
 
 Somewhat more than half of the whol<? 
 Shipping which clear out of this Province 
 are owned by People of this Kingdom, and 
 many of them are Britijh built. The Quan- 
 tity of Shipping employed by them, I take 
 to be about 6,000 Tons, befide about i,ooo 
 
 Tons 
 
(96) 
 
 Tons which they build , and generally load 
 thence, many of which never return. I 
 compute that, as many of their Sloops make 
 feveral Trips in one Year, they cannot ex- 
 port lefs annually than 11,000 Tons of their 
 own Commodities. In all which this King- 
 dom is principally concerned, not only as 
 Owners, but as Adventurers. Some of thefe 
 to the Quantity of 2000 Tons, come di- 
 reftly to this Kingdom and Ireland annu- 
 ally; all of thcfe bring us Money, and (as 
 is before obferved) befides their own Pro- 
 duce, they frequently fend us Logwood, 
 Sugar, Rice, Pitch, Tarr and Train-Oil; 
 in fine, whatever they think we want or 
 they can fpare. 
 
 They trade to the Provinces of Virginiaj 
 Maryland, Carolina y and all the Iflands in 
 the Wefl Indies (except the Spmijhy how- 
 ever their Flour brings many thoufands of 
 Pieces of Eight from thence) likewife con- 
 fiderably to the Canary JJles^ Madera y and 
 the Azores or weftern Hies ; to Spain and 
 ^Portugal conftantly , or any other Part of 
 Europe where they can have a Profpett of 
 Advantage; as alfo toNe'wfoundland^'^'hQncQ 
 they frequently order Remittances to this 
 Kingdom of Money, the Produce of their 
 Fifli in Spain., Tortugaly or any Part of the 
 Mediterranean where they fend it. With 
 New England likewife they have a conftant 
 Intercourfe of Trade, In fine, as there are 
 
 in 
 
di- 
 
 (97 ) 
 
 in the City of Philadelphia many Merchants 
 of Ability and good Capacity, they carry 
 their Trade wherever Gain and Advan- 
 tage is to be made; which hath not been 
 to their own Profit and Advantage only, 
 but to that of their Mother Kingdom, inaf- 
 much as all the Money they can by any 
 Means obtain , they conftantly fend here, 
 even to the putting themfelves under the 
 Neceffity of making and eltablifhing a Pa- 
 per Credit or Currency there. A few Years 
 ago I had the Opportunity of computing, 
 in Company with fome Gentlemen of that 
 t'rovince, the Sums of Money annually re* 
 mitted to England^ direftly from or medi- 
 ately by the Produce of that Province ; and 
 we then agreed that not lefs than 60,000/. 
 Sterling in Cafli was annually fo remitted ; 
 for which there were always ordered Goods 
 and Manufaftures from this Kingdom only. 
 From this Province, by Way of il/^ary* 
 land and Virginia^ we have at leaft 10,000/. 
 a Year : Molt of it comes from ThUadel- 
 fhia thus ; The Mailers of Ships in thofc 
 Provinces are above all others under the 
 Neceflity of having Money for their Ex- 
 pences for which they give their Bills , and 
 thefe Bills are frequently negotiated at Thi- 
 iadelphia^ by which Means the Money is 
 drawn thence. This Money by Circulation 
 comes into the Hands of Store Keepers and 
 Shop Keepers, who at the Departure of the 
 
 O Ships 
 
pppp 
 
 (98 ) 
 
 Ships fend it over here to England to pUf- 
 chafe Goods, which at the Return of the 
 Shipping, they find has turned to much 
 more Advantage than they could any other 
 Way have made. Whatever they fell their 
 Wheat, Flour and Bread for in Tortugal 
 or Spaiuy is generally fent to London^ which 
 cannot amount to lefs than ifjooo/. fer 
 Ann, they remit from Newfoundland byW ay 
 of Spainy 4000 /. by their Trade to the Cana-- 
 riesy 4C00 /. the remaining Part is fent direft- 
 ly over to Great-Britain ; molt of which Mo- 
 ney as I have faid before, they take from the 
 French and Dutch in the fFeJi-Indies: And 
 without this Trade to the Dutch znd French 
 Colonies , they would not be able to make 
 Remittances to above half that Sum in Cafh, 
 nor capable of making Remittances for the 
 half of the Remainder in Goods. The Pri- 
 ces of Rum and Sugar and MolofTes, which 
 they cannot live without, and without which 
 they cannot carry on Trade among the In- 
 dians ^ nor trade to Newfoundland, would 
 be loll: to them by the raifing of the Prices 
 of thofe Commodities in our Iflands. 
 
 The Provinces of the Eajl and PTe^ New 
 Jerfys. as they lie between Tenfilvania 
 and the Province oi New Tork, fall next in 
 Order to be treated of. As they are at pre- 
 fent under the Government of tbe fame 
 Perfoii with New-Tork ; and as their Pro- 
 
 duflions 
 
B? 
 
 (99 ) 
 
 duftions are fo much alike, tho' they are 
 under different Laws, and have diflerenc 
 AlTcmbUes; I Ihall confider them all asonejlince 
 little can be laid of the Produflions of one, 
 which may nor be faid of all, excepting that 
 in New-I'ork ihere is the richeit Copper- 
 Mine difcovcred, which perhaps was ever 
 heard of, and great Quantities of it have 
 been brought to this Kingdom: This is a 
 vaft Treafure lately diic^vered, as well as 
 thofe Irons Mines mentioned in Virginia y 
 Maryland 2iTi{\ Tenfilvania\ and from thence 
 we may be fupplied with all we want of 
 thofe Commodities, and pay for them with 
 our own Manufaftures only. Thefe Mines 
 may be made in all Refpeds of equal Ad- 
 vantage to this Kingdom, if not more, than 
 if they had been difcovered here. We 
 need not any longer be drained of our Mo- 
 ney for thofe two valuable Metals, we may 
 have all we w^ant for a Httle Labour only. 
 If Mr. Gee was right in his Computation, 
 by our taking thele two Commodities from 
 our own Plantations, we may fave above 
 3co,coo/. in Cafli, which we pay annually 
 to Sueden and T^enmark. 
 
 Thefe and all the Settlements w^e have 
 upon th^ Main, are very capable of produ- 
 cing Hemp, Flax and Pot- Afli, and in fliort, 
 molt, if not all, the rough Materials we 
 want ; and lam perfuaded that if wewould but 
 attend to the Improvement of our own Set- 
 
 O z tlements 
 
1 ' 
 
 i 
 
 ( 100 ) 
 
 tlements upon the main Continent of Atne^ 
 ricdy we Ihould in very little Time be fup- 
 plied from thence even with all things we 
 Itand in need of. If fome of the Meafures 
 were taken which I have hinted at, for re- 
 ftraining fome Manufaftures which in time 
 may interfere with our own, a Foundation 
 might be laid , and fuch an Intercourfe and 
 Communication fettled between us and 
 them, that as their whole Dependance 
 would be on us, fo we might be aflured 
 of being conllantly fupplied. It is highly 
 our own Intereil , and will be our Happi- 
 nefs; we fhall employ more People, in a 
 Way by which they will be molt conducive 
 to our Strength and Proteftion. 
 
 Whatever I have before faid of Tenjll- 
 vania^ with Regard to its Produce and 
 Trade, may be faid oi New-Tor k and the 
 Jerfeys, except that they do not build fo 
 many Ships. Their Trade to Surinam and 
 Curafoa is perhaps more valuable. To 
 England I believe they fend fewer Ships, 
 yet thofe richer, as they deal for more 
 Skins and Furs with the Indians. Thefe 
 Countries fend us all the Money which 
 they get by any of their Trades ; they do 
 not take lets from us than Tenfdvania doth, 
 and are in ^.ll Refpefts of equal Advantage 
 to us. 
 
 The Province of New-Tork .is bounded 
 to the Northward by New- England -^ to the 
 
 iL^il ward 
 
(lOI ) 
 
 Eaftward by the Atlanic Ocean; to the 
 Southward by the Jerfey's and Tenfilvania ; 
 and to the Weftward by the River ^x.,Law- 
 rence. The City of New-Tork hath near as 
 many Inhabitants as Thiladelphia^ and is a 
 moll delightful Place. The Gentlemen here 
 are exceeded by none in Kindnefs and Ci- 
 vility to Strangers; the Countrey one of 
 the pleanfateft in the Univerfe ; the Clime 
 temperate, the Air ferene; for except a- 
 bout the latter End of Auguft and Septem" 
 beVy they have no drifley, foggy or thick 
 Weather; one of their Showers of Rain is 
 generally over in two Hours, then are they 
 bleft with a clear Sky. Here are no Phti- 
 lics or Confumptions, and fo very fewPhy- 
 ficians and Apothecaries that People live 
 to a very great Age. They have very few 
 Clergy, and are fignal for their Morals 
 and Beneficence. 
 
 Under New- England I fliall comprehend 
 not only Rhode Ijland^ but the whole Traft 
 of Land and Iflands which we claim on the 
 Continent- of y^w^r/V^, to the Northward 
 and Eaftward of the Province of New-Tor k. 
 This Province is bounded to the South- 
 ward by NeW'Tork'^ to the Ealtward by 
 the Atlantic Ocean; to the Northward and 
 Weftward by the Streights of Canfo , 
 and the Bay and River of St. Lawrence. 
 From the Bounds of New-Tork to the 
 
 Streights 
 
ptei 
 
 ( 102 ) 
 
 Streights of Canfo the Diftance is a hun- 
 dred fixty five Leagues ; and fo much 
 Front hath this Countrey toward the At- 
 lantic Ocean. The Soil and Produft arc 
 not unlike thofe of Great- Britain. The 
 People within this s^^\ T'ra<9: of Land are 
 numerous, not lefs than ixo,ooo Britijh 
 Subjefts; and it is computed that by the 
 Trade within thefe Bounas only, there are 
 not lefs than fix hundred Sail of Ships and 
 Sloops employed, making at lead 38000 
 Tons , one half of which trade to Europe ; 
 and alfo, that by the Fiflieries and in the 
 Shipping together, there are not lefs than 
 from five to fix thoufand Men employed. 
 
 The Fiflieries within thefe Bounds have 
 produced at a Medium, for feveral Years 
 part, two hundred and thirty Thoufand 
 Quintals of dried Fifli, which is fent to 
 Spain t Portugal and the Mediterranean^, 
 and upon an Average, have produced there, 
 clear of all Charges, twelve Shillings fer 
 Quintal, the whole amounting to a hun- 
 dred and thirty eight Thoufand Pounds 
 Sterling, ^11 which Sum may be.fa»J to be 
 clearly gained our of the Sea; becaufe 
 Materials, viz. Salt, Rum, MolofTes, all 
 Provifions, and all Manner of Utenfils ex- 
 pended and worn in this Trade, are pur- 
 chafed for the Refufe-Fifli and the Oyl 
 made from fuch Fiflieries. Hence may 
 be eltimated the prodigious Advantage of 
 
 our 
 
( 103 ) 
 
 our Fiflieries, when from our 'own Labour 
 only, after having paid great and large 
 Freights, and by that Means giving an Em- 
 ployment to a great Number of Men and 
 Shipping, here is a real Treafure of a 
 hundred and third eight thoufand Pounds 
 fer Ann. added to the Riches of our King- 
 dom; every Penny of this, as well as the 
 Freight and Commiflions which are earned 
 by our own People, and which (it is not 
 to be doubted) are near one third of the 
 whole more, is remitted to Great-Britain ; 
 the whole Sum not is lefs than a hundred 
 and feventy two thoufand five hundred 
 Pounds. This Trade hath increafed lately 
 above one third Part; and it is thought that 
 this Increafe hath been in a great Meafure 
 owing to the Trade carried on by the New- 
 England People to the French Iflands, 
 whereby they can obtain Rum and Mo- 
 lofles as cheap or rather cheaper than they 
 ufed to purchafe them at Barbadces^ before 
 the Peace of Utrecht ; whereas, fmce that 
 Time, the Prices of Rum and Moloffes, in 
 our Ulands, is railed to near double the 
 Price they then fold at, or what the French 
 fell for now. The Whale Fifhery produ- 
 ces annually from eleven to thirteen hun- 
 dred Tons of Oyl, including what is made 
 by New-EnglanJMtn2ii Cape Fear in Ca- 
 rolina^ (where I have feen three New-Eng- 
 land 
 
( 104 ) 
 
 land Veflels at once, on that Account) be- 
 fides, at lealt forty Tons of Whale-Bone. 
 
 Thefeare not the only Advantages Great- 
 J5rir/^/« reaps from thefe People; they like- 
 wife fend all or mod of thofe Commodities 
 which are the Produce of their Countrey ; 
 namely, Lumber of all Sorts, fuch as Pipe, 
 Hogftiead and Barrel-Staves, Anchor-Stocks, 
 Oak- Plank and Timber, alfo crooked Tim- 
 ber, as Knees and Standards, alfo Bread, 
 Flour, Wheat, Indian Corn, pickled Her- 
 rings, Mackrel and Sturgeon to many Parts 
 of Europe^ the whole Produce of which 
 is conitantly remitted to England. They 
 fend valt Quantities of their Lumber and 
 Horfes, alfo Provifions of all Sorts to our 
 Weft India Iflands, the Produce of which 
 is frequently ordered to be remitted to 
 Great' Britain, They likewife trade to the 
 Bay of Honduras for Logwood ; and as 
 they build Shipping fo very cheap, they 
 can and do afford to fell their Lumber, in 
 the fVeft'Indies at an exceeding low Price, 
 fo that our Sugar Colonies are fupplied 
 much cheaper than any other are: Not a 
 few of their Shipping are loaded there and 
 come home to England^ and by that Means, 
 are as abfolutcly protitable to England^ and 
 indeed more fo than if they had been built 
 there ; for after thisShip'sFreightfrom5^7?<?;!r 
 (for Example) to Barbadoes^ and from Bar- 
 
 I badoes 
 
( loy ) 
 
 hadoes to England^ which England hath as cer- 
 tainly received, as if the Ship hnd gone from 
 London to Barbadoes firll of all ; this Bojioji 
 Ship is purchafed by a Londoner .^ at as cheap, 
 or cheaper Rate than he could have pur- 
 chafed one, in all Refpefts of equal Good- 
 iiefs, built in England. It will be allowed 
 that henceforth, this Ship is to be looked up- 
 on and efteemed as abfolutely Englijh as any 
 other; from hence may be feen, that in this 
 Cafe, England was at no Manner of Ex- 
 pence in fitting out this Bo^on Ship, yet 
 England receives all the Freight and Pro- 
 fit on the Voyage from Bojton to Barba- 
 does and England^ which England pays for 
 in Woollen and other of our Manufactures. 
 Now if England, in this Cafe, hath to a 
 greater Value and Quantity of Goods 
 brought Home, for lefs Expence of her 
 Manufaftures, (which I can demonltrate is 
 the Cafe) than if they were brought in Eng- 
 lijh Ships, firll fent from England^ it is ma- 
 tiifeft that the Hew England Ship was the 
 moll profitable to England fo far ; nor can 
 there be a Cafe pur, wheie a Ship built in 
 the Plantations (in Proportion to her Value 
 in England) is not of equal Profit and Ad- 
 v^tage to this Kingdom, as if built here, 
 umefs we were fure that any fuch were em- 
 ployed by Foreigners, in Trades wherein 
 they rivalled us, and without which they 
 
 P could 
 
m 
 
 ( io6] 
 
 could not poflibly carry on any fuch Trade ; 
 nor in that Cafe, if a Ship fo employed by 
 them, were built in England, would the 
 Thing be altered. 
 
 But it would be Wcaknefs in us, to hin- 
 der our own People from fupplying, even 
 a Rival or an Enemy, with fuch Things as 
 he could be fupplied with, either from his 
 own Dominions or any other People, while 
 jy fuch fupplying him or them, we made a 
 real Gain and Advantage. The Dutch in 
 Time of War have fold Powder and Shot, 
 and many other warlike Stores, as well as 
 Provifions, to their Enemy. This was cer- 
 tainly the Effeft of their Confideration and 
 Prudence; they perceived that their Ene- 
 mies might be fupplied from other Nations ; 
 nay, they knew thofe Enemies had and pro- 
 duced as many Materials fit for carrying 
 on Manufaftures as themfelves, and that if 
 they did not fupply them, thefe Enemies 
 would foon be fupplied from thofe Nations, 
 or produce them for their owaUfe, and in 
 either Cafe the T)titch were fure to be 
 Loofers. Upon fuch Confiderations as 
 thefe we ought to proceed in all Affairs of 
 Trade and Commerce ; and I will venture 
 to fay, it is entirely owing to thefe Coun- 
 tries, I am now treating of, that, after ha- 
 ving built and maintained agreater Number 
 and better Ships too, than any other Power 
 
 upon 
 
 9- ; 
 
m 
 
 { 107 ) 
 
 upon the whole Globe ever did, we are yet 
 able to maintain as many as ever, and cheaper, 
 perhaps, than we ufed to do, which is more 
 than can be faid of any other of our Ma- 
 nufaftures, (as I call this of Ship-Building.) 
 Is it not manifeitly owing to this, that we 
 can navigate cheaper than molt Powers in 
 Eurofei Can we fay upon any other Ar- 
 ticle whatever»that the Charge or Price is not 
 enhanced in Proportion to our European 
 Neighbours, but in this finglc Inltancc on- 
 ly? Hence, by any conliderare Perion, may 
 be perceived the vatt Advantage ariling and 
 accruing to this Nation, from thefe Northern 
 Colonies. 
 
 The Inhabitants of New England^ in or- 
 der to fliew their Readinefs in complying 
 with whatever feems to be for the mutual 
 Advantage of them and their Mother King- 
 dom, have given a Bounty of one| Penny 
 fer Pound upon all Hemp and Flax pro- 
 duced there. This Colony produces, tho' 
 not in fo great a Degree, the fame Commo- 
 dities with Tenjilvania and New- Tor L 
 Here are feveral Manufaftures begun, as I 
 have mentioned before, and they have long 
 been famous for making the beft Falling- 
 Axes in the World. From hence too we 
 have the largell Mails in the World for our 
 Royal Navy. All the Gold and Silver (with 
 whatever is of Value there, after their own 
 
 P X Necef- 
 
i 
 
 ( io8 ) 
 
 Neccflities are fupplicd) is fcnt to England^ ' 
 and there centers ; for which they never 
 draw from us one Penny in Calh or Bulhon, 
 but receive an exchange of our own Manu- 
 fadures; namely, Woollen, Iron-Work, 
 Lead-Shot and Lead, with all Manner 
 of wearing Apparel, Houfliould-Goods, 
 £Sf. in fliort, whatever is the Manufafture 
 of this Kingdom, will fell to Advantage 
 there, befide Eaft-India Goods and fo- 
 reign Linnens, which we fend them from 
 hence. 
 
 As I have always been of Opinion that 
 thefe Northern Colonies and Fiflieries, 
 are of the greateft Confequence and Ad- 
 vantage to this Kingdom, fo I am well 
 pleafed to find that fo far I have had the 
 Concurrence of feveral Perfons who feem 
 to have underllood the Trade and Interelt 
 of this Kingdom, the beit of any Men what- 
 ever. The Author of a Book entitled, A 
 "Difcourfe ofTrade^ Coin and T^afer Credit^ 
 and of IVays and Means to gain and retain 
 Riches.^ printed in London 1697, is entirely 
 of the fame Opinion. I am well aflured 
 by the Style, that thisTreatife was wrote by 
 a Merchant, and one who underllood 
 the Subjeft he treated of, as well as 
 any Man ever did ; it is worth the per- 
 ufal of any one, who would be acquainted 
 with Trade and Commerce. In Page f. 
 
 the 
 
cc 
 
 cc 
 
 ( 109 ) 
 
 the Author fays, " No Trades can be more 
 
 " fecure, to be for the Interell of this Na- 
 
 *' tion, than what are carried on by the 
 
 " Exportation of our Produds and Manu- 
 
 " fafturies, or by fuch Goods as come here 
 
 " from our Plantations, becaufeof the Ad- 
 
 *' vantage we have by the Exportation, in 
 
 <^ the Confumption of our Produrt and 
 
 ^* E'mployment of the Poor ; but no Trade 
 
 *< is more Hkely ro increafe Seamen than 
 
 " our Fifliing - Trade is , becaufe great 
 
 *< Numbers (as well as ibme Landmen, 
 
 " which thereby become Seamen) are im- 
 
 ployed in the taking and making, as well 
 
 as in carrying it to foreign Markets ; 
 
 " and no Trade can produce more clear 
 
 " Profit to the Nation, becaufe the whole 
 
 " Value arifeth from the Labours of our 
 
 <' People, excepting the Salt. Trades that 
 
 " have fo good a Foundation lliould be 
 
 " promoted, becaufe it is not fo difficult to 
 
 " judge what Trades are good, by the Ex- 
 
 « portation, as what are bad by Importation." 
 
 And a little farther he fays, *' Trades carri- 
 
 ** ed on by the Exportation of Money are 
 
 " dangerous, and ought only to be approv- 
 
 ** ed of for the purchafing of Goods in 
 
 *« foreign Parts to be carried to foreign Mar- 
 
 *' kets, from whence there maybe a Proba- 
 
 « bility that the Returns will bring inmoie 
 
 *^ Money than was carried out." Mr. Mun 
 
 too 
 
( no) 
 
 too, in his Treatife called England's Trea- 
 Jure by foreign Trade^ &c. Page ii. fays, 
 *< We ough: to elleem and cheiifli thofe 
 « Trades which we have in remote Coun- 
 ** tries ; for befide the Increafe of Ship- 
 " ping ana Mariners thereby, the Wares 
 ** lent thither and received from thence 
 " are far more profitable to the Kingdom, 
 ** than by our Trades near at Hand '*; and 
 he there gives feveral undeniable Inllances, 
 to which I refer the Reader. 
 
 I perfuade myfelf that no one will want 
 to be convinced that the Trade we have to 
 NewEnglandy&cc. hath alltheMarks of an ad- 
 vantageous and profitable Trade, and there- 
 fore I fliall prefume to give my Opinion as 
 to fome Profits and Advantages hitherto not 
 mentioned. They take from us annually of 
 our Manufaftures , and Linnens imported 
 here, alfo India Goods, and whatever elfe 
 we fend them, to the Value of 400,000/. 
 yearly, which they remit to us in the man- 
 ner I have before mentioned , and which 
 in all Refpeds are of as great Benefit to 
 this Kingdom as any other Trade whatever, 
 in Proportion to the Sums dealt for, ex- 
 cepting that the Shipping employed in the 
 Commerce between us is not fo conftantly 
 fitted in England. Upon the whole I am 
 perfuaded that we gain annually by all 
 thefe Provinces of Rhode Ijland^ the Maf 
 
 fachufets- 
 
:x- 
 :he 
 |tly 
 im 
 all 
 af. 
 
 
 ( III ) 
 
 fachufets Bay^ New Hump fhire^ Nova Sco- 
 tia^ or Canfo^ a prcdigiv>^,s Sum ; nor will 
 it be much doubted by anyone, of what 
 Confequence any Place is, which takes 
 from us Goods to fo great a Vahie, and 
 not one Penny of our Coin or Bullion. 
 
 Near adjoining to Canjb^ or Nova Scotia^ 
 isGaJpa IJle, alias Cape-Breton^ where the 
 French have a confiderable Settlement and 
 Fifliery. I am well informed that they 
 make about loo thoufand Quintals of Fifli, 
 w^hich they catch upon the Englijh Banks 
 near Can/o j by the Connivance of our 
 People. 
 
 Newfoundland is but very thinly inhabi- 
 ted by us, but it is of prodigious Advan- 
 tage to us. It is computed that we make 
 one Year with another about loo thoufand 
 Quintals of Fifh there; which- as I laid be- 
 fore, will fell for 120 thouf^ind Pounds, 
 clear of all Charges, only at twelve Shil- 
 lings fer Quintal; all which may be rea- 
 fonably reckoned clear Gain to this King- 
 dom ; for as I obferved before , the Oil 
 would pay for Salt, ^c. And all thio Sum 
 is aftually got by our Labour, and is of 
 more Service to the Kingdom , by breed- 
 ing of ul'eful Seamen (the natural Strength 
 of this Kingdom) than if fo much were to 
 
 be 
 
( "O 
 
 be dug out of the Mine by a thoufandtii 
 Part of the Trouble or Labour ; and that 
 Kingdom or Nation which hath the Means 
 and keeps their People exercifed and im- 
 ployed, can never fail of being powerful 
 and rich; whereas we fee Nations and 
 Kingdoms pofleft of vaft natural Wealth 
 and Swarms of People, whofe Power is de- 
 fpifed. From Newfoundland we have great 
 Quantities of Skins and Furs, namely. Seal, 
 Deer, Fox, Otter, Minx and Bear-Skins, 
 likewife fome Beaver, ^c. 
 
 I fliall not take upon me to make any 
 Eftimate of the Advantages arifing to this 
 Kingdom from hudfon\ Bay and Travis' s- 
 Streights , being entirely unacquainted 
 there ; yet thus much I have learned , that 
 the Trade there is [extremely beneficial to 
 all Perfons concerned, even far beyond any 
 other, in Proportion to the Sums dealt for. 
 
 Bermudas^ though a fmall Ifland, or ra- 
 ther a great many fmall Iflands, lies in the 
 Latitude of 31'* 30'" North; Longitude 
 from London 6\^ Weil ; and about two 
 hundred Leagues diftant from the Conti- 
 nent of America, In Queen Ann% War 
 there was upwards of a hundred Sail of 
 Brigantines and Sloops belonging to this 
 Ifland; but at prefent I am alTured that 
 there is not above half that Number, This 
 
 Ifland, 
 
• ra*- 
 the 
 ude 
 two 
 nti- 
 ar 
 of 
 this 
 that 
 his 
 nd. 
 
 ( "3 ) 
 
 Ifland, which was formerly one of the moft 
 fruitful, is now near worn out: And fucli 
 is and will be the Fate of all fmall Iflands, 
 where People increafe fo fail, and fo con- 
 tkntly keep their Lands tilled. Such in 
 part is the Cafq of the Ifland of Barbadoes 
 already, yet the Planters there are not wil- 
 ling to remove to Places where twice the 
 Quantity of Sugars may be made by he 
 fame Labour as there. The People oi Ber- 
 mudas too are not eafily to be perfuaded 
 to remove to a better Countrey, where the 
 fame Degree of Induftry and Frugality , 
 which thefe People are remarkable for , 
 would foon enrich them. Thefe People 
 are extremely civil and kind to Strangers ; 
 and when they have a good Governor, as it is 
 univerfally allowed they had of Governor 
 Bennet, no People are more happy. They 
 have very few^ Priefls, as few Phyficians, 
 and fewer Lawyers. All the NecelFaries 
 which they want, fuch as Apparel and 
 Houfliold Goods, they are furniflied with 
 from hence ; for which they fend us Money, 
 and fine Plait for making Womens Hats, 
 fSc, together with whatever they can fpare, 
 of any Commodities which bear a Price 
 here. The Bermudians in general are ex- 
 cellent Hands on board of Sloops, and the 
 beft Fifliermen that I ever knew. Thev 
 navigate their Veflels at lefs Expence thiia 
 any other People, and confequentlycan get 
 by fmaller Freights. 
 
 Q To 
 
( "4 ) 
 
 To conclude, I am of Opinion that this 
 Kingdom gains clear Profit by our Ameri^ 
 can Colonies yearly, the Sum of one Mil- 
 lion Sterling, exclufive of what we get by 
 any Trades for Negroes or dry Goods by 
 the Spaniards \ and that in and by our 
 Colonies only, we maintain and employ at 
 leaft eighteen thoufand Seamen and Filh- 
 
 ermen. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 PAGE 23. line 17. for fourteen read tzventy. P. 49. 1. 4. put 
 a full Point after //. 1 6 after IJland, inftead of a full Point 
 put a Comma. P. 57. 1, 24. for 100, read looo. P. 64. I 7. for 
 Stone read Stono. P. 69. 1. 1 1. for averrtzd. over. P. 70. 1. 2. after 
 wuld add be. P. 73. 1. 13 dele and. P. 103. I. 6. for third read 
 thirty. I I ^. {ox not urQad is mt^ 
 
it this 
 
 ; Mil- 
 jet by 
 ►ds by 
 y our 
 >loy at 
 . Fiflx- 
 
 1. 4. put 
 full Point 
 . 1. 7. for 
 
 I. 2. after 
 bird rca4