360 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



trade was flourishing and apparently is reviving again. 

 Ships of all sizes are vigorously building there, and 

 the carpenters are so greatly employed that they are 

 not to be hired for less than two Spanish dollars a 

 day. Many new buildings, wharves, and warehouses 

 have gone up within a brief space, and new settlers are 

 every day coming in, drawn by the activity of trade in 

 which item Alexandria will perhaps in future, as 

 hitherto, have the advantage of all other places on the 

 Potowmack. However, the complaisance of the mer- 

 chants has been recently somewhat disturbed by the 

 stoppage on the part of Great Britain of all trade be- 

 tween its West India islands and the United States. 

 A striking proof of the overweening and unreasonable 

 expectations and demands of the Americans is, among 

 other things, shown by the loud protest they have 

 raised over this restriction of commerce. Having vio- 

 lently withdrawn from the British Empire they could 

 still expect, now as before, to enjoy all advantages of 

 trade equally with British subjects, could flatter them- 

 selves that Great Britain, (although plainly to the 

 greatest injury of its Canadian and Nova Scotian 

 colonies), must allow them an open competition in 

 trade. Provisions are cheap but for that reason not 

 always to be had, the price being so insignificant that 

 people hardly take the trouble to bring what they have 

 to market ; for the same reason fish are a rarity al- 

 though the river teems with them. The country-houses 

 of the surrounding region are almost all built on 

 heights ; at present this is more a consequence of 

 vanity and usage than anything else, (notwithstand- 

 ing the first occasion was a necessary concern for 

 health in the avoidance of low and swampy spots), 



