Ch. VI. SOUTH AMERICA. 361 



and on the r<ime footing as the regulars; jointly 

 with whom, the better to fit them for fervice on any 

 emergency, they mount guard and perform all other 

 military duties. No country c;in be better cultivated 

 than the neighbourhood of cape Francois. There 

 is not a fpot of ground capable of bearing any thing, 

 but is fown with the niofb proper fpecies of grain. 

 And by thefe farms or habiraiions, as they are ge- 

 nerally called, where the fervile work is oil done by 

 negroes, the people fubfiil in comfort and even m 

 affluence ; being enabled to lend vaft returns to 

 France for the Europenn commodities brought hi- 

 ther. The grounds belonging to thefe habirations 

 are laid out in plantations of fugar, indigo, tobacco, 

 and coffee, the joint produce of which is fo large 

 that 30,000 tons are annually exported to France ; 

 and this vaft quantity only from the territories of 

 cape Francois ; that it may be conceived how immenfe 

 the produce would be, were all the country which the 

 French poilefs in this ifland cultivated. The contrail 

 of this with the little advantage drawn from the remain- 

 ing part of it, which though even more fertile, cannot 

 maintain itfelf, a fupply being every year fent for the 

 fubfiftence of the garrifon and ecclcfiaPiicks, ftrongly 

 ihews the advantages accruing to a country from ikill 

 and induilry. 



The large fleet of flfips which frequent the ports 

 of this colony, are fo plentifully fupplied with Eu- 

 ropean produds and manufaólurcs, that at all times, 

 and efpecially in time of peace, they enjoy a plenty of 

 every thing ; excellent bread made of wheat brought 

 from France, wires, diüilled liquors and fruits of 

 all kinds. The oniy article of provifions the inhabi- 

 tants arc obliged to procure from the Spaniards is 

 m>eat, in return for which they fuppiy them with 

 linen, and other European goods. This commerce is 

 indeed prohibited : but the want being reciprocal, it is 

 carried on widi as lictle kcv^cy and difguile, as if it had 



the 



