[ ps 
Independent of the deftruétion of cattle ‘by the 
hard frofbin 1794, and the fucceeding deficient crops 
of corn, as well as the additional confumption by 
Emigrants, French prifonets, and the extra provi- 
fions requifite for the land and fea forces, many per- 
fons, curious in their enquiries, thought there were 
radical caufes, which occafioned greater annual con- 
fumption both of bread-corn and butcher’s meat; 
more efpecially as an increafed importation of the 
one (inftead of exportation) had taken place fince 
the year 1 7743 and the price of the other had been 
inereafing fince, the year, 1782. . 
Thefe circumftances, notwith{tanding the general 
and particular excitements'to an improved fyftem of 
agriculture, !and the evident'improvements which had 
taken placeyftamped on) my mind a’ perfwafion, that - 
an incréafed and increafing: population was the pro- 
greflive and radical caufeiof the increafed: price, in 
confequence of an increafed confumption.. I theie- 
fore refolved to take the firft opportunity: of afcer- 
taining, by ‘incontrovertible evidence, the, actual 
ftateof population during: the courfevof xensyears, 
within a {mall idiftrict round .my refidence'am Corn- 
wall. For this purpofe, I-wrote to the feveral imini- 
{ters of twenty-eight furrounding parifhes, requefting 
they would indulge me with. correé \extraés from 
their refpective regifters, of: baptifms and’ barials 
from. the rftvof January, 1788, to the g1ftvof De- 
cembery:1797.. A ‘corre abftract of thofe returns 
accompanies 
