342 J. G. BOUEINOT 



" Vessels fitted out at He Royale : 



Europe 11 



Canada 4 



America 18 



33 



" We, the officers of the Admiralty at Louishourg, certify to the accuracy of the foregoing statement. 

 "10th January, 1753. 



" Db la BoKnE. 



" Nbyracq." 



IV. 



'' He Royale— General correspondence, 1753 — vol. 33, c. 11, folio 437. 



" M. Prévost, intendant, 24th December, 1753, on the state of the fisheries and trade of the i.sland. To the 

 minister at Paris. 



•X- * * * * * * * ■:;• 



" You will see with pleasure that there is an increase in the fisheries of 1753 over those of 1752, since the total 

 product is 98,450 quintals of codfish and 1,1542 barrels of oil. The general v.alue of these fisheries ought to reach, 

 according to the present estimate, the sum of 2,084,450 livres, which exceeds that of 1752 by 312,490 livres — the 

 estimate for that year having been only 1,771,960 livres. 



****** * » * 



" The commerce with France shows an increase in the imports, which are valued at 1,003,337 livres sous 

 2 deniers, and the exports at 735,805 livres 12 sous 2 deniers, or 327,5311. 14s. less than the imports. It does not, 

 however, follow that this whole sum is owing to the kingdom. The people of the island have an interest in the 

 cargoes of the ships from I'^rance, and a large quantity of goods is sent for sale on commission to supply tlie ware- 

 houses during tlie winter. It is quite jiossiljle, however, that the colonial morchants still owe something every 

 year to their agents in France, who are frequently in the habit of making them advances. But this cannot be 

 done on a very consideralile scale, f(ir I have heard of no complaints on thi.s score. 



" Canada has not exported any goods during tins year to the colony, Ijiit she has imported them to the value 

 of 111,1571. 19s. This amount has not yet been returned on account of an arrangement made for bills of exchange 

 in October. The correspondants of our merchants, however, hold out hopes that they will make remittances next 

 spring. It is to be hoped that this will be the case, for such delays can only tend to lower credit and derange 

 trade. 



" You will also notice, my Lord, that the imports of merchandise from the Windward and Leeward islands 

 have readied the sum of 1,112,8831. 3s., and the exports to the same, (!73,8li31. Ills. (id. The imports consequently 

 exceed the exports liy 439,0191. 3s. (id. This excess will always exist on account of the considerable equipment 

 that the people make nowadays for the islands. The outlays lieing of little importance compared with the returns, 

 especially when they make good voyages, it is absolutely necessary that the outfits of the spring form an 

 important item in the imports. Hero we clearly .see something of the advantages of the trade between Cape 

 Breton, Martinique and Gaudaloupe. This year the number of sails for these parts of America have been excei> 

 tionally large. Many sloops .and schooners [batteaux et goclottes '] have boon filteil out, and there are still some 

 ready to go out in January .and February. They are only waiting to sail until the supply of cod made tliis autumn 

 is exhausted. 



" This trade would be extremely lucrative and advantageous to this country, if the vessels of western New- 

 foundland (Petit Nord) and Gaspé had not undertaken to send, since two or three years, a great cjuantity of codfish 

 into tlio islands, and there is no other way of sustaining He Royale than by imposing a tax on American fish or 

 by increasing it on the fish of North Bay and Gaspé. 



" As to the English trade, I have obeyed your orders, and yon will see also by the statements you have asked 

 for that the imports exceed the exports by 2.58,3981. 303. Id., including the price of tlie vessels bought, viz., 284,230)., 



in the place of 270,0001., as estimated at first As respects the purcli.asn of vessels, our meriîhauts still owe 



the English on this account 129,3001., which is to be paid in the month of June next year in the shape of rum and 

 syrups." 



ERRATUM. 

 P. 248, 10th line from foot, for Frederick Wall-ix Desharre!:, read Major F. Wallet Desbarres. 



' Cliubert (" Relation du Voyaso sur les Cûtos de l'Am^TÏque Septentrionale," pp. 44, 113) says Huit a batteau had a tonnnge of from 80 

 to 100, and only one mast (a sloop in fact) ; a Koi lette was about tbe same si/.e, but liail two masts. This class was chiefly used in the Cape 

 Breton fisheries. A chaloupe was a. large undecked lisbitiir boat, with two masts and three sails, and fitted for rowing : geiier:illy lilîe the 

 '* whale-boats " in use now on the coasts of the island. 



