256 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK n. 



as the year 1722, the island made only eleven thou- 

 sand hogsheads of sugar, of sixteen hundredweight. 



From that time I have no authentic account until 

 the year 1734, when the island contained 7,644 

 whites,* 86,546 negroes, and 76,011 head of cattle. 

 The value of the imports from this island to Great 

 Britain about this period, were stated (as we have 

 seen) by the commissioners of trade, at ^'.539,499 

 18s. 34-d. sterling. Of the particulars I have no ac- 

 count. In the year 1739, the export of sugar was 

 33,155 hogsheads, of 14 cwt. 



In 1744, the numbers were 9,640 whites, 112,428 

 negroes, and 88,036 head of cattle. The exports at 

 this period were about 35,000 hogsheads of sugar, 

 and 10,000 puncheons of rum, exclusive of smaller 

 articles. The whole might be worth . 600,000 

 sterling. 



In 1768, the w r hites were supposed to have been 

 17,000. The number of negroes on the tax-rolls were 

 166,914, and the cattle 135,773 head. The exports 

 (the value of which could not be less at that time than 

 . 1,400,000 sterling) were these: 



* The circumstance of the decrease of the white inhabitants for the 

 first sixty years, may appear strange. It was owing without doubt, to 

 the decline of the privateering trade, which gave full employment to the 

 first adventurers^ 



